In Tampa, Joe Smith reported Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik wants to bring an outdoor game "to the area, something that would likely involve Raymond James Stadium." Vinik said that he "likes the Lightning's chances." Vinik: "We're having a lot of conversations about it. Some people's immediate reaction is the climate is not good for an (outdoor) game. If you look at some of the conditions in Denver where they had some games, the weather in Tampa Bay is really close to that in February that time of year. We're going to keep pushing hard for it. I feel pretty good about our chances." Vinik said he will ask NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility "every time" he sees him (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 9/17).
MURKY WATERS: In Boston, Nick Cafardo reported there are "still financial issues with the new Marlins ownership." This "isn’t going to be a smooth transition, and exactly where team payroll will be in the future is unresolved." A source said, "It’s not a mess, but it’s far from smooth" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/17).
RICKEY APPROVES: In Oakland, Jon Becker noted a 17-foot statue of Baseball HOFer Rickey Henderson will be "built and on display at the Oakland Coliseum at some point next season." There was "no word on exactly where the Rickey statue will be placed at the Coliseum" (EAST BAY TIMES, 9/16).
ENGLISH CHANNEL: In N.Y., Rory Smith wrote under the header, "Love The Club. Loathe The American Owner." Few "would count" the Glazer family's tenure as EPL club Manchester United Owner as an "unqualified success." The Glazers "faced protests almost from the start; even now, the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust believes no owner has 'ever taken so much money from a single club.'" Meanwhile, Stan Kroenke is "blamed for Arsenal’s inertia" and John Henry is "hardly universally popular in Liverpool." Chris Anderson, who has consulted on a number of completed and putative takeovers, said of American owners in Britain, “It is unfair to say they have all been complete failures. But many do struggle with the dynamics of the game, and the industry. They find it hard to understand the nature of the beast" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/17).
