April 29, 2006
Weekend update
Once again, it's time for a roundup of stadium and arena news that didn't make the cut for this week's daily posts:
- Alex Belth of the excellent Bronx Banter blog has a good overview at SI.com of the ways in which a new Yankees stadium won't measure up to the old one. Included is a quote from me, but hitting the nail most squarely on the head is author Glenn Stout, who summed up the Yankees' objectives thusly: "What they lack are the 'modern' amenities teams want. Today's ballpark is not a place to play baseball - that's completely secondary. It's just a delivery system for food, beverage and memorabilia, and a facility for business - luxury boxes and really expensive seats. The ballplayers are the equivalent of strippers on the stage to get people inside to pay extravagant cover charges and $20 for a light beer."
- Pittsburgh Penguins president Ken Sawyer has thrown down another gauntlet on the subject of the team's slots-casino-funded arena plan today, telling a TV interviewer today: "The team will stay here if Isle of Capri [casinos] wins. And if there's no alternative that's viable for this team, then that's the risk the community will take." Under the proposed "Plan B" should another casino developer get the state slots license, the team would pay $4 million a year towards an arena; if Isle of Capri wins, they'd pay nothing.
- The city of Los Angeles is set to pitch an $800 million renovation - yeah, you read that right - of the L.A. Coliseum in an attempt to lure the NFL back to town. As to who would pay for it, that's unclear: L.A. officials say it won't be the city, and the Associated Press reports: "City officials hope the NFL will agree to pay for the new stadium." Anaheim is also bidding for an NFL franchise, but aside from providing discounted land, it's unclear what if any funding they're offering.
- Las Vegas has backed off on talk of building a new baseball stadium, and is instead thinking of a new basketball arena. Or maybe of luring the San Diego Chargers. Hopefully not to a basketball arena.
- On New York City's Staten Island on Thursday, they held a community forum on a proposed NASCAR track and a hockey game broke out. (Click "Eyewitness News Video" for the not-all-that-shocking video, which doesn't include any city councilmembers getting put in a headlock.)
I saw the headlock on NY1. I don't know what was "partial" about it, either, It was yet another instance of construction thugs taking over a public hearing in New York City.
Posted by brooklynjamesjoseph on April 30, 2006 02:02 AM
No mention of the incident involving Anothy Weiner over Paul Newman's proposed Grand Prix Racing circuit at Floyd Bennet Field?
Posted by Bertell Ollman on April 30, 2006 05:02 PM
Here you go:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/413118p-349323c.html
My question: Did Weiner call Kruger a "pussy" or a "pansy"? And why did the Daily News feel it necessary to bleep those words, anyway?
Posted by Neil on April 30, 2006 06:07 PM
Pittsburgh Penguins will not get a new arena. If the city had cared about the Penguins they would've gotten a new arena already.
Posted by Daniel on May 1, 2006 06:17 PM