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Seven rows of seats will be removed so that Red can extend into the seating bowl.
Photo: PHILIPS ARENA
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ATLANTA
New restaurant space for Philips Arena
Philips Arena in February will open Red, a 250-seat restaurant with tiered seating and views of the arena floor. The Johnson Studio, a local design firm, was enlisted to design the new $2 million space, which includes a centrally located show kitchen.
CHICAGO
Bulls extend with flagship station
The Chicago Bulls struck a five-year extension of their radio broadcast agreement with WMVP-AM. All regular-season, playoff and three preseason games, and halftime, pregame and postgame shows will air on the station, owned and operated by ESPN, as the flagship station of the Chicago Bulls Radio Network through the 2016-17 season.
GREEN BAY
Packers sell more shares in team
The Green Bay Packers began their fifth fundraising appeal in team history last week by selling shares in the team. The shares, which cost $250 each, will help pay for $143 million in expansion and improvement projects at Lambeau Field.
INDIANAPOLIS
Businesses, buildings jockey for giant ads
At least 17 businesses in downtown Indianapolis want to attract supersized Super Bowl ads by renting out their exteriors, according to an Indianapolis Star report. An online auction runs through Friday. Bids could run as high as $100,000, and the city will allow bigger-than-normal banners or wraps on buildings, as long as the ads relate to the Super Bowl.
MIAMI
SEC investigating ballpark deal
The Securities and Exchange Commission opened a wide-ranging investigation into the Miami Marlins’ ballpark deal with Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami, according to a Miami Herald report. The SEC is demanding financial information underpinning nearly $500 million in bond sales as well as records of campaign contributions from the Marlins to local and state elected leaders.
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Online vignettes mark the Predators’ history.
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NASHVILLE
Predators consider raising ticket tax
The Nashville Predators might seek to raise the ticket tax for hockey games and other events at Bridgestone Arena as part of coming lease renegotiations, according to a (Nashville) Tennessean report. The tax is now 5 percent of the ticket price up to $1.75 for hockey games and 5 percent up to $2 for other arena events.
Preds feature ‘15 Years’ online
The Predators and Bridgestone Arena compiled “15 Years of Bridgestone Arena in 15 Days” to commemorate the arena’s 15th anniversary. The feature is running daily on nashvillepredators.com, along with a year-by-year look back at significant stories and events that defined the venue, and facts related to the Predators and the arena.
PHILADELPHIA
Sixers reduce online ticket fees
The Philadelphia 76ers are reducing online fees for tickets bought on the team’s website for the coming season. The reductions include eliminating order fees and delivery method fees. There will be one comprehensive online ticketing fee of 14.25 percent of the face value of the ticket, with a $4 minimum charge.
SACRAMENTO
Kings look beyond Power Balance
Power Balance’s bankruptcy reorganization further complicates the future of the Sacramento Kings, but the direct financial hit to the team isn’t huge. Power Balance owes the Kings $100,000. Of bigger concern is the potential need for the team to find another company to buy the arena naming rights if Power Balance can’t reorganize, or if the Kings determine that the Power Balance relationship creates more harm than value.
SAN FRANCISCO
New law allows vessel proximity
President Barack Obama signed into law the America’s Cup Act of 2011, a piece of legislation waiving certain laws that prohibit foreign vessels from operating in American waters. The law was needed because portions of the Jones Act and the Passenger Vessel Services Act would interfere with the America’s Cup competition. In past competitions, the America’s Cup was held miles off shore in international waters. The 34th America’s Cup, to be held on San Francisco Bay in 2013, will be less than a mile off shore.
SAN JOSE
Group suing over stadium parcel price
A group calling itself Stand for San Jose that opposes the potential relocation of the Oakland A’s to downtown San Jose filed a lawsuit challenging a recent vote by the San Jose City Council that gave the baseball team the right to buy 5 acres, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report. The council voted to approve a two-year, $50,000 option for the A’s to buy the land near HP Pavilion for $6.98 million. Stand for San Jose contends the land is worth at least $14 million.
SONOMA, CALIF.
Speedway charity to distribute $273K
The Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities will distribute $273,072 to 38 qualified youth organizations in Sonoma County for the 2011 season. Speedway Children’s Charities is the charitable arm of Speedway Motorsports Inc., and the Sonoma chapter has distributed more than $3.9 million since 2001.
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Ice-skating Blues fans try to get on camera at last year’s inaugural St. Louis Classic.
Photo: FOX SPORTS MIDWEST
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ST. LOUIS
Blues road game returns to rink
Fox Sports Midwest will host the second annual St. Louis Classic at Steinberg Skating Rink on Saturday. The St. Louis Classic is an outdoor viewing party for a St. Louis Blues road game. Hockey fans will watch the Blues game, which will be played in Nashville, on a 35-foot screen with ice skating as an option. Fox Sports Midwest will televise its pregame, postgame and intermission shows live from the rink.
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG
Media tour GOP event arena
Republican National Convention organizers held an event allowing many media members their first look at the St. Pete Times Forum, according to a St. Petersburg Times report. The arena will host the GOP convention from Aug. 27-30. Organizers will use luxury suites as mini broadcast studios.
TORONTO
Raptors, TVA Sports reach 2-year deal
The Toronto Raptors and TVA Sports formed a two-year deal for the French-language broadcaster to air the team’s games in Quebec. The network will also broadcast matchups of marquee teams such as the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.
WALLA WALLA, WASH.
Sweets offer paid internships
For the second consecutive year, the Walla Walla Sweets will offer aspiring sports professionals the opportunity to learn about the day-to-day operations of a sports organization. The paid internships will start in late May and run through the middle of August.
WINNIPEG
Jets partner with Pizza Pizza
Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza has a new partnership with True North Sports & Entertainment that makes the restaurant a sponsor of the Winnipeg Jets. As part of the agreement, Pizza Pizza will have on-site concessions at the MTS Centre this season. The chain has similar sponsorship deals at Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, Montreal’s Bell Centre and with five NHL teams.
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