Franchise Notes
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Writer Ranks Falcons As No. 1 Sports Team In
Georgia Based On Wins, Direction, Leadership |
In Atlanta, Jeff Schultz ranks the area's sports teams based on "projected win totals but also direction, leadership, structure, stability, coaching, drafts/recruiting, fan support, litigation and anytime one co-owner calls another co-owner 'evil.'" Schultz ranks the Falcons No. 1, Univ. of Georgia football No. 2, the Braves No. 4, the Hawks No. 5 and the Thrashers No. 10 out of 10 teams (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/24).
SONIC LOOM: In Seattle, Greg Johns notes a lawsuit brought by fans of the former Sonics who are "seeking more than $7[M] in damages" from Thunder Owner Clay Bennett's Professional Basketball Club (PBC) "continues to resonate in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Richard Jones." Jones yesterday "dismissed part of a lawsuit filed by three former season-ticket holders" against PBC, but he "left alive a breach of contract claim that now appears headed to a jury trial." The jury could "decide whether all 1,200 or so individuals and businesses who renewed their season tickets for the Sonics' final season in KeyArena are entitled to damages because the [PBC] didn't allow them the opportunity to renew their tickets at the same guaranteed price for the following two years" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 2/24).
FORGETTING THE LITTLE MAN: SI.com's Peter King noted the NFL Panthers laid off about 20 employees last week, and "in salary and benefits, that's an annual savings of $1[M], or $50,000 per employee." King: "You're telling me in a week you commit $60[M] to [OT] Jordan Gross for six years, and $16.5[M] for one year to [DE] Julius Peppers, that you've got to whack 20 employees? I don't like this one bit, and the Panthers are not the only team to do this, obviously." Teams "need to show loyalty to the people who've worked hard for them -- people not at the top of the salary foodchain" (SI.com, 2/23).
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY: The AP's John Wawrow reported the Bills "unveiled a 50th anniversary logo, which features the No. 50 and incorporates the team's current charging buffalo logo with their former logo: a standing red buffalo." Bills fans also will "get a chance to vote for an all-time Bills squad on the team's website," BuffaloBills.com. The team will be announced during team festivities around the NFL Draft on April 25 (AP, 2/23).
WORKING WITH WHAT YOU HAVE: White Sox VP & CMO Brooks Boyer said the economy has not been “that big of an issue” with ticket sales, but he can “certainly see it on the corporate side.” Boyer: “It’s a challenge, but we just have to deliver more for our clients. And that’s something we pride ourselves on, the service aspect and making every corporate dollar stretch” (“Monsters in the Morning,” CSN Chicago, 2/24).
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