The Expos will hold a press conference today to
announce the names of business leaders who have joined the
team's Operation 2001 Committee. The group, which already
includes former Canadiens GM Serge Savard and Bell Canada
Chair Red Wilson, will attempt to convince area companies to
buy corporate boxes and PSLs at the team's new park (CP,
4/23)....The deal for the NFL Oilers to play at Vanderbilt
Univ.'s stadium during the upcoming season was finalized
yesterday. The Oilers will play their 10 home games in the
facility this season, and the deal calls for extra police on
patrol "to enforce the ban on public consumption of alcohol"
at the stadium (AP, Mult., 4/24). ...Toronto Mayor Mel
Lastman plans to ask Leafs/Raptors Owner Steve Stavro to pay
$40M "to widen the Union Station subway platform to handle
the crush of fans" from the teams' new Air Canada Centre.
When told of the Mayor's plans, Stavro "laughed" and said
"Certainly we have no intention of spending money on the
platform" (TORONTO SUN, 4/24)....A new Web site was
launched last week which will allow companies interested in
helping to build Houston's Ballpark at Union Station to get
bidding information. The ballpark's construction management
team -- Brown & Root, Barton Malow and Empire -- joined to
design the site, located at www.halliburton. com/ballpark.
htm. Site sections include Subcontractor's Info; Community
Outreach; Project Info; Houston Ballpark Builders; and
Feedback (THE DAILY)....In CO Springs, Jim Bainbridge wrote
that Class AAA baseball is following the MLB trend of
selling naming rights. The "going rate" at the AAA level is
$100,000 or more per year because "of the many media
mentions" guaranteed each season (CO Springs GAZETTE, 4/23).
