In Pittsburgh, Teresa Lindeman reports Heinz "plans to keep its name" on the Steelers venue despite the "planned merger with the Kraft Foods Group" that could see a renamed company. Heinz Senior VP/Corporate & Gov't Affairs Michael Mullen: "It’ll remain Heinz Field." The Steelers in '01 sold naming rights to Heinz for $57M over 20 years (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 3/26).
SPACE INVADERS: In Boston, Mary Moore reported the Kraft family "has advanced negotiations with key stakeholders to build a soccer stadium in South Boston’s Widett Circle" for the Revolution. The discussions "could complicate the ambitious planning underway to potentially build facilities and related infrastructure" for the '24 Games. Part of that planning "has pinpointed property near the Krafts’ proposed development for an Olympics-scale stadium." Sources said that though there "have been discussions with the Krafts about melding their soccer stadium plans with the proposed Olympics structure, the family ... so far is holding firm to their plan to build a smaller stadium on a site that would include city-owned land" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/25).
PAINT THE TOWN RED: The Nationals on Tuesday announced that they "will begin marking the landing spots of long and/or significant home runs at Nationals Park" by painting the seats a different color. Initially, the seats where six key home runs in franchise history landed "will be painted a different color than the surrounding seats." Home runs that land in the Red Porch’s red seats "will be painted blue," while the other home run-marking seats "will be painted red" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/25).
SWAMP THING: In New Jersey, Mike Kelly writes Izod Center, which opened its doors in '81 with a Bruce Springsteen concert, "closed them on Sunday" with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Whether the arena "will be demolished into a heap of rubble, sold to the highest bidder or re-opened after the sports authority studies alternative uses remains to be seen" (Bergen RECORD, 3/24).
