Cablevision CEO Charles Dolan "is eager to buy" the
Yankees and talks "are heating up" between he and Yankees
Owner George Steinbrenner, according to sources of Jon Elsen
of the N.Y. POST, who writes under the front-page header,
"Bombers On The Block -- Cablevision Gets Serious In Talks
With Boss About Buying Yankees." Dolan and Steinbrenner
have "been working for six months on a deal" that values the
Yankees at $500M and would keep Steinbrenner "as a high-
profile team consultant for at least five years after the
sale" at $5M a year. Elsen adds that Cablevision's TV
rights to carry the Yankees expires at the end of the season
and buying "all or part" of the team "would sew up broadcast
rights for Cablevision's MSG Network and its Fox Sports New
York regional sports channel." Cablevision sources said
that a deal "won't happen for months" (N.Y. POST, 9/16).
ATTENDANCE UPDATE: After drawing 43,218 to last night's
game against the Red Sox, the Yankees need to average 37,375
a game for their last eight home games to reach three
million in attendance for the first time. Their season
average is 37,514 (N.Y. TIMES, 9/16).
THORN IN STEINBRENNER'S SIDE WINS PRIMARY: N.Y. City
Council Speaker Peter Vallone, a proponent of a referendum
on Steinbrenner's plan to relocate the team out of the
Bronx, won the state's Democratic primary yesterday and will
challenge NY Gov. George Pataki in November. Vallone
"easily defeated three candidates" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/16).
NEW TEAM FOR CONEY ISLAND: The Mets will move their
short-season Class-A Pittsfield, MA, team to a $20M stadium
to be built on Coney Island. The deal requires the approval
of the Yankees (N.Y. TIMES, 9/16). NYC has set aside $50M
for the Coney Island facility that will seat 6,500 and have
parking for 1,200 cars (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/16).
