The Univ. of North Dakota's Ralph Engelstad Arena will "install in the offseason a new center-hung video board that it says will be the largest in college hockey." The board, which will be installed by Daktronics, will be 34 feet wide and 15.5 feet high -- "roughly twice the size of the current video board." The main video board "also will have video rings around the top and bottom of the main screen." Ralph Engelstad Arena will also "install new fascia ribbon that rings around the arena between the upper and lower levels and it will install LED lighting in the building." The entire project will cost $6M (GRAND FORKS HERALD, 1/23).
AT THE TABLE: In Tampa, Tracey McManus notes the Pinellas County Commission "gave its blessing for Clearwater officials to begin negotiating" their $40M request for county bed taxes to overhaul the Phillies Spring Training ballpark and facilities, giving the city an "approval needed just to apply for state funding." However, county officials "made clear that when the time comes later this year to decide how much money, if any, to grant," $40M "might be a stretch." Spectrum Field was "built just 15 years ago" for $34M. The county is "still on the hook to pay $49,000 every month" through February '21 on the original '01 bed tax allocation of about $12M that built the ballpark (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/23).
OFF THE ROLLER: In Baltimore, Lorraine Mirabella in a front-page piece notes Esskay Orioles Franks, the hot dog once made locally and "long devoured at Orioles games, will disappear soon from store shelves." Discontinued production means that for the "first time in decades, Esskay hot dogs will no longer be sold at Orioles games." The ball club "plans to choose a new ballpark hotdog, which will be announced with other new food and beverage offerings before the start of the season." Orioles VP/Communications & Marketing Greg Bader said that even though Esskay is out, the "popular Hot Dog Race will remain" (BALTIMORE SUN, 1/23).
