Facility Notes

The Nationals and their concessionaire Centerplate have completed a deal for Five Guys Burgers & Fries to operate an outfield plaza stand at Nationals Park. This will be the second location in a sports facility for Five Guys, founded as a small family operation in '86 in Arlington, Virginia. The Five Guys stand at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa has become one of the NHL arena's top-selling concessions since opening in October (Don Muret, SportsBusiness Journal).

PILING ON: In Detroit, Fred Girard reports Ford Field is suing the All American Football League (AAFL) for nearly $1M due to canceled dates. The league already is "so financially strapped it has postponed its first year of operations." Documents filed Tuesday in U.S. federal court in Detroit indicated that the AAFL leased Ford Field for "five home games at a rate of $200,000 per date, after paying a deposit of $75,000." The lawsuit seeks the "remainder of the $1[M], plus 18[%] annual interest" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/20).

ON TAP: The Bucks signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with Miller Brewing Co. that "continues Miller's sponsorship of Bucks game radio and cable television broadcasts on the Bucks Radio Network and Fox Sports Net Wisconsin, respectively." The deal also continues Miller's status as a "Bradley Center building partner, with signage around the building," as well as Miller's link with the Miller Lite Home Court, a "suite set aside for Miller guests." Terms of the deal were not disclosed (JSONLINE.com, 3/18).

EXTENDED STAY: In California, Paul Eakins reports the Long Beach city council Tuesday unanimously approved an agreement to extend through 2015 the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach's stay in the city. The city's contract with the race was set to end in 2010 and carries an optional extension through 2020 "if approved by the council" (Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM, 3/20).

PRICEY PARK: N.Y. city officials yesterday said that the cost of "replacing the parkland being destroyed to build the new Yankee Stadium has ballooned to $190[M] -- 48% more than the city had anticipated." But officials added that the updated $190M price tag "shouldn't force the city to scale back plans" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/20).