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Facilities Venues

ROCKETS HOLD FESTIVAL, BUT SAY IT HAS NOTHING TO DO W/ARENA

          Saying it had "nothing to do" with the November 7
     referendum for a new $175M arena, the Rockets expanded their
     annual public practice into a first-ever, downtown basketball
     festival on Saturday, according to Ed Asher of the HOUSTON
     CHRONICLE.  The festival included a full workout on an
     outdoor court, followed by an autograph session.  As Rockets
     staffers wore pro-arena T-shirts, VP/Marketing Elaine
     Sullivan-Digre said, "This is part of our liftoff celebrating
     the start of the season," and not a rally for the arena. 
     Fans in attendance said that the event "probably gave arena
     proponents a boost," but crowd estimates ranged from 2,000 to
     4,500, well under the 8,000 to 10,000 the Rockets hoped for
     (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/29).  But also in Houston, Feigen &
     Stickney reported that the event lasted six hours, attracted
     more than 8,000 fans and "focused attention" on a new arena. 
     Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich: "We brought the Rockets here
     (to remind people) to get out and vote" (CHRONICLE, 10/29).
          OPPONENTS HAVE THEIR SAY: In Houston, Eric Berger
     reviewed ads before the arena referendum and wrote that
     opponents of the Houston arena have been "slightly misleading
     to outright false," compared with the "minor liberties with
     the truth" proponents of the arena have taken in their ads. 
     The "most inaccurate" ad claimed that Rockets Owner Leslie
     Alexander would pay "construction overrun cost only," but
     Berger noted Alexander would pay $5.2M a year in rent, $1.6M
     for repairs, $200,000 to the city and cost overruns if the
     arena vote passes (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/28).

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