In Sacramento, Lillis, Kasler & Bizjak in a front-page piece report the conservative Orange County PAC Taxpayers for Safer Neighborhoods, which is "pushing a public vote" on Sacramento's proposed NBA arena, has "refused to disclose its donors or say why it's involved in the effort." The PAC is "working alongside a group of Sacramento activists gathering signatures for a ballot measure that would require voters to approve public subsidies for sports facilities." Proponents are "aiming for the June 2014 ballot" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 8/1).
SHIRTS & SKINS: Redskins GM Bruce Allen on Monday said of the team's new Richmond practice facility, "I think we have something here that will set the trend." Allen likened the facility to the "first Redskins Park," noting within "15 years every team in the league copied it." Allen noted in the new Richmond facility, the Redskins have "a training camp setting in the inner city, in your home base that other teams ought to follow and try and duplicate in the future." Allen said the move to Richmond will "save our football fields when we come back" ("Inside The Locker Room," ESPN Radio 980 DC, 7/29).
NAME GAME: In Baltimore, Chris Korman reported the Maryland State Employees Credit Union will pay $475,000 annually "over the next 10 years" to have Towson Univ.'s new basketball facility called SECU Arena. The deal also including the "use of one of the building's two large corporate suites and access to multipurpose rooms" in the $70M, 5,200-seat arena. SECU will have "signage throughout the arena, including on the court." Towson VP/Marketing & Communications Josianne Pennington said that the money from the naming-rights deal will be "used to pay for projects at the arena not covered by the original bonds issued to finance the facility" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 7/31).
