Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach yesterday reiterated that the province "will not contribute direct cash to help build a new downtown arena" in Edmonton for the Oilers. The team had "cleared a major hurdle toward getting a new arena by working out a framework deal with the City of Edmonton," but the C$450M project "hinges on either the Alberta or federal governments coming up with" C$100M. Stelmach said, "There won't be any direct dollars flowing to the arena. It's a private sector business" (CP, 7/13).
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW: In Cincinnati, Sharon Coolidge reports Hamilton County Commissioners yesterday "balked" at using taxpayer money to "pay for new instant replay equipment for the Bengals, delaying their vote on the contract that approves the $300,000 purchase." The county is "asking their lawyer ... whether buying the equipment is actually something" the team's Paul Brown Stadium lease requires the county to pay for. But the Bengals said that the lease "is clear -- it is a county obligation." Hamilton County Commission President Greg Hartmann said that he is "worried that refusing to pay for the repair could land the county in court" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/14).
RUNNING UP THE SCORE: Michigan State Univ. Deputy AD for Facilities & Sport Management Greg Ianni confirmed that the school is "in the 'exploratory stage' of deciding on a new football scoreboard." Ianni: "We need to figure what we're going to put in, how much it's going to cost us, and how we're going to pay for it." Ianni added that the installation of a new scoreboard in the Breslin Center "will be completed the first week in August" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/14).
FRIDAY NIGHT RACING: Kansas Speedway confirmed that it will "stage its first night race" with the ARCA Racing Series Kansas Lottery 98.9 on Oct. 7. The price of admission for the race is "set at $9.89" as part of local radio station 98.9 The Rock's title sponsorship of the event. The track is hosting NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races Oct. 8 and 9, respectively, and the $9.89 price of admission also "will be good for all of the Oct. 7 NASCAR activities" (K.C. STAR, 7/13).
