Draconator

A mighty fine Canadian Band is on!

Wrong. Arizona is playing in a fabulous new stadium next year, while the Bills are playing in a 30 year old plus stadium. No matter how many upgrades you do, it's still an old park.

Dodgers' Secret Plan for L.A.: NFL Stadium, Upscale Complex Two team executives and prominent New York real estate developer made proposal to league officials. By Bill Shaikin, Times Staff Writer As the Dodgers stumbled through two months without a manager this fall, the organizational vision extended far beyond the diamond. They assigned the code name "Five Ton Gorilla" to a secret proposal to remake the landscape of sports in Los Angeles and the image of owner Frank McCourt, pitching the NFL on ditching the Coliseum for a new stadium in Chavez Ravine, and signing up with one of the nation's top real estate developers to create a retail and entertainment complex in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. In proposing McCourt acquire an NFL team, the Dodgers reportedly suggested the league wanted to move the Houston Texans to Los Angeles. "That statement has as much credibility as the idea of the Dodgers returning to Brooklyn," league spokesman Greg Aiello said Thursday. The NFL and the Dodgers confirmed this week the parties held two meetings this fall about the possibility of building a football stadium next to the complex. Both sides characterized the discussions as preliminary and, amid an outcry from Los Angeles civic leaders, said the talks had ceased unless and until the NFL failed to reach a deal with the Coliseum. Yet the Dodgers were serious enough to present a proposal that involved Larry Silverstein, a prominent New York real estate developer heading the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. Silverstein joined two Dodger executives in meeting with NFL officials, and several sources said Thursday his firm could have built all but the football stadium in a project estimated at 1 million square feet. The suggestion about moving the Texans was one of several details reported Thursday by the Boston Herald, which said it obtained confidential Dodger memoranda in an anonymous mailing. Dodger spokeswoman Camille Johnston confirmed the authenticity of the documents but would not answer questions about any details. Among the details: The Dodgers proposed building a 65,000-seat football stadium — too small by NFL standards for a Super Bowl — for about $600 million, using revenues from naming rights, personal seat licenses and concession contracts so as to "effectively spend other peoples' cash" to finance construction. The NFL appeared receptive to McCourt's building a stadium on Dodger property but reluctant to grant him a team, according to an executive summary prepared by the Dodgers. "We indicated there was no desire to move forward with this project unless Frank would be in control of both the stadium and the team," the summary read. McCourt has long been concerned about his image within the community and last season hired Sitrick and Co., a public relations firm best known for crisis management. An internal memo claimed McCourt could bask in the "psychic benefits of being the guy that brought football to L.A.," and an advisor told McCourt the project would so wow the NFL that the proposal would be "largely a sales effort which we should achieve very easily." The memos also advised McCourt not to attend the NFL meetings — he did not — because "distance/deniability is not a bad thing" and warned he would face "heat" if the talks became public. Johnston called the memos "a summary of things discussed" and prepared for McCourt. "What's in the documents should not be put in the category of something endorsed by Frank McCourt," Johnston said. If McCourt has not endorsed those proposals, and if he supports the Coliseum, as he said in a statement Wednesday, why would he authorize Dodger executives to meet with the NFL twice about a possible football stadium on Dodger property? "Exploratory meetings were held to know what all the scenarios were" about the viability of the Coliseum and the possible alternative of Dodger Stadium, Johnston said. Because the Dodgers and the NFL agreed the focus would remain on the Coliseum, Johnston said, "Everything in those plans is moot." Johnston said the documents had been stolen and that the Dodgers plan to file a police report on Tuesday. The Dodgers discovered the theft three weeks ago, when a copy of the documents was returned to the team. The Dodgers did not file the report at that time, she said, but did initiate an investigation in an unsuccessful effort to solve the theft before the documents were widely distributed and publicized. Los Angeles Police Dept. Lt. Paul Vernon said the Dodgers have reported a "theft from the organization" and said detectives would meet with team officials after the relevant executives return from the holidays. The LAPD does not know what specific items were taken, he said. Times staff writers Sam Farmer and Richard Winton contributed to this report. P.S. - An article and headline in Friday's Sports section said New York real estate developer Larry Silverstein joined Dodger officials to propose to National Football League officials that an NFL team be put in a new stadium at Chavez Ravine in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. In fact, developer Larry Silverstein, the head of rebuilding at the World Trade Center site, is not involved in the Dodgers' proposals; a Boston lawyer named Larry Silverstein is, and he was at the meetings. Sources who said the New York developer could have built the retail and entertainment component of the Dodgers' broader proposal were unaware of the mistaken identity.

