In Austin, Kevin Lyttle in a front-page piece notes city officials yesterday "identified eight city-owned sites" that could house a MLS stadium or practice venue. But the City Council "tabled the possibility of any action on a stadium site Thursday, pushing the issue back to its next regularly scheduled meeting Feb. 1." It was suggested that the "six-week postponement would give the city and Precourt Sports Ventures more time to carefully weigh the options" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 12/13).
STANDING HER GROUND: Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo said that she is "unwilling to get into a bidding war" with Massachusetts to keep the Triple-A Int'l League Pawtucket Red Sox. Raimondo: "It would be really sad if we lost the PawSox to Worcester ... But no, I am not going to get into a bidding war. We can’t afford a bidding war. We have a deal on the table now. I would say: Go ahead and pass that deal” (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 12/13).
READY FOR ACTION: In Dallas, Adam Grosbard notes SMU has "raised enough funds to begin construction on an indoor practice facility for its football team." SMU President R. Gerald Turner yesterday said that the school has raised 80% of the funds "required to construct the facility, enough to begin construction on the project." Turner "expects to break ground in the first half of March" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/13).
