Jaguars Owner Shad Khan said that the team's decision to play two home games in London was a "'logical solution' to expand the fan base and alleviate pressure on fans in Jacksonville to support the games." Khan said, "Jacksonville I think is a small market. When I was introduced, for me it was, I'm going to do everything to keep NFL football in Jacksonville. So how do we do that? A logical solution to me was really we wanted to expand the fan base." He added, "Our fans have traveled with us, we have a lot of fans outside the U.S." (NEWS4JAX.com, 2/10).
GOING ALL IN: In L.A., Dylan Hernandez writes the Dodgers "heard the cries of their fans" for the team to get more aggressive, and now they have an "all-world outfielder in Mookie Betts." A team that "always looked ahead is finally playing for now." A franchise that "valued roster balance finally splurged on a superstar." The trade for Betts was "reminiscent of the early days of Guggenheim Baseball Management's ownership" (L.A. TIMES, 2/11).
MAKING SENS OF IT: In Denver, Mike Chambers noted the Senators are averaging an NHL-low 12,132 fans per game at Canadian Tire Center, and "capacity also is worst in the league" at 63.3%. Fans say that the "poor attendance is their own doing, born from the backlash of controversial" Owner Eugene Melnyk. Complaining about NHL team ownership "anywhere outside Ottawa pales in comparison to what's going on" with the Senators (DENVER POST, 2/9).