Some of the items mentioned in this article are probably the funniest rumors, ever!!! The L.A. Texans? NFL Stadium in Dodger Parking Lot

(Slight veer off-topic). Got to agree with ya. Medical science is very, very good. After all, my dad would be dead if he didn't get a double knee replacement 5 1/2 years ago. After surgery, during rehab, was getting short of breath too quickly for the Physical Therapist. The P.T. sent my dad for a routine check-up, and had a quad. bypass 3 days later. Everyone in our family knows that if my dad didn't get the knee replacements, he would have never have gone for the check-up.

Contra Costa Times No waffling about these observations By Eric Gilmore TIMES COLUMNIST Quick hits while we start the countdown for the 2006 NFL draft, raise a glass to Marv Levy and wonder when former A's shortstop Miguel Tejada will change his mind again and demand to be traded. • It's usually dangerous to choose a role model from professional sports. You're just asking to be disappointed. But in this case, I think I've found our guy: Marv Levy. He's 80 years old, runs three miles five times a week, has a master's from Harvard and just took a new job as general manager of the Buffalo Bills. He has more energy than two forty-somethings. The former Bills and Cal coach led Buffalo to a 123-78 record and four Super Bowls in 12 seasons from 1986-97. So the Bills lost all four of those Super Bowls. Who cares? He's running an NFL team at 80! "The age factor means nothing to me," Levy said last week during a news conference. "I'm old enough to know my limitations and I'm young enough to exceed them." Levy was 61 in 1986 when the Bills hired him as their coach. "It sounded too old, so I lied and said I was 58," Levy said. "Finally I cleared that up. Maybe as I matured I realized (age) wasn't a factor. It's what you can do that counts."

Maurice Drew, after he learns the NFL game, can be a Hall of Fame holder!!! You just watch!!!!

Where's Leigh Steinberg when you need him!

It's a toss-up with New England and Indy. I'm thinking that the fast track, and lack of weather conditions will put Indy in the Bowl. Indy better get ready for the Bears D.

He had a great game against the Chargers in returns. I just believe that Drew has the quickness that Roscoe has, with a lot more power.

First priority - Sometimes the support staff can make the whole machine better. (Kenneth Davis, as an example). Why am I even thinking about it - He announced he was turning pro. Saw his press conference yesterday.

DRAFT MAURICE DREW!!! He would be a hell of a better backup than Shaud Williams, and a hell of a better punt return man than Roscoe P. Arrish.

Take him to a UB Bulls Basketball game. You'll see true passion, with the best head coach in all of Buffalo. That, or buy him the R30 DVD. Seriously. It's a uplifter. Good music from very, very talented musicians!

Here's the reference link! Here However, the 31st century TimeCops have noted that even the most innocent revelation can often have a tremendous effect on future events. As such, because of foreknowledge, many of the future events on Uncyclopedia are avoided or forestalled. Despite this, TimeCops often have to travel back in time themselves to repair any major damage. This is the major reason why the Buffalo Bills had to lose four straight Super Bowls. Oh yeah. There's no Uncyclopedia page for the Bills. Group project?

With all that's been said... TD will be the new RAW General Manager. This last year made him the perfect canadate.

WGR's New Stream

The reason why this post happened can be found here.

On ESPN News now. A couple of seconds quicker than the live feed.

It was TV.

Yup.

Got the program alert going.

Mayor Richard Daily is now wanting a 2nd NFL team in Chicago, and promises to build a 90,000 seat dome stadium. This is to help win the bid for the 2016 Olympics. Why is it that the more I read about the Bills in the past few days, that we'll be talking about the Chicago Bills in the next 6 to 8 years? I need a cleansing...

I'm hearing that the new sideline reporter will be this guy.

If Pete Carroll was the head coach, I can definately see a stuffed dummy dressed like Josh Reed being thrown off the administration building at One Bills Drive during a halloween practise.

I like this for P.R. Purposes only. Someone said that Modrak would do the actual dirty work of being a GM, with Marv being the public front. I can see why people would throw this name out, but no. There's quite a bit of water flowing around Buffalo. Do we really need the Vermeil river every Sunday in Orchard Park? Not a fresh start, but it keeps in line with the Buffalo AARP's. You know, that really isn't a bad idea. He does know how to run an offense. In Oakland, he had more responsibilities. He has proven twice that he cannot administrator a full staff, but have him concentrate on the offense, and it could work. Would bring toughness, but unless it's a HC position, he won't make a lateral move. He has the Assistant HC duties as well as linebackers coach in SF. He'll need atleast a big say within the coaching staff, and I just can't see that happening with him in Buffalo.