In Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis reports Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez "remains hopeful that David Beckham will succeed in bringing" a MLS team to Miami, but makes it clear it is up to Beckham and his backers "to find a workable stadium plan." Gimenez said that he "hasn't spoken to anyone from Miami Beckham United in four or five months about that pursuit." Gimenez added, "I know that they haven't given up. They're actively looking, but they really haven't told me where and what their plans are." Gimenez acknowledged the "difficulty" in finding a stadium site in Miami's real estate market. Gimenez: "Downtown property is very expensive" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 1/20).
CULTURE CLUB: In Cincinnati, Paul Daugherty writes the "predicted demise" of the NFL due to concussions "is largely a creation of suburban culture." Concussion issues might "not resonate as clearly in other precincts" because for lots of families, football "is a ticket to college and, possibly, the wealth that lies beyond." Kids "aren't going to turn away from football." Until Florida, Texas, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania "ban amateur football, the NFL will do just fine" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 1/20).
FOUR SCORE? Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said many in the sport are open to trying new ways to grow the game, including the introduction of a "format we call fast four." Tiley said that version of tennis has "just four rules: No add scoring, sets to four, at three you’ll play a nine point tie-breaker and no lets." He said, "College tennis has tried the different formats. We had a three-out-of-five-set match played, Federer played it and Nadal played it. Lasted about an hour and a half." Tiley added, "We will continue to innovate and push the paradigm because the sport needs it” ("Live at the Australian Open," Tennis Channel, 1/19).
