ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
ABA expands with ‘Native America’
The American Basketball Association officially launched the league’s 24th expansion team, an Albuquerque-based team that will include Native American players. ABA co-founder Joe Newman said the league has been working with Spider Ledesma, president and CEO of the expansion team, for more than a year trying to put together an organization and team for Native America. Ledesma is of the Mission Tribe and Mexican Indian ancestry. He is also well-known throughout the Native American athletic community. Ledesma said team officials will begin looking for possible playing venues in Albuquerque and will meet with Native American governors concerning immediate sponsorships.
DALLAS
Cowboys drop Fair Park as possible site
The Dallas Cowboys have halted talks to put a new stadium in the city’s Fair Park neighborhood, and 
instead will now examine other sites, including in the suburbs of Grapevine, Arlington and their current home of Irving. Team officials told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that they haven’t made sufficient progress in talks with Dallas County about the club’s proposal to raise $425 million in public financing for the facility via higher hotel and car-rental taxes.
WHA franchise coming to town
Los Angeles businessman Rick Munro has chosen Dallas for his new World Hockey Association franchise, which is slated to begin play in early November. The club will play in Reunion Arena, where it will charge $10 to $65 for tickets. Fans are voting on the WHA’s Web site (www.worldhockeyassociation.net) on a name for the club. The choices are the Americans, Demolition, Eagles, Heroes and Vision.
DETROIT
Compromise for singing hot dog vendor
Fan protests, spurred on by several radio stations and both major newspapers, have resulted in a 
compromise in the case of Charley Marcuse, the operatic hot dog vendor at Comerica Park who had been silenced. A statement from the Tigers and SportService said, “After a review of the results of a survey of season-ticket holders, it has been determined that Mr. Marcuse will become a part of the Tigers’ in-game experience by singing his hot dog serenade once each night during the organization’s Hot Dog Row promotion in the middle of the second inning.”
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| The Spirit of Detroit statue needed a super extra-large jersey for the playoffs. |
Dressing for team spirit
“The Spirit of Detroit,” a large statue that sits at the foot of Woodward Avenue outside the City-County Building, has always been adorned with a Red Wings jersey whenever the team made the Stanley Cup Finals. When the Pistons qualified for the NBA Finals, fans wanted a similar tribute, but an oversized basketball version was not available. Meteor Photographic, a large-format digital graphics supplier, came to the rescue, creating an oversized jersey using a nylon material called FlagPlus. The jersey consists of six large pieces, sewn together by an industrial-sized sewing machine.
HOUSTON
Spurs, Rockets to play at the border
The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets have 
agreed to meet for a border battle on the U.S. edge of Mexico. A preseason game between the Rockets and Spurs is reportedly on tap for Oct. 27 in Laredo, which sits in south Texas on the Mexico border. Hosting the hoops will be the Laredo Entertainment Center, an approximately 10,000-seat, multipurpose arena. Ticketmaster is selling tickets to the nighttime game for prices ranging from $25 to $150 apiece.
INDIANAPOLIS
Team offers money-back guarantee
The Indiana Ice is so convinced local hockey fans will enjoy seeing the under-20 amateur team play next season, franchise officials are offering a money-back guarantee on season tickets. The guarantee takes effect immediately and is applicable for any full-season-ticket (30 games) purchase for the 2004-05 Ice inaugural season. Ice officials said after the first four home games of the season that if a fan decides he is for any reason not satisfied with the purchase of season tickets, the Ice will refund the unused portion of the package. The Ice will play in the U.S. Hockey League.
MIAMI
Auction house retained to sell arena
Pompano Beach-based Fisher Auction Co. has been retained to execute an open-bid auction of the Miami Arena. The starting bid Aug. 10 will be $25 million. Fisher intends to market the arena internationally through print advertising and electronic marketing campaigns. Ads are set to begin running later this month in The Wall Street Journal and a variety of trade publications, Fisher Auction CEO Louis Fisher said. Proceeds from the sale of the building are a key component in the financing plan for a new Marlins stadium.
Magic Johnson in Burger King business
Miami-based Burger King Corp. said it signed a multiyear agreement for an affiliate of Magic Johnson Enterprises to franchise a total of 30 restaurants in Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas and Miami.
MILWAUKEE
Bobbleheads may boost attendance
Three eight-inch figurines could fetch an estimated $840,000 in extra ticket revenue this season for the Milwaukee Brewers. Three games featuring bobbleheads are expected to draw up to 10,000 additional fans just for giveaways of miniatures that look like current Brewer Scott Podsednik and retirees Jim Gantner and Gorman Thomas. At about $2 apiece to manufacture, the bobbleheads are a relatively high-priced giveaway. The Brewers are mitigating the cost with three sponsors: PepsiCo, Badger Mutual Insurance Co. and Johnson Controls Inc. In return, Miller Park and the Brewers attract more revenue for tickets, parking, food and merchandise. The Brewers get a majority of the funds, except for the food and drink, which is split with concessionaire Sportservice Inc.
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| Brewers bobbleheads (from left) Podsednik, Gantner and Thomas |
Publisher launches sports magazine
Madison publisher RB Publishing Inc. will launch “Inside Wisconsin Sports,” a magazine covering all Wisconsin sports. Inside Wisconsin Sports will focus on spectator sports such as football, basketball, baseball and hockey. It also will cover Wisconsin athletes in golf, soccer, Special Olympics, volleyball, auto racing and other sports. The premiere issue will be released this fall, with regular circulation beginning in January. Nine issues are scheduled per year.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
University seeking stadium funds
University of Minnesota officials have begun meeting with business leaders in hopes of raising about $120 million for an on-campus football stadium. Officials hope the Legislature will approve the remaining $100 million. The school also kicked off an advertising campaign to sell tickets for the football team’s 2004 games. The campaign will feature Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney, who both ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2003, on 50 billboards throughout the metro area. The team averaged just 44,148 fans per game last season, with an average of 51,523 fans at Big Ten games.
