In Columbus, Adam Jardy notes one of the duties for new Crew President of Business Operations Andy Loughnane will be "to find ways to generate more revenue from the stadium, which might also help with selling stadium naming rights." Crew Chair Anthony Precourt said of naming-rights progress, "There have been no conversations." He added, "We thought we’d take a step back and come back late this fall with a new message, a new messenger. With the brand evolving and being announced here shortly, we think that will be a key part of how attractive we might be to a potential naming-rights partner" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 8/19).
GARAGE BAND-AID: In Detroit, Joe Guillen reported the city and the Red Wings plan to spend more than $3M on repairs to the Joe Louis Arena parking garage, "even though the garage might be torn down in a few years." Detroit will spend about $2M to "repair structural damage found during a recent inspection." The Red Wings "agreed in March to fix 600 parking spaces" at an estimated cost of $1.25M (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/17).
WALK THIS WAY: In Cleveland, Andrew Tobias noted city officials announced yesterday that the pedestrian bridge leading to FirstEnergy Stadium that spans the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway "will be closed indefinitely." City officials said that closing the bridge "in favor of two alternative routes, which will be marked with signs, will keep pedestrians safer and improve traffic flow around the stadium" (CLEVELAND.com, 8/18).
MILLER TIME: In Milwaukee, Don Walker reports Milwaukee Sportservice, a subsidiary of Delaware North, "has filed an application with the city's Licenses Division for approval to install two DraftServ self-service beer vending machines" at Miller Park (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/19).
