In San Diego, Caitlin Rother wrote that although the
Chargers drew 56,896 on Sunday for their game against the
Dolphins, local taxpayers "still ended up spending at least"
$414,000 to buy unsold tickets as part of the city's
guarantee negotiated with the team in '96. The total amount
paid by San Diego taxpayers so far this season is "at least"
$5.76M, "well above" the $5M "set aside in a reserve fund
for that purpose" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/14)....In
Toronto, Michael Grange reported that CFL Argonauts Owner
Sherwood Schwarz announced a "complete makeover" in the
team's front office yesterday, including the addition of
outgoing CFL President Jeff Giles, who will become Argonauts
President. Giles said that the club "will focus its
marketing efforts on the corporate community, children,
group sales and existing fans, with a goal of drawing" 25-
30,000 to the SkyDome (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 11/14).
NOTES: In Toronto, Lance Hornby writes that as part of
the NHL's diversity training program, NY-based consultant
Zac Minor spoke to the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre for
45 minutes yesterday. Hornby writes that the Maple Leafs
"have been in hot water with the league for violating
regulations concerning media access since moving" to their
new arena in '99 (TORONTO SUN, 11/15)....In Cleveland, Mary
Schmitt Boyer reports that the Cavs have "redirected all the
lights onto the floor" at Gund Arena, so the arena's "empty
blue seats aren't quite so startling on TV" (PLAIN DEALER,
11/15). Also in Cleveland, Roger Brown cites Cavs officials
as saying that the team's 6-1 start "hasn't changed their
plans to promote the squad as a unit and not singling out
individual players" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 11/15).
