Franchise Notes

In Minneapolis, Judd Zulgad reports Vikings Owner Zygi Wilf “is nearly finished” with the organization’s code of conduct, but it “evidently won’t be made public.” Vikings coach Mike Tice said, “I don’t think that IBM or Dairy Queen or any of those companies put their code of conduct package out there. ... It’s something that is within the organization” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/1).

HOME SALE? Premier League club Aston Villa confirmed that “there has been a ‘preliminary approach’” by U.K. businessman Michael Neville “on behalf of a consortium” to buy the club, but “stressed that at the moment the approach is ‘speculative.’” Previous takeover bids have failed, but Ireland-based Comer Homes Group’s US$113.2M bid “seems the likeliest to succeed so far” (ESPNSOCCERNET.com, 10/31).

ROUGH RIDE: CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders Chair Graham Barker said that the team was “‘handcuffed’ in terms of telling players and the public” that LB Trevis Smith was HIV-positive. Barker said that the team was approached last fall by police and notified that Smith “faced the possibility of criminal charges and that he had HIV.” However, the team did not reveal the information “for privacy reasons.” Barker: “Since the [police] released information on the health of Mr. Smith, we felt our obligation to ... clarify our position. Were we in a box? Certainly we were in a box” (TORONTO STAR, 11/1).