Franchise Notes

Williams Thinks Playing In London Will Be Great Experience For Jazz

In Utah, Jody Genessy notes the NBA yesterday announced the Bulls will play the Jazz in a preseason game at London's O2 Arena on October 6 as part of NBA Europe Live '09, and another announcement from the league is "expected in the next couple of weeks about the Jazz playing elsewhere in Europe -- either against an NBA franchise or a local team, likely in Spain or Germany -- during their preseason" trip. Jazz G Deron Williams: "I think it will be a fun trip, a great experience for the team, and an excellent chance for many of us to visit a place we have never been before." Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner David Stern "vowed again ... that the NBA will play a regular-season game in England before the country hosts" the '12 Olympics. Stern said the league is "moving closer" to finalizing such an event. Stern: "We're feeling very comfortable in London, and we look forward to expand our relationship" (DESERET NEWS, 3/26).

HITTING THEIR TARGETS: Twins Sports Inc. President Jerry Bell, who has been the "man in charge of getting Target Field built," said that one reason the economy "hasn't affected Twins ticket sales is that they got started early in their marketing campaign, before things got really bad." Bell: "We collected one-third of the cost of the various types of tickets before we started building the stadium, one-third this year and one-third when the stadium opens" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/26).

WHERE'S THE CHEER? In Denver, Chris Tomasson reports the Denver Nuggets cheerleading team's performances "have been scaled back from all home games to only weekend games" as a result of the economy. But in limiting the performances of the team, made up of 36 men and women, the Nuggets "would seem" to be saving less than $17,000 (INDENVERTIMES.com, 3/21).