ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure reports Falcons Owner Arthur Blank yesterday following a loss to the Buccaneers “spoke about the state of the team for the first time this season and expressed confidence” in both coach Mike Smith and GM Thomas Dimitroff. Blank said, “We love our head coach and we love our general manager. It's up to them to candidly look at everybody -- candidly, honestly, critically -- and see what we have to do.” The Falcons are now 2-8 on the season, but Blank said that the “current state of the team has no bearing on the new stadium plans” (ESPN.com, 11/17). Blank added that the Falcons would “play the final six games to win and not to improve their draft position” (AJC.com, 11/17).
TICKET SAVINGS: In N.Y., Mushnick & Li note the NFL Giants have “recently seen the Internet flooded with prime home-game seats going for as much as half their face value.” While the Giants have “listed all non-strike games as sellouts since 1975 -- a streak that reached 333 dates on Sunday" -- the team "actually has plenty of spare ducats, especially in the plush club level.” A team spokesperson “listed 100 seats in the $12,500-PSL range,” while StubHub on Friday “showed 16 of those exact spots” for yesterday’s game against the Packers were available for $335-395. Giants Senior VP/Communications Pat Hanlon said that “certain prime locations were released into single-game sales for 2013, with plans to recall them into the season-ticket PSL pool next year” (N.Y. POST, 11/18).
SPENDING MONEY: White Sox Chair Jerry Reinsdorf indicated that the team will have “plenty to spend on free agents or players acquired in trades” this offseason. Reinsdorf said, “Losing is not fun. I know the fans don’t like it, but they don’t have to watch it every day.” He added of GM Rick Hahn and Exec VP Ken Williams: “They have a number they can spend, and they’re not at it yet. ... If they have a player that’s going to increase the payroll, as long as it fits in the budget they can do it” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/17).
