January 11, 2006

D.C. stadium mostly dead?

Yesterday, D.C. Anthony Williams declared a Washington Nationals stadium lease to be agreed upon "as early as late this week," while D.C. sports chief Mark Tuohey said, "I think we're very close." Today, top city council stadium booster Jack Evans threw cold water on that notion, saying he'd given up trying to convince the eight stadium opponents on the 13-member council to change their votes, and telling the Washington Times that "there are not even any discussions about it taking place around here." The Times calls the stadium plans "nearly dead."

If so, expect to hear lots of threats of eliminating the Nats and the Florida Marlins once baseball's collective bargaining agreement allows owners to talk contraction again starting April 1. Not that deep-sixing a franchise that could be garner a $450 million sale price exactly makes sense, but Bud Selig has never been one to shy away from threatening to cut off his nose to spite his face.

LATE NOTE: Now council chair Linda Cropp says she's submitted a list of ten conditions that would need to be met before the council would sign off on the lease - first and foremost that the city's costs be capped at $589 million, including financing costs - and a mayoral spokesman tells the Washington Post, "We're confident we can meet all of her criteria." MLB has steadfastly refused to pay for cost overruns, though, so it remains to be seen whether this is still a major stumbling block, or Evans was just having an Eeyore moment.