This Week's Newsmakers: Hicks Dealt Latest Blow With Glorypark
THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of people and entities in sports business. Here are this week’s newsmakers.
WIN: U.S. OPEN/U.S. OPEN SERIES -- ARLEN KANTARIAN’s vision for America’s strong hold on summer tennis got a major boost this week with the announcement of ESPN and Tennis Channel paying a significant rights fee to be associated with the U.S. Open and the Series. More money, greater exposure and a commitment for significant marketing support is hard to argue with.
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Delayed Opening Of Hicks' Glorypark
Is A Sign Of The Current Economic Climate |
LOSE: GLORYPARK -- The implications of the mixed-use development’s indefinite delay extend well beyond just TOM HICKS and the city of Arlington. Hicks’ inability to secure financing and anchor tenants for the project is only the most recent tangible evidence of the global credit crunch cracking down on the sports industry. With word coming that the ambitious Xanadu project in the Meadowlands will not open until next summer, Glorypark is just the first of many casualties among proposed joint sports and entertainment developments amid the current economic climate.
DRAW: WOMEN'S SPORTS -- In another sign of her increased profile following her historic victory last month in Japan, DANICA PATRICK graces the cover of this week’s SI in the lead up to next weekend's Indianapolis 500. There also is plenty of buzz heading into the WNBA season in anticipation of Sparks F CANDACE PARKER. However, those stories are overshadowed to a large extent by the unexpected retirements of ANNIKA SORENSTAM and JUSTINE HENIN while still in their prime.
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