U.S. District Court Judge Michael Moore ordered the Miami
Sports & Exhibition Authority to honor an extended lease
agreement signed May 30 between the Panthers and Decoma Miami
Associates that allows the club to play at Miami Arena for the
next two years while a new arena in Sunrise, FL is being built.
According to Larry Lebowitz of the Fort Lauderdale SUN SENTINEL,
Moore gave the sides until the end of business today to negotiate
a new deal or threatened to issue a preliminary injunction
enforcing the lease. The Judge also said he will maintain
jurisdiction over the case and if he "catches the slightest hint
that anyone is tampering with the Panthers' possibility to play
at the arena he will jail or fine them." The MSEA had contended
the extended lease was invalid because Panthers Owner Wayne
Huizenga controls both the club and Decoma. NHL Senior VP &
General Counsel Jeffrey Pash and League Senior VP of Hockey
Operations Brian Burke testified on behalf of the Panthers (Fort
Lauderdale SUN SENTINEL, 8/23).
WAYNE'S WORLD: Panthers President Bill Torrey called the
ruling "a big relief." MSEA attorney Joseph Portuondo said Moore
effectively "stripped the authority of its building and turned it
over to the Panthers." Newly elected Miami Mayor Joe Carollo,
who is also MSEA head, vowed to appeal the case to the 11th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals. Carollo "cut loose" on Judge Moore and
Huizenga, calling the Panthers' owner, "a very greedy, greedy man
that wants to have a full monopoly in violation of U.S. antitrust
laws." Carollo noted Moore is "one of the few season ticket
holders the Panthers have in Dade County" (MIAMI HERALD, 8/23).