Firm to provide basketball equipment
Minnesota-based Acceleration Minnesota has signed an agreement to provide a training program and equipment for the University of Minnesota men’s and women’s hockey teams. The company will install its program and its patented skating treadmill on campus at Mariucci Arena.The company operates at five other Twin Cities-based locations as well.
Twins officials visit Dominican Republic
Two Minnesota Twins officials traveled to the Dominican Republic, returning earlier this month with plans to improve the team’s development program there. The team hired a scout, Fred Guerrero, and upgraded the facility it shares with three other teams while in Boca Rica.
Lynx offer $11 ticket deal
KARE 11 television and the Minnesota Lynx have combined on a ticket offer for the WNBA team’s remaining 2004 home games. For $11, fans will get one lower-level ticket, one hot dog, one small Pepsi and one box of Hot Tamales.
NEW YORK
City to host college football bowl
The Big East Conference, the New York City Sports Commission, the New York Jets and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the creation of the Big Apple Bowl. The college football game is to be held at the New York Sports and Convention Center — proposed future home of the New York Jets. The Big Apple Bowl is expected to bring 75,000 new visitors to the city each year while generating up to $8 million in fiscal impact. New York City has not hosted a college bowl game since the Gotham Bowl was played at Yankee Stadium in 1962. College football postseason bowl games are required to petition the NCAA for certification status.
PHILADELPHIA
Riversharks sell sponsorship on eBay
The Camden (N.J.) Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League are auctioning off the opportunity to be the sponsor of the team’s fireworks show on Wednesday following the team’s game against the Pennsylvania Road Warriors. The eBay package will include the top bidder’s name on pre-promotion of the game on the Riversharks’ Web site, media releases, public address and video board messages; 25 tickets to the game; the ceremonial first pitch prior to game and the person’s photo on the video board during the fireworks show.
Men’s lacrosse tournament at Lincoln
The University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Eagles have reached an agreement to host the NCAA men’s lacrosse championships at Lincoln Financial Field in 2005 and 2006. The three-day event is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors to the city each year. The Philadelphia Sports Congress estimated the event’s economic impact for the region would be as much as $25 million per year.
RICHMOND, VA
Downtown ballpark under study
HKS Sports & Entertainment Group is working with the Richmond Braves and their
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| HKS is working with a Richmond business group on ballpark plans. |
parent club, the Atlanta Braves, on a study, renderings and plans for the new Richmond Braves downtown ballpark. The ballpark is proposed to replace The Diamond, a minor league, $8 million stadium built in 1985. The Richmond Ballpark Initiative, a group of businesspeople dedicated to downtown revitalization, is seeking a home for the ballpark. The group hired HKS to provide architectural studies of potential ballpark designs. More than 7,000 general admission seats would fill the ballpark, in addition to 500 club-level seats, located in a covered three-story structure, and 26 skyboxes.
SACRAMENTO
Charter airline sues Kings over contract
Sky King Inc., the Sacramento charter airline headed by former Sacramento Kings co-owner Gregg Lukenbill, has sued the NBA team claiming it owes him at least $8.2 million for rejecting his airline’s flight services contract for the last four years. “The team wouldn’t have terminated the contract several years ago if it didn’t feel strongly that there was a nonperformance by Sky King,” said team attorney 
David Price. Sky King signed a contract with the Kings in September 1997 to fly the team aboard a Boeing 737. The lease was extended by the Kings’ former ownership group in December 1998 to continue through the end of this month at $1.2 million per year. After the team was sold to the Maloofs in 1999, Kings general manager Geoff Petrie told Lukenbill that the team wanted to be flown in a different airplane. A series of increasingly testy letters, contained in the lawsuit, followed between Petrie and Lukenbill. Lukenbill responded that adding a new jet would increase annual charter costs by at least another $400,000. The Kings also were concerned about “the numerous technical or mechanical problems which the plane experienced” and asked for changes to the jet. The suit was filed May 27 in Sacramento County Superior Court.
SAN DIEGO
City extends talks deadline
The San Diego City Council approved a 30-day extension that will allow negotiations 
with the Chargers on a new lease at Qualcomm Stadium to continue through July 15. Council members and team officials expressed optimism that the talks, which began in late April, will result in an agreement that will do away with a controversial ticket guarantee and keep the team in San Diego at least through 2008.
SAN JOSE
Sharks offer refunds in event of labor woes
The Sharks are offering their season-ticket holders monthly 
refunds with interest should the NHL season not start on time due to labor strife. Season-ticket holders can receive refunds of each game not played and simple interest of 2 percent or decline the refund and get 5 percent interest.
TORONTO
Ratings soar with Calgary in Finals
With outstanding Stanley Cup Finals television ratings north of the border, the NHL got a taste of what it will be giving up with a possible work stoppage this fall. While U.S. ratings plummeted for the Stanley Cup Finals, CBC’s coverage of the seven-game series between Calgary and Tampa Bay pulled in an average audience of 3.735 million viewers, making it the most-watched final round since the current ratings system was introduced in 1989. The 2-1 Tampa win in Game 7 drew the network’s second-highest single-game audience ever of 4.862 million viewers. The huge draw was due to the presence of a Canadian team in the Finals for the first time since 1994.
