Montreal Mayor Pierre Borque said that he "refuses to
give up hope" that the Expos will remain in Montreal, but
added that he's "just about fed up with the unresponsiveness
of the team's owners," according to Hanes & Gyulai of the
Montreal GAZETTE. Borque: "I haven't seen a marketing plan,
I haven't had my phone calls returned, they haven't accepted
any of my offers to come to city hall and discuss this. I
can't say there's much of a plan to develop baseball in
Montreal" (Montreal GAZETTE, 8/25). Meanwhile, Quebec
Finance Minister Bernard Landry said that his province "has
done its part to try to keep" the Expos from relocating and
"won't do anything more." Landry: "It's up to people in the
private sector to play their role" (CP, 8/25).
NO FANS OF LORIA: A Montreal GAZETTE editorial states,
"If Expos fans were playing Survivor, [team Majority Owner]
Jeffrey Loria would be the first person they'd vote off the
island of Montreal. Mr. Loria seems far too devious,
scheming and manipulative to be trusted by anyone in this
city" (Montreal GAZETTE, 8/25). But in Toronto, Stephen
Brunt writes, "There will be much wailing and gnashing of
teeth and blaming of the evil outsider [if the Expos move].
... Loria will take the flak. ... [But] when it comes time
to lay blame for losing the Expos, he knows that the more
honest will look closer to home" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/25).
