In Edmonton, Juris Graney notes when Booster Juice Founder Dale Wishewan "became one of 19 minority owners" of the Golden Knights, he took an "option to also own" part of T-Mobile Arena. Wishewan said, "It’s a novelty right now, but there is a buzz around the team. We thought the fan base would be more transient than it is, but people have taken to the team as if it had existed for 20 years." Wishewan said that only half of the minority owners "took up the option to buy into both the arena and the team." He added that the arena deal "helped provide a safeguard for his overall investment" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 11/15).
BAD TIME TO SELL? In N.Y., Victor Mather notes MSG Co.'s intentions to sell the WNBA Liberty "could be a concern" to the league, which even after 21 seasons has "struggled to find stability and to establish itself in the crowded sports marketplace." But a new owner "might be able to give the Liberty a higher profile than they had" at MSG (N.Y. TIMES, 11/15).
HELLO, MY NAME IS... ESPN.com's Jacob Wolf cited sources as saying that the Rockets and Cavaliers have "chosen names for their North American League of Legends Championship Series franchises." The Rockets "will name their team Clutch City Gaming, while the Cavaliers will adopt the 100 Thieves brand previously owned" by former pro gamer Matthew Haag. Wolf noted NBA rules "prevent league franchises from using NBA brands in other sports" (ESPN.com, 11/14).
