In Edmonton, Terry Jones notes Oilers Owner Daryl Katz' decision to make Vancouver "a more primary residence than Edmonton for the next few years shouldn't create a problem in closing the downtown arena deal." A source said, "Katz isn't any less committed to Edmonton or the Oilers now than he was before." The source added, "I don't believe there is any case to be made or any concern whatsoever about Daryl Katz abandoning Edmonton or abandoning the Oilers." Jones notes Katz has "spent significant time at various residences in the past couple of years, including Vancouver and Palm Springs, but this is more about his kids reaching the age to be enrolled in Mulgrave, a highly regarded private school in West Vancouver" (EDMONTON SUN, 9/14).
THE NEXT STEP: In Sacramento, Lillis, Bizjak & Kasler note now that Mayor Kevin Johnson's arena task force "has reported that funding a new facility in the downtown railyard is possible, city officials will embark on their own vetting of the $387 million project." City Manager John Shirey yesterday recommended to the City Council that a "team of outside attorneys, investment bankers and consultants be assembled 'to put together the due diligence I think we need to do.'" Officials will be "working under a tight timeline as they explore which public and private funding options offered by the arena task force make sense" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 9/14).
MOVIE NIGHT: In Chicago, Hal Dardick noted City Alderman Thomas Tunney supports the Cubs' "request to waive limits on nighttime events at Wrigley for a yet-to-be-named Oct. 1 movie." Tunney said that he "expects up to 4,000 people to show up" for the event, noting that Wrigley Field is the "third-largest tourist draw in Illinois." He added the movie night is a "way to keep the ball park alive." Tunney said that "hot dogs, beer and free popcorn would be served during the movie, which would be shown sometime between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m." (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/10).
NAMING RIGHTS: In London, Jacquelin Magnay reports Westfield and Sky have "emerged as the two front-runners for the naming rights of the London 2012 velodrome after the conclusion of the Games." The naming rights for '12 Olympic venues "are being put up for sale to ensure that the British public do not have to be charged premium prices to use the facilities after the Games." Westfield, "due to its proximity to the velodrome, and Sky, because of its close associations with cycling, are said to be the front-runners in a bidding battle that has attracted plenty of interest" (London TELEGRAPH, 9/14).
