Philadelphia Mayor John Street yesterday said that he
is "working to close deals" on facilities for the Eagles and
Phillies, but he "won't commit" to City Council President
Anna Verna's November 16 deadline for the introduction of
stadium legislation, according to Dave Davies of the
PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. Street: "My goal is to get it done
by the end of the year. And the 16th would obviously be a
great thing to be able to do, but I'm not going to make any
commitment about that." But Davies notes a "time-crunch
imposed by a deal" Street signed with the Eagles earlier
this year and the team's "insistence that if they can't get
a stadium in time" for 2003, they will "abandon efforts" to
build in Philadelphia. But Street "thinks he can meet the
team's construction timetable if he gets a stadium deal
approved" by the end of the year. Davies adds that while
Street said that his "preference" for a ballpark is at 12th
and Vine Street, sources said that the city's efforts "now
are focused on" two sites near the stadium complex in South
Philadelphia (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 11/10).
EAGLES PUZZLED BY AZ VOTE: Also in Philadelphia, Phil
Sheridan writes, "The developments in Arizona [for a new
Cardinals stadium] have the Eagles scratching their heads.
The Cardinals, a team that can't begin to fill Sun Devil
Stadium ... and whose games are routinely blacked out on
local TV, will get a sweeter deal than the Eagles are trying
to get. ... The Eagles, meanwhile, have one of the most
loyal fan bases in sports and regularly sell out their games
at Veterans Stadium." If the Cardinals measure passes, it
will reduce the "list of candidates for relocation," which
is "now down" to the Eagles and Vikings, with a "permanent
asterisk" next to the Raiders. L.A. Coliseum Commission GM
Pat Lynch: "Do we have a legitimate interest in the Eagles?
Yes. Are we actively involved in talks with the team? No,
we're not" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 11/10).
