Seattle Wa Athletics

Ken Behring, owner of the Seattle Seahawks, said Saturday he is committed to immediately bringing his football team to Los Angeles with the dream of moving into a state-of-the-art football facility for the 1998 or 1999 season.

Paul Allen remembers being a kid in Seattle and going to watch Husky football at the University of Washington. He remembers the old days when Seattle was a football town, when the Broncos or the Raiders would come to town and the Kingdome would sell out. Even when the introverted, fuzzy-bearded computer whiz co-founded Microsoft and got to be the fourth-richest man in America--with $6.5 billion to spend on hot dogs and beer if he wanted to--Allen was nearly always there in the Kingdome stands.

Paul Allen remembers being a kid in Seattle and going to watch Husky football at the University of Washington. He remembers the old days when Seattle was a football town, when the Broncos or the Raiders would come to town and the Kingdome would sell out. Even when the introverted, fuzzy-bearded computer whiz co-founded Microsoft and got to be the fourth-richest man in America--with $6.5 billion to spend on hot dogs and beer if he wanted to--Allen was nearly always there in the Kingdome stands.

The Los Angeles Whatevers, likened to an expansion franchise by owner Ken Behring, are off to a chaotic, confusing and almost circuslike start. And for Walt Disney Co.

Even though groups in nine cities have submitted bids for new baseball teams, Harrington, chairman of the Schedule Format Committee that is considering expansion, said many clubs fear adding teams will end up costing them money. "There's this notion out there we may expand and get this $150 million expansion fee," he said. "It is not in baseball's best economic sense to expand, because you have to divide the pot up by a greater number of clubs."

The Seahawks will play at Husky Stadium and the Mariners might head to Tacoma while crews scrape loose ceiling tiles off the Kingdome. Because of the stadium's week-old tile problem, the Seahawks said Tuesday they will move their home exhibition opener on Aug. 13 against Tampa Bay to the University of Washington's stadium. The Mariners are awaiting complete league and union approval to use Tacoma's Cheney Stadium for their Aug. 2-10 home stand, which includes three games against the Angels.

A communications company that submitted Seattle's bid for an NHL expansion team formally withdrew the application because it did not have the required $50-million entry fee. Seattle was among eight cities bidding for teams.

The Los Angeles Whatevers, likened to an expansion franchise by owner Ken Behring, are off to a chaotic, confusing and almost circuslike start. And for Walt Disney Co.

The best way to introduce Los Angeles to its new pro football team, perhaps, is to introduce wide receiver Brian Blades. Seahawk players recently voted Blades the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, given annually to one who overcame the most in pursuit of excellence. What did Blades overcome? Well, he hasn't exactly overcome it yet. It's a manslaughter charge against him for the accidental shooting death of his cousin last summer. So it goes with one of football's most puzzling teams.

As their equipment moved south from Seattle on Monday, the Seahawks were on the verge of becoming a Southern California franchise--at least for practice. Bret Colson, a spokesman for the city of Anaheim, carefully avoided calling the team by its name. He said the city "expects to have an agreement reached with the new Southern California football franchise to train at what was once known as Rams