There is a "good chance" the NFL Giants will have their
smallest September crowd since the team moved to the
Meadowlands 21 years ago this Sunday against the Saints,
which could mean "about 10,000 no-shows, if not more,"
according to Bill Pennington of the N.Y. TIMES. Giants co-
Owner Wellington Mara: "Nothing sends a more powerful
message than empty seats. It's a message that we're not
pleasing our patrons" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/26).
OTHER NOTES: In Tampa, Bucs officials said "only 57,000
are expected for Sunday's game against Arizona," leading to
a local blackout (ST. PETE TIMES, 9/25)....As of late
yesterday, "about" 12,000 tickets remained for Sunday's
Eagles-Vikings game, which will be blacked out in the Twin
Cities area (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/26).....In San
Diego, Mayor Susan Golding sent a letter to NFL Commissioner
Paul Tagliabue in "an attempt to have the league lift" the
Chargers blackout this Sunday. Golding said in a statement:
"The NFL created the blackout to encourage people to
purchase tickets to sell out home games. However, through
the rent credit, the Charges will not lose ticket revenue
for unsold general admission tickets. Therefore, the
financial requirement needed to lift the blackout has in
essence been met." According to an NFL source, Tagliabue
said he would review the request (UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/26).
