Franchise Notes

Trinidad-based online casino Casino Fortune has offered to buy the Blues, but in St. Louis, Tom Timmermann writes, “It’s hard to consider the proposal ... as more than a publicity stunt.” The company said that a letter of intent to buy the team was sent to Blues Owner Bill Laurie, but the team and the NHL “have not yet responded to repeated inquiries” from the casino. The casino previously made unsuccessful offers to buy the Cavaliers and Suns. Blues Dir of Communications Chuck Menke said that the team “would have no comment on any offer at any time” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/6)....Stars Owner Tom Hicks would not comment on the sale of other teams, but said that he is “going to survey the new landscape before he makes a decision on selling” the Stars. Hicks, who bought the team in ’95, tried to sell it in ’03 (Mike Heika, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/3).

STAYING IN THE GAME: In Cleveland, Murray & Montgomery reported the sale of Delaware-based MBNA Corp. “won’t have any bearing on” the Browns. Browns Owner and MBNA Chair Randy Lerner, whose late father, former Browns Owner Al Lerner, helped create MBNA, said that “MBNA and the Browns are separate entities.” Lerner said that the sale of half of MBNA’s stock to Bank of America “means the Browns ‘exist within a more stable group of assets now.’” Lerner: “I have absolutely no thoughts whatsoever about selling this treasured football team” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 7/2).

LOCAL INTEREST: In N.Y., Liz Robbins reports the Bobcats sold about 100 season tickets during the three days immediately following last week’s NBA Draft, in which the team selected former Univ. of North Carolina G Raymond Felton and F Sean May (N.Y. TIMES, 7/3).