The AP's Rob Harris reported a naming-rights deal for London's Olympic Stadium is "expected to be sealed within a year." EPL club West Ham United will become the venue's main tenant in '16 after it is "overhauled to make it suitable for soccer." West Ham Vice Chair Karren Brady yesterday said that there has "been 'overwhelming worldwide interest' from potential sponsors, and ruled out a naming rights deal with contentious companies, including money lending businesses" (AP, 11/20).
QUEEN'S RANSOM? In Cincinnati, Sharon Coolidge reports the Hamilton County (Ohio) Board of Commissioners yesterday approved a measure that will see county homeowners "pay more property taxes than promised" for the construction of Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium. Commissioner Todd Portune "was the lone 'no' vote." He "wanted to raise the county sales tax to balance the fund that pays for the construction and maintenance of the stadiums, which would have allowed the full rebate to be paid" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 11/21).
TEXAS TWO-STEP: Top Rank Chair Bob Arum said of talks with Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones to hold an event at AT&T Stadium, "We're very, very close with Jerry. I like him, and we're talking about maybe doing an event there, and they're going to set it up like a basketball arena, 25,000 seats. We would do not a Manny Pacquiao fight, but right under that level. Like at the level of a (Timothy) Bradley-(Juan Manuel) Marquez fight. We want that to happen next year, talking to them about sometime in the spring" (LASVEGASSUN.com, 11/21).
COAST TO COAST: GOLFWEEK's Forecaddie reports Tiger Woods' World Challenge tournament is "looking for a new home" for next year, and is "likely to land" in Florida. The World Challenge has been held at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., for 13 of the past 14 years (GOLFWEEK, 11/22 issue).
