Editor's note: This story is revised from the print edition.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS
Rangers remodeling suites
The Texas Rangers have begun a major remodeling  |
| Suite remodeling at The Ballpark includes different designs, colors. |
project of the team's luxury suites for the 2004 season. The team also has added benefits and initiatives for full-season suite holders. Two remodeled suites already have been unveiled, with 23 suites to be remodeled by the opening of the 2004 season. The suites will receive new flooring, wall coverings, cabinetry, lighting and furniture, with two different designs and color schemes available. The suites also will contain plasma-screen televisions. An additional 26 suites will receive new carpet, wall coverings and furniture. This marks the first suite remodeling initiative since The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994 and is the first phase of an overall remodeling project.
ATLANTA
Speedway signs truck series sponsor
EasyCare has signed on to sponsor the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 13. The EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 will be the first truck series race held in Atlanta in two decades. EasyCare provides extended-warranty contracts for cars, trucks and RVs.
Russell growing business
Atlanta-based Russell Corp. has signed a deal to 
make a big and tall Russell Athletic clothing line. Financial terms of the four-year deal with Profile were not released. Profile is a subsidiary of New York-based Waitex Group. Profile sells men's sportswear under its own label and under the USG name.
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
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| The Brooklyn Cyclones mascot, Sandy the Seagull, cheered on the Polar Bear swim. |
Cyclones join Polar Bears for dip
Sandy the Seagull, the Brooklyn Cyclones mascot, braved the chilly conditions to join hundreds of participants at the Polar Bear Club's annual New Year's Day swim on Coney Island Beach. Founded in 1903 by Bernard Macfadden, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club is believed to be the oldest cold-water swimming club in the United States and has held the New Year's Day celebration for 101 consecutive years. Sandy joined the revelers on the crowded beach, cheering on the participants as they ran into the frigid Atlantic Ocean. This was the second year the Cyclones have participated in this Coney Island tradition.
BUFFALO
Sabres open 'Party Zone'
The Buffalo Sabres have opened the "Party Zone" in HSBC Arena, a new gathering area for fans. The Party Zone was converted from space formerly occupied by Adelphia Communications Corp. and is being marketed to large groups attending Sabres or Buffalo Bandits lacrosse games. The area, which has a 400-person capacity, will be open for 90 minutes before each game. Various packages are available through the Sabres.
CHARLOTTE
Speed Channel launches reality show
Charlotte-based Speed Channel will launch a reality series based in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2004. The show, with the working title "NBS 24-7," will debut with back-to-back half-hours on Feb. 16. The show will run for 40-plus weeks, chronicling the lives of multiple NASCAR Busch Series drivers and their teams. It will be produced by Atlanta-based Kestrel Communications. Speed Channel is available in 64 million homes in North America.
DALLAS-FORT WORTH
2 women's football teams join ranks
The Dallas-Fort Worth area will have two 
professional women's football teams this year. The expansion Denton Stampede and Dallas Dragons will join five other clubs in the 37-team National Women's Football Association, whose 2004 season kicks off in April. The Stampede will play at DISD Stadium, while the Dragons will be at Birdville Stadium in North Richland Hills.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.
Canada Night helps with sellout
Canada Night at the Office Depot Center in Sunrise allowed fans to pay for tickets to the Florida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafs game with Canadian currency. That helped the team to its first sellout this season, the Sun-Sentinel said. The Canadian dollar was worth about 76 cents (U.S.) at game time.
King still pushing combo complex
Boxing promoter Don King reiterated an earlier pitch for a baseball and boxing complex in Palm Beach County. Major League Baseball was noncommittal when asked by The Palm Beach Post whether King's ties to casinos and gambling might complicate his role as a potential stadium partner. MLB senior director of media relations Pat Courtney told The Palm Beach Post that it "was too early to say" and that the Marlins would have to bring it to the league's attention for review.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
All-Star Classic has new sponsors
As title sponsor of the 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic, to be held Feb. 8-9 at Van Andel Arena, the Pepsi-Cola/Pepsi Bottling Group of Grand Rapids has partnered with Subway restaurants, Walter Dimmick Shell stations, Wesco convenience stores, and D&W and Family Fare grocery stores to promote the American Hockey League event in 284 retail establishments in western Michigan. By visiting these retailers over the next month, fans can meet the Grand Rapids Griffins' all-stars, enter to win a variety of contests, obtain discounts on all-star tickets and buy official all-star merchandise.
