In Edmonton, Elise Stolte cited a Leger Marketing survey as showing that “nearly two-thirds of Edmonton and area residents don’t believe the provincial government should give money directly to Edmonton’s downtown arena project” for the Oilers. The online provincial issues survey, sponsored by the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald, found that “62 per cent of respondents said there should be no direct funding from the province.” Twenty-eight percent said that the province “should provide direct funding and 10 per cent said they didn’t know.” The results come as the Edmonton City Council “continues to search” for C$55M to finalize the deal (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 4/22).
ON HOLD: In Phoenix, Paul Giblin reported the NFL Cardinals’ “progress toward relocating the team’s training camp appears to be stalled with no final destination in sight.” Glendale officials said that the team’s “desire to move its camp from Flagstaff to Glendale bogged down weeks ago when Cardinals executives asked Glendale officials for a new parking garage as part of the deal.” The sides are “still talking, but council members said no alternative offers have been brought forward.” Cardinals President Michael Bidwill said that team execs “tried to merge negotiations about training camp with discussions toward a long-term parking plan around University of Phoenix Stadium, but he declined to say whether the team asked the city to build a parking garage” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/19).
COMING RIGHT UP: In Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis noted AmericanAirlines Arena for the Heat’s playoff push will “roll out a full-court press of restaurant-quality items over the first three rounds of the postseason on the concourses and in premium areas.” The offerings include “three new gourmet items that will be prepared and served on food carts on the general concourse.” They were “previewed in a series of tastings for season-ticket holders last week along with many of the menu upgrades coming to the premium lounges and suites” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 4/21).
LOST & FOUND: In S.F., Schulman & Ostler report the MLB Giants “have memorialized Barry Bonds' achievements with two artifacts at AT&T Park,” but now “one of them is gone, and the team is investigating.” A 6-foot-high plaque that “was bolted and glued to the bricks beyond right-center field, near the destination of Bonds' record-setting 756th home run, has disappeared.” Team and stadium officials said that they “do not know who took it, but they plan to look at a week's worth of security video” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/23).
