Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt "will meet his club's June 15 payroll obligations," according to an MLB official cited by Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. McCourt will maintain possession of the Dodgers at least "through a June 22 Los Angeles Superior Court hearing." At that hearing, he "will ask for a ruling that his ex-wife, Jamie, cannot challenge a proposed long-term television contract with Fox that McCourt claims would put the club on solid financial footing" (USATODAY.com, 6/8). Frank and Jamie McCourt "held four hours of settlement talks on Wednesday without reaching an agreement." The two sides are "scheduled to resume discussions on Monday" (LATIMES.com, 6/8). In L.A., Bill Shaikin notes the L.A. Marathon, which Frank McCourt owns, faces an "uncertain future because of the protracted divorce proceedings." If the Dodgers are "put up for sale -- whether by McCourt, the divorce judge or MLB -- the marathon could be too." L.A. Marathon Dir & COO Nick Curl noted that the event "came close to breaking even this year," on about $5M in revenues (L.A. TIMES, 6/9).
KIND OF BLUE: In N.Y., Adam Nagourney writes the Dodgers "have become a source of embarrassment for the city this spring, with a parade of indignities testing the loyalty of their anguished fans." As a result of the Opening Day attack in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium, the ballpark is "teeming with Los Angeles Police Department officers -- on foot, on scooters, in patrol cars and in helicopters, on the lookout for fights and ugly rowdiness during and after games, in a stadium awash in empty seats." The Opening Day beating was "unsettling for its brutality, but it was not entirely a shock, considering that the stadium has become a source of growing complaints about drunken and menacing crowds in the stands and in the streets" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/9). Meanwhile, ESPN L.A.'s Arash Markazi noted the Dodgers are "seeing a substantial decline in attendance thus far" in '11. Through June 1, attendance at Dodger Stadium is "down a total of 221,984 from last season, an average 7,161 fewer fans per game." The 16.7% overall drop is "by far the worst in baseball this season." Markazi noted 18 MLB teams "have seen a decline in attendance but none have seen a drop as dramatic as the Dodgers." The Dodgers "declined to comment on the team's attendance and would not disclose season ticket information" (ESPNLA.com, 6/7).
