League Notes

Rooney Feels Construction Costs Could Be “Insurmountable”

NFL Senior VP/Strategic Planning Neil Glat said that the construction costs for a stadium in Anaheim –- as opposed to renovating the L.A. Coliseum — “would be ‘north of’” $800M, and added that the “economic challenges inherent in either project [are] ‘daunting and real.’” Steelers Chair Dan Rooney, a member of the 11-owner L.A. Stadium Working Group, said that NFL team owners “at some point have to determine whether the costs are ‘an insurmountable problem’” (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/24)....Chargers LB Shawne Merriman is appealing his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen noted, “The longer that he can drag out this appeal the more available he is to the Chargers. That’s an issue (NFL Commissioner) Roger Goodell is actually trying to fix behind the scenes” (“Monday Night Countdown,” ESPN, 10/23).

MLB DIVERSITY: The WALL STREET JOURNAL cited a study conducted by the nonprofit National Foundation for American Policy called, “Immigrants, Baseball and the Contributions of Foreign-Born Players to America’s Pastime,” which showed that as of August 31, 23% of active MLBers were foreign-born, “more than double the percentage as recently as” ’90. Also, 44% of this year’s All-Star Game starters were foreign-born (WSJ.com, 10/20).

GRAND SLAM EXECS: In London, Neil Harman noted the Grand Slam Committee –- All England Club CEO Ian Ritchie, USTA Chief Exec of Professional Tennis Arlen Kantarian, French tennis federation CEO Stefan Simeon and Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood –- met last week, “the likely outcome of which is a blueprint detailing how they believe tennis should be governed.” They are “committed to establishing ground rules that suit them, harbouring the desire to maintain their positions of strength, compose a credible calendar and not allow new measures being contemplated by” ATP Chair Etienne de Villiers and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott (LONDON TIMES, 10/23).