Sharks COO John Tortora last week said that making the Stanley Cup Final "'without question' was being counted on to restore the Sharks to the prized-ticket status they once enjoyed in San Jose." He also said that having the Sharks and Warriors share the NHL-NBA championship series spotlight "is a good thing." Tortora: "People are happier when the sports teams are winning -- sports fans are happier when teams are winning -- so it doesn’t really matter whether it’s the Warriors winning at the same time we are winning. A high tide raises all ships” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/31).
PEACHY KEEN: Expansion club Atlanta United FC President Darren Eales on Friday said that he would "like to see" the team host an MLS All-Star game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Eales said that he "doesn’t know what year he would like to host the game, but it’s something he envisions happening." In Atlanta, Doug Roberson noted the club "will begin play" in MLS in '17. The process for bidding on All-Star games "generally begins nearly two years before the match" (AJC.com, 5/28).
IMPACT ZONE: In Montreal, Jack Todd wrote in what has "been a bleak year" for the city's teams, the Impact have "provided most of the excitement." The crowd for Saturday's Galaxy-Impact game "was fully engaged, not dropping by out of curiosity." It has "taken a while for the Impact to claim a place in the scheme of things in this city, but from the response to that rip-roaring contest Saturday, it appears we’re catching on" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 5/30).
IN A HEALTHY PLACE: In DC, Thom Loverro notes Nationals' attendance "has dipped slightly from last season, with the average of 29,304 fans per game down 2,753 from last year." But it is still a "healthy attendance in a place that more than 10 years ago didn’t even exist." Loverro: "The cash register is still ringing up more than anyone could have imagined when the fight took place to build a ballpark to bring baseball to Washington" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 6/1).
