Giuliani Tells Teams To Act Now On Their Stadium Proposals

N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani told the Yankees, Mets and Jets "to deal" with him "during his last year in office if they want" new stadiums, according to Frank Lombardi of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. In an interview, Giuliani said that he will "push forward with negotiations" in his final year in office. Giuliani: "I believe that [spending] public money to build ballfields at a certain level is appropriate. Putting money into a baseball field and keeping the Yankees and the Mets and keeping them growing is good for the economy of the city." Lombardi: "Most of the Democrats who hope to succeed Giuliani have been skeptical about the mayor's stadium plans" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/29). Giuliani: "I think it's better to try to make [a] deal with me. [But] it depends on who my successor is" (N.Y. POST, 12/29).

WHAT ABOUT BRINGING BACK COSTANZA? In Newark, George Jordan wrote that YankeeNets "is searching" for a day-to-day manager "to oversee" the design and construction of the planned $325M arena project (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 12/27).