HOUSTON
Poster commissioned for Super Bowl
The NFL has commissioned a limited-edition  |
| Super Bowl XXXVIII official poster |
serigraph and poster for Super Bowl XXXVIII from 3-D pop artist Charles Fazzino. Fazzino, who has worked on Super Bowl artwork for the past three years, has exhibited artwork in more than 600 galleries in more than 15 countries. He also has created official artwork for the MLB World Series and All-Star Game, U.S. Tennis Open and the Olympic Games.
INDIANAPOLIS
Indians profits decline
The Indianapolis Indians profits continue to decline. Team officials told shareholders that profits were off 9 percent this year to $818,462. Declining attendance is the primary reason for decreased profits. Despite declining profits, the Indians Board of Directors announced a dividend of $150 per share at its Nov. 6 meeting. Stockholders did not receive a dividend in 2002.
Colts retail sales on the rise
Business is booming for the Indianapolis Colts as the
team won its first divisional title since 1999. Colts officials are reporting that sales at the team's retail outlets are up more than 10 percent over last year.
KANSAS CITY
Royals renew season-ticket holders
The Kansas City Royals have renewed more than 95 percent of the team's 7,400 season-ticket holders, season-ticket director Rick Amos told The Kansas City Star. The Royals have sold about 800 new season tickets for 2004.
LAS VEGAS
Gladiators partner with HealthSouth
The Las Vegas Gladiators have reached a new partnership agreement with HealthSouth Corp. for the 2004 through 2006 seasons. HealthSouth will be the official health-care provider for the Las Vegas Gladiators and will provide the team with athletic trainers and medical staff.
MIAMI
Marlins to consider stadium at bowl site
The Florida Marlins have agreed to consider locating a new stadium at the site of the city-owned Orange Bowl and have backed off their requirement for a retractable roof, a Miami Herald report said. That brings the price tag down to roughly $200 million. With that change, the city of Miami is now willing to consider using bond money for a stadium, city manager Joe Arriola said. Under the latest proposal, the Orange Bowl would be demolished and replaced with a new stadium to be shared by the Marlins and the University of Miami football team.
Team extends lease through 2005
The Florida Marlins extended a lease at Pro Player Stadium through 2005. That means the team will remain in South Florida at least two more seasons.
MILWAUKEE
 |
| The Admirals may soon be owned by the man at the helm of the Nashville Predators. |
Leipold to acquire Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals AHL team is expected to be acquired by Racine businessman Craig Leipold early this  |
| Leipold |
year and will remain at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee. Leipold is the chairman of Leipold Hockey Holdings LLC, which owns the Nashville Predators. The Admirals have been the minor league affiliate of the Predators since 1998. Milwaukee lawyer Fran Croak, in charge of Milwaukee philanthropist Jane Bradley Pettit's trust, which owns the Admirals, said he believes the acquisition will be completed before the end of January. Croak would not divulge the asking price for the franchise, but several American Hockey League teams have been sold in the past two years for between $2 million to $3 million.
Milwaukee Wave signs TV contract
The Milwaukee Wave, a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League, announced that nine games in the 2003-04 regular season will be broadcast on low-power station WMLW TV-41. The first broadcast was Dec. 31. WMLW, which is owned by Weigel Broadcasting, Chicago, will be available on standard cable in greater Milwaukee starting Jan. 29. The station has previously been available only to digital cable subscribers of Time Warner Cable.
PHILADELPHIA
 |
| Eric Snow’s mini-bobblehead, left, was the first of six to be given away. At right, Jeremy Roenick was the first of the Flyers’ “Celebriduck” giveaways. |
76ers begin mini-bobble giveaways
The Philadelphia 76ers gave away the first of six mini-bobblehead dolls at their Jan. 9 game against the New Jersey Nets. The mini-bobblehead doll of Eric Snow will be followed later in the year by similar mini-collectibles of Aaron McKie, Derrick Coleman, Glenn Robinson, Kenny Thomas and Allen Iverson. The team also plans to give away a regular-size bobblehead of legendary team statistician Harvey Pollack — 2002 winner of the Basketball Hall of Fame's John Bunn Award — in February.
Flyers start up Celebriducks
Jeremy Roenick was featured in the Philadelphia Flyers' first "Celebriduck" giveaway last Saturday. The first 5,000 kids 12 and younger at the team's game against the Edmonton Oilers received a Roenick rubber duck.
Kixx to have games webcast live
The Philadelphia Kixx of the Major Indoor Soccer League has formed a partnership with news and information Web site pennlive.com to broadcast several games this season on the Internet. The first Web broadcast was Dec. 27. Three games will be broadcast in January and two more in February at www.pennlive.com/wmss.
