Minneapolis City Council President Jackie Cherryhomes said
yesterday she will convene a group of "key players" to "wrestle"
with the notion of moving the Jets to Minneapolis and the Target
Center, according to Jay Weiner of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE.
Among those she hopes to bring together are prospective Jets
Owner Richard Burke, Target Center Manager/Ogden Corp.'s Dana
Warg, representatives of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities
Commission and the Timberwolves. Cherryhomes noted NHL
Commissioner Gary Bettman's Nov. 15 deadline for a decision on
whether the team could move into the Target Center was
"unrealistic," adding a Dec. 14 deadline was possible.
Cherryhomes: "We (the Minneapolis Community Development Agency)
happen to own the building. The city has no money. And we have
seen no numbers. But we have the responsibility to talk, if
there's anything to talk about." Cherryhomes also said of
Burke's request for additional revenue from the Target Center:
"The city has contributed. It's now time for the state or
region" (Jay Weiner, Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/13). An
editorial in today's STAR TRIBUNE says that "finding a way for
taxpayers to support the Jets financially may not be the critical
issue. More important may be whether enough fan and corporate
support can be generated to maintain four major-league franchises
in the Twin Cities area, plus a full slate of University of
Minnesota sports programs" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/13).
