Barclays Center is "making a last-minute attempt to lure" the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Marcos Maidana fight from MGM Grand Garden, according to Steve Carp of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. MGM Grand has held each of Mayweather's "past eight fights," and he "last fought outside of Las Vegas" in '05 against Sharmba Mitchell at the Rose Garden. The selection of a site "should be made in the next day or two," and sources said that the MGM Grand "remains the favorite to land the fight." But the fact that Barclays Center is "included in the discussion speaks to Mayweather's business sense of leaving no opportunity unchecked." Getting the fight would be "an enormous coup for the Barclays Center, which is competing with Madison Square Garden for fights and has an exclusive deal with Golden Boy Promotions, which is co-promoting the bout." But having the fight in Las Vegas "makes more sense" financially because Nevada has no state income tax, while New York does. The city of N.Y. also "taxes visiting athletes." Barclays Center "could offer more money to cover those taxes and match what probably would be" another $30-40M payday for Mayweather. But the facility "probably would have to charge considerably more for tickets to cover those costs, and it might be hard to make a profit" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/26).
USE YOUR INSIDE VOICES: In N.Y., Reuven Blau reports following a "rash of noise complaints by peeved neighbors," Barclays Center officials have "installed 1,800 so-called acoustic baffles, or insulated ceiling panels, to improve sound levels inside." The arena has been "hit with a $3,200 fine for noise violations" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/26).
