1958: A referendum is passed allowing Los Angeles to sell 300 acres of land to the Dodgers for their new stadium. Some said the Dodgers’ future in Los Angeles was at stake in the vote.
1974: Seattle is awarded an NFL franchise (the Seahawks) to begin play in 1976.
1974: “10-cent Beer Night” at Cleveland Stadium ends
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| Brinkman (left) on riot in Cleveland: “It was scary.” |
in disaster as unruly fans rush the field and cause the Indians to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers with the score tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth. A crowd of 25,134 showed up, and it was estimated that more than 60,000 cups of beer were served. “I remember holding on to a guy who had been kicked in the head. I’m holding him and blood is running down his face,” umpire Joe Brinkman told The Associated Press. “I think there were about 10,000 people on the field at one time. It was scary.”
1989: The Atlanta Fulton County Commission approves a $210 million stadium project for the Falcons.
FOLLOW-THROUGH: The Georgia Dome opened in 1992.
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| 10-year mark for Finchem |
1994:Tim Finchem is named PGA Tour commissioner.
1995: Philip Morris Co., after negotiating with the Justice Department for about nine months, agrees to reposition cigarette advertising out of prominent view of television cameras at sports stadiums across the country. The Justice Department had charged that Philip Morris placed billboards in locations that would appear on TV, thereby creating a loophole around the 24-year-old ban on televised cigarette ads.
1996: A federal judge in St. Louis dismisses a class-action suit against Ticketmaster, ruling that consumers have no grounds to pursue antitrust claims against the ticketing service.
1997: The San Francisco 49ers’ proposal for a $525 million mall and stadium complex passes by public vote.
FOLLOW-THROUGH: The project lost steam after former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. pleaded guilty in 1998 for failing to report a felony in a federal investigation involving a riverboat casino license in Louisiana. The 49ers continue to play in 3Com Park, which was built in 1960.
1998: The Cleveland Indians’ IPO hits Nasdaq and raises between $55 million and $60 million. The stock initially is sold at $15 a share.
FOLLOW-THROUGH: In 1999, owner Richard Jacobs sold the team to Larry Dolan for $320 million, which resulted in the team becoming private once again.
1998: The AFL approves the application of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson to acquire a franchise.
FOLLOW-THROUGH: Benson’s New Orleans VooDoo became the AFL’s 17th team and began play this year.
1998: Jon Epstein, who spent 20 years as an Adidas executive, is named president and CEO of Fila USA.
FOLLOW-THROUGH: In December 2003, Epstein, citing personal reasons, left the company. A few weeks later, Epstein agreed to plead guilty in a fraud investigation of the Just For Feet retail chain. He admitted to conspiring to submit false statements to Just For Feet auditors, who were led to believe Fila owed Just For Feet $1.4 million more than it actually did.
1998: CBS announces an agreement with its affiliates to share the cost of the network’s new NFL package. The agreement represents a shift in the relationship between the network and its affiliates. The network figured to realize $40 million to $50 million from the arrangement, about 10 percent of its $500 million-a-year deal with the NFL.
