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).
