The AP’s Brett Martel noted Saints GM Mickey Loomis “will be able to meet regularly during his eight-game suspension with club owner Tom Benson and team president Dennis Lauscha, thanks to Benson's recent acquisition of the NBA's Hornets.” NFL Senior VP/PR Greg Aiello said that the league “would not seek to prohibit Loomis from meeting with Saints officials who have roles with both teams, but would expect that when they meet, Loomis does not perform any Saints duties.” The NFL suspended Loomis for the first half of the ‘12 regular season in connection with the league's bounty investigation (AP, 6/19).
FRONT LOADING: In DC, Steven Goff noted MLS DC United is “enjoying a renaissance season,” but the club has “fallen mysteriously short in one area: attendance.” With an average of “13,668, United is 14th among 19 teams, barely ahead of Chivas USA, FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew.” This year’s attendance “is down 10 percent from 15,196 in 2011 and is on pace to break the club’s all-time low mark of 14,532 two years ago, when United posted the worst record in team history.” The “primary issue is D.C.’s schedule, which was front-loaded with home games: Nine of the first 15 were at RFK Stadium over a 2 1/2-month period” (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/19).
WELCOME HOME? In N.Y., Ken Davidoff writes it is time for the Yankees to welcome former MLBer Roger Clemens “back into the organization as the distinguished alumnus he is.” But sources said that, “No definitive decision on Clemens has been made in the wake of Monday’s verdict” acquitting him of perjury charges (N.Y. POST, 6/20).
PUT A CAP IN IT: Celtics Managing Partner & CEO Wyc Grousbeck said he thinks “cap space will be important to us this year.” Grousbeck said of operating under the new CBA, “You can’t just spend money anymore. You have to create cap space. We’ve been in the $90 million range -- we’ve been spending $85 million and up, top two or three in the league. You just can’t get there anymore, even if you re-sign your guys. You can either trade for guys, re-sign your guys, or create cap space for free agents. You can’t just spend anymore” (BOSTON HERALD, 6/20).
HE'S GOT THE MAGIC TOUCH: Lakers Exec VP/Player Personnel Jim Buss said of former Lakers G Magic Johnson’s role as an ESPN NBA analyst, "He sounds like a TV analyst to me. That's his job to give opinions. I don't have a problem with that, and like a good Lakers fan he just wants us to get better. So do I." Johnson earlier in the NBA playoffs said Lakers coach Mike Brown “would be fired if the Lakers did not defeat Denver in the first round.” Buss said, "That made me uncomfortable. I don't think that was right. That put Coach Brown in a tough spot and I wish he hadn't done that" (L.A. TIMES, 6/20).