ORLANDO
Disney gears up for spring
Although still a few weeks away, Disney's Wide World of Sports is gearing up for Major League Baseball spring training and the Atlanta Braves. This will be the Braves' seventh year to hold spring training in central Florida. The Braves will work out for two weeks at the complex prior to playing a 16-game home schedule against 11 MLB teams. Braves pitchers and catchers will report for their workouts Feb. 19, with the rest of the team arriving Feb. 24.
Predators see boost in tix sales
With several weeks remaining before the Orlando Predators' Feb. 13 home opener 
with the Austin Wranglers, the AFL team already has exceeded its season-ticket totals from the 2003 season. Through Jan. 5, the team had sold 8,257 season tickets for 2004, a 33.1 percent increase through the same date last year. The team announced last year that it was reducing the capacity of the TD Waterhouse Centre to 13,692 for arena football.
SAN DIEGO
Chargers won't fight move for lawsuit
The Chargers will not fight the city of San Diego's 
request to move a lawsuit filed by the team from Los Angeles to a local court. The Chargers' lawsuit asks the court to determine whether the team has met the financial hardship criteria outlined in the stadium lease that would allow the team to renegotiate the contract and shop itself to other cities. The Chargers filed their lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, saying they wanted the matter to be decided in a "neutral forum." The city had argued that the case should be transferred to San Diego because it is the proper venue under state law. A hearing is scheduled for Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO
Bowl attendance flat, revenue up
Organizers of the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl didn't see the attendance jump they had hoped for at the New Year's Eve event. Attendance was 25,621, which was almost the same as last year's tally, said Gary Cavalli, executive director of the game, held at SBC Park. Cavalli said he had hoped to see a few thousand more tickets sold. Organizers this year lowered the prices of many tickets, hoping to lure more Bay Area residents. Bowl organizers did enjoy an increase in cash and in-kind sponsorship for the event, which is in its second year. The bowl raised $1.27 million, up almost 25 percent from last year.
SAN JOSE
Stealth to be in 2 game telecasts
The San Jose Stealth will be featured 
on two National Lacrosse League Game of the Week telecasts in 2004, including a home game at HP Pavilion on March 20. Fox Sports Net will carry nine NLL games this season, including the NLL All-Star Game. The Stealth moved from Albany, N.Y., where it was known as the Attack for the past season. The NLL claims its games through Fox Sports Net and other regional networks will allow them to reach 80 percent of the cable-wired homes in the United States.
ST. LOUIS
Rams renew deal with Dobbs
The St. Louis Rams renewed a three-year 
marketing partnership with Dobbs Tire and Auto. The sponsorship includes a signage package at the Edward Jones Dome that includes interior and exterior displays as well as halftime promotions and corporate hospitality.
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG
Phillies stadium to draw other events
The Philadelphia Phillies' new spring training stadium in Clearwater, Fla., will be used by city leaders to attract other types of non-baseball events, including concerts and trade shows. The $25 million stadium, which has at least 7,000 seats, is expected to be completed by Feb. 6, with the first Phillies spring game set for March 4 versus the New York Yankees. The former Phillies facility, Jack Russell Stadium, was leased to a private athletic training business.
TORONTO
Loblaw backs out of Gardens bid
The 4-year-old search for a buyer for vacant Maple Leaf Gardens is back on again; it turns out the historic arena isn't going to become a supermarket after all. Citing higher than anticipated costs, Loblaw Cos. backed out of plans announced in October to purchase the arena and turn it into a giant retail complex. Under its agreement with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., Loblaw would have been required to keep the exterior facade and roof of the building. It later discovered in a feasibility study that the costs of maintaining the original walls while gutting the interior would have been too high. Home Depot Canada and Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk had expressed interest in Maple Leaf Gardens last fall before the Loblaw bid was accepted. The Toronto Maple Leafs left the facility for Air Canada Centre in 1999.
Air Canada Centre dry for a week
Nearly five years after opening, Air Canada Centre went through a one-week dry run. Arena owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. was slapped with a seven-day alcohol ban resulting from two liquor violations at the center in late 2002. As a result, there was no booze in the house for a Dec. 23 Toronto Maple Leafs home game against Florida, a Dec. 21 Toronto Raptors game against Orlando and a Disney ice skating show. Arena general manager Bob Hunter said the problems that led to a drunken patron being served at a 2002 Leafs game and an inebriated fan being let into a rock concert had been solved, so the owner did not appeal the ban.
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