Bucs Owner Malcolm Glazer said yesterday he will help fund a
"substantial part" of the costs for a new stadium in Tampa.
Although project officials wouldn't put a specific number on the
contribution, they indicated it would be at least $20M. The city
had been planning to fund a large part of the estimated $168M
stadium with the sale of PSLs, but season-ticket holders
complained. The Glazers then "offered to cover the amount that
would have been raised" through the PSL campaign. Chuck Duncan
of Muhleman Marketing didn't rule out a PSL charge in the future,
but he did say the contribution from the Glazers will reduce
fans' cost, and the taxpayer bill (Ken Koehn, TAMPA TRIBUNE,
8/18).
EXPENSIVE DOMAIN: Malcolm Glazer's business practices on
his rental property is the subject of a front-page piece in
today's WALL STREET JOURNAL. Glazer is being sued by residents
of several upstate NY trailer parks over fees charged for
children and pets. The Enright family was charged monthly $3
extra for their son, and $5 for Frisky, "their now-deceased
schnauzer." Glazers' record purchase price of $122M for the Bucs
raised the tenants ire, and led to the suit. Glazer is
"indignant," adding that he says they are "nicer landlords" than
those who don't allow any pets, but says without a dog charge,
tenants "might be tempted to pick up strays, which could lead to
packs of dogs running around the park." Glazer said the $3
charge was not "just for kids, but anytime there were more than
two people in a trailer; extra occupants use extra water and
generate extra garbage." Glazer notes that he has six children
of his own and loves dogs. He "blames the whole thing on 'a
lawyer trying to create a case out of nothing.'" Glazer has
since dropped the charges, but "requests for refunds have gone
unanswered" (Carrie Dolan, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/18).
