League Notes

In Atlanta, Tim Tucker reports the ’08 NHL All-Star Game will be held at Philips Arena on Sunday, January 27, instead of the previously-announced mid-week date of January 16. The new date is the Sunday between the NFL’s conference championship games and the Super Bowl. Preliminary events will be held the day before, but Atlanta Spirit CEO Bernie Mullin said that “no specific plans have been finalized for a fan festival.” A winter-themed carnival in Centennial Olympic Park is “among the ideas that have been floated” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/27).

BIG PITCH: AUTOWEEK reported a new single-seat racing series “backed by some of the world’s leading soccer teams” and called the Superleague Formula will begin in August ’08. No schedule has been announced, but promoters Alex Andreu and Robin Webb said that a purse “of more than $1[M] per race is in place.” Confirmed participants are Italy’s AC Milan, Holland’s PSV Eindhoven, Portugal’s FC Porto and Greece’s Olympiacos. The promoters said that they are negotiating with 18 teams to fill the 20-car field (AUTOWEEK, 4/16 issue).

Garber Says MLS Hopeful About Putting Team In Philadelphia

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE: MLS Commissioner Don Garber said that he “hopes to expand to 16 [teams] by 2010,” but there is “some flexibility in that timetable.” Garber: “If we don’t get to 16 until 2011 because we think it’s better to have a team kick off in a new stadium rather than starting in a temporary facility, then we can wait.” He added that he is “hopeful an agreement can be completed soon to bring a team to Philadelphia.” Garber: “We’re bullish about Philly. Right now it’s just a matter of closing the deal” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 4/27).

GOING DOWNTOWN: “The Players Downtown Experience” in downtown Jacksonville will open on the Friday during the PGA Tour’s Players Championship on May 10-13. There will be a nine-hole putting course, free lessons by The First Tee of Jacksonville staff, interactive games and live entertainment. PGA Tour and Champions Tour players will be in attendance, and TVs will air live coverage of the second round. The Players Championship Exec Dir Brian Goin: “This is something we’ve wanted to get for a long time — a presence in the downtown area the week of the tournament” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 4/26).