November 30, 2006 [LINK / comment]
The last (?) legal challenge to the future Yankee Stadium has ended, thanks to a federal judge who dismissed a lawsuit filed by Save Our Parks and the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality. See USA Today. So, the Yankees can proceed full steam ahead, and you can see a photo of the construction site at: villagevoice.com; hat tip to Mike Zurawski. Seeing the project actually getting underway next to the House that Ruth Built brings on a melancholy mood...
Officials in Miami have proposed yet another possible site for a new ballpark for the Marlins, who will be evicted from Dolphins Stadium after the 2010 season. It would be on the west edge of downtown Miami north of the Clark Government Center. The advantages are that the land is already owned by the government, and it has excellent parking and transportation access. The main obstacle is that a new juvenile courthouse had already been planned for that site, so an alternative site for that would have to be found first. See Miami Herald; hat tip to Mike Zurawski. The other prospective downtown stadium site is several blocks to the northeast, next to the American Airlines Arena.
The Washington Nationals are expected to choose the L.A. advisory firm Wasserman Media to auction the stadium naming rights, which may bring as much as $6 million a year to the team. Capital One, GEICO, and XM Radio are among the leading candidates. Ugh. See Washington Post. In a fairer world, the D.C. government would get the prerogative to name the stadium, since it's bearing the entire financial burden. Apparently, the idea that a sports palace in Our Nation's Capital should have a name befitting due dignity and public purpose has not occurred to anyone in the team's front office, or to leaders in Congress. "Show me the money" indeed. Let's just hope the new stadium makes ample room for the Common People, and doesn't become an exclusive playpen for sleazy lobbyists and government contractors, like a casino or a whorehouse.
