The OHL Majors have signed a two-year agreement to play
its home games at Maple Leaf Gardens beginning this season.
The team will also play one home game this season at the new
Air Canada Centre (TORONTO SUN, 7/15). In Toronto, Doug
Smith called the Majors' deal the "first move" in an effort
to turn the NHL's oldest arena "into a home for amateur
hockey, fringe outdoor sports and concerts." Smith adds
that "[f]inding a way to keep the Gardens viable" is "one of
the biggest tasks" facing Maple Leafs ownership. Leafs
minority Owner Larry Tanenbaum said "something like indoor
soccer ... might be great" for the building (TORONTO STAR,
7/15)....Ticketmaster has signed an "exclusive, long-term"
deal to handle ticketing at the new Staples Center in L.A.,
which will serve as the home of the Lakers, Clippers and NHL
Kings beginning in '99. Under the agreement, Ticketmaster
will also provide tickets to all non-sports events at the
arena (DAILY VARIETY, 7/15)....The D'Backs haven't "quite
resolved the desert dilemma of how to keep fans cool while
maintaining a genuine grass field" in the retractable dome
Bank One Ballpark. One fan, who sat in the upper deck with
the roof closed this weekend, said, "[t]he higher you go,
you just start sweating and sweating and sweating. I
expected with the roof closed, it would be nice and cool.
But it wasn't like that at all." Team President Rich Dozer
said that the club "already has taken steps" to cool the
facility down and "plans to take more" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 7/14)
....On Saturday, groundbreaking will take place at the new
Kentucky Raceway, to be operated by Jerry Carroll and
scheduled to open in 2000 (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/14).
