ARIZONA: A telephone poll of 602 registered voters
conducted by the Arizona Republic September 14-18 shows that
a ballot initiative for a new NFL Cardinals $335M stadium
"is facing long yardage," with 38% of those surveyed in
favor of Proposition 302, while 53% are opposed and 9% are
undecided. The poll had a margin of error of +/-4% (ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 9/26)....In Phoenix, Hernan Rozemberg writes that
Scottsdale execs "are giving" prospective Coyotes co-Owner
Steve Ellman four days to "prove he's got enough money" to
pay for a proposed $557M sports and entertainment complex,
including a 17,500-seat Coyotes arena, at the former Los
Arcos Mall (AZ REPUBLIC, 9/26).
NEWHAN'S THEORY: In L.A., Ross Newhan wrote that new
ballparks such as PNC Park and Miller Park create "improved
revenue streams," but also "major debt," which has led to a
"theory that [MLB] owners ... will not threaten those
improved revenue streams and will not incur more debt by
putting screws to the players' union and risking a work
stoppage when negotiations begin on a new " CBA. Newhan:
"The theory is that so many new parks have opened with so
much accompanying debt since the 1994 dispute that owners
will agree to simple modifications in revenue sharing, the
luxury tax and amateur draft, putting off a bid for major
changes and the risk of fan alienation through another work
stoppage while securing their financial footing and
improving their credit ratings amid the improved revenue
streams of the new parks" (L.A. TIMES, 9/24).
NOTES: MSNBC.com's Jeannette Walls cited a source who
said that Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner, after learning
of N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani's plans for a new stadium in
Manhattan's West Sode, decided not to unveil his own plans
for a new ballpark and instead aims at "piggyback onto the
Jets stadium" (MSNBC.com, 9/25)....Dover Downs Entertainment
President & CEO Denis McGlynn said that an expansion of
7,000 "is planned" for Dover Downs Int'l Speedway in time
for the track's Winston Cup races next season. The
expansion would bring the number of permanent seats to
140,000 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/24).
CORRECTION: THE DAILY incorrectly noted the venue of
the Wild-Canucks exhibition game that was played on
Saturday. The game was played in Winnipeg. The Wild's
first game at Xcel Energy Center is this Friday (THE DAILY).
