Penguins' "good" news

verylowpriority · Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 6:58 pm Post subject: Penguins' "good" news

Penguins sign lease for new $290 million stadium

Associated Press

Updated: September 20, 2007, 7:27 PM ET

* Comment
* Email
* Print

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins signed a lease Thursday, committing the NHL team to its yet-to-be built $290 million arena until 2040.

The lease terms were in accordance with a March memorandum between the team and government officials, Gov. Ed Rendell said Thursday.

The city-Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority committed Wednesday to construction financing, and the deal should close in the first week of October, Rendell said. The Penguins expect to open the arena in the 2010-11 season.

"This financing will provide the funds the arena needed," the governor said. "These actions, plus the action of the Legislature last July in approving the state's gaming and economic development fund, assures that the funding is in place and that we are going to be playing hockey in Pittsburgh for the next 25 years."

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato called the arrangement a good deal for residents, pointing out that Don Barden's Majestic Star Casinos will pay $7.5 million a year for 30 years toward the financing, with an equal amount coming from the state's slots economic development fund.

"The Penguins are here because of gaming," Onorato said. "That gave us the ability to create a new arena for them and keep the pressure off the local taxpayers."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
_________________
NHrow7 (1996-2006)

verylowpriority · Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:15 pm Post subject:

Not so sure how I feel about that deal. Certainly I'm happy for the city's hockey fans. But do you see what's happening here? It's happening in a lot of places. Gambling interests are financing the construction of the facilities that professional sports franchises are to play in.

Doesn't it behoove the franchises and leagues to stay away -- far, far away -- from these kinds of relationships? We've already got an NBA ref shaving points, we've got a prominent hockey player caught up in a gambling ring -- also in Pennsylvania -- we've got Michael Vick taking action on dog fights, and don't ever forget ol' Pete. And now the Penguins are going to play the next quarter-century in a building built with gambling revenues?

I have nothing against gambling. I love gambling. Gambling is fun. But there are a lot of icky people in the gambling business, legal and otherwise. These are not people who are motivated to uphold the integrity and fairness of the competition on the field, or on the ice. They are motivated by the righteous sums of money they make on gambling.

I am glad that the taxpayers of Pittsburgh get to keep the Pens, and I'm glad they have a casino to play at, too. I just think it's unseemly for the latter to give rise to the former.
_________________
NHrow7 (1996-2006)

verylowpriority · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:38 am Post subject:

Gambling and professional sports continue a bad and perilous marriage.

Belgian tennis players say they were offered bribes
By Associated Press
September 27, 2007

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Two Belgian tennis players said Thursday they had been approached to take bribes to lose matches, including at Wimbledon.

Gilles Elseneer said he refused an offer of 100,000 euros (C$141,950) to lose a first-round match against Italy's Potito Starace at Wimbledon in 2005.

"I would get 50,000 the match and 50,000 after," he told VRT television in an interview posted on its website. "I thought at first it was a joke because it involved an awful lot of money.

"But rest assured that it happens a lot. It involves a lot of money."

Elseneer refused to say who approached him other than that "they are active in the tennis world." He said the bribe offer did not involve other players or coaches.

Elseneer, a qualifier ranked No. 770 in the world, beat Starace 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3. He lost in the second round to Richard Gasquet in four sets.

"I was favoured to win against Starace on grass," Elseneer said. "They invested 100,000 euros in me, but they put a heavy bet on my opponent ensuring a good payback."

Another Belgian, Dick Norman, said he had been approached six or seven year ago at a lower level challenger tournament in Italy take cash to lose.

"This was a lot more than if I won the tournament. I said no," Norman told daily De Standaard.

Norman, ranked No. 128, said he was also asked to divulge tips or bits of information on other players who were either having personal problems or concealing minor injuries. Such information could be useful to gamblers betting on matches.

The new claims come amid concern that pro tennis is being infiltrated by gambling rings.

Russia's Nikolay Davydenko is under scrutiny after a British online gambling company tracked bettors putting 10 times the usual amount of money on a match he played in August.

Most of the backing was for his 87th-ranked opponent; Davydenko quit in the third set with a foot injury.

Davydenko has denied any involvement in gambling and has welcomed a widespread probe conducted by the ATP men's tennis tour.

Tour rules in place since 2003 bar players or members of their entourages from betting on tennis or providing inside information to others, with penalties of US$100,000 and lifetime bans.

The ATP board is also considering a new rule that would punish anyone who fails to report any information about someone else's possible gambling activity.

Updated on Thursday, Sep 27, 2007 2:54 pm, EDT
_________________
NHrow7 (1996-2006)