In Minneapolis, Katherine Johnson reported the controversy surrounding Vikings RB Adrian Peterson's child abuse case is "pushing prices to home games even lower." On top of some season-ticket holders "jumping ship," ticket prices to the Vikings' next home game are "already dropping, and it's still two weeks away." Minneapolis-based TicketKing Exec Dir of Business Operations Andrew Baydala said that he "saw an impact even before Sunday's home opener." Lower end zone seats were "going for as much as $175 before news of Peterson's indictment broke, but the price quickly dropped to as low as $60 per seat after" (KSTP.com, 9/17).
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE...: FOXSPORTS.com's Ken Rosenthal cited a source as saying former MLBer Dave Stewart is the "front-runner" for the vacant D-Backs GM position. Stewart said he is "very interested" in the position. He met with team officials on Tuesday, as did "another candidate," Red Sox VP/Player Personnel Allard Baird. The club "intends to name its new GM by the end of the regular season" (FOXSPORTS.com, 9/18).
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: In Cincinnati, Paul Daugherty writes it is time for Reds President & CEO Bob Castellini "to restructure this team" around 3B Todd Frazier, C Devin Mesoraco and CF Billy Hamilton, who are "young and the improving." Daugherty: "Teams that don't win are loaded with Ifs. If Teams rely on hopes of good health, and returns to glory for players who have seen better days. The Reds ... are edging steadily toward If." But the best way "reverse that is for Castellini to shed some sentimentality, put on the eyeshade and let his people start dealing" (CINCINNATI.com, 9/18).
FOOTING THE BILL: In Toronto, Curtis Rush noted it is unknown if the CFL Toronto Argonauts could "spark enough public interest" to become a community-operated team. The "key to community ownership is that it has to be well-financed." Rush: "What if the team’s operating costs are higher than the revenues?" It would be "tough to go back to the shareholders and ask them to dig a little deeper to get the team out of debt" (TORONTO STAR, 9/18).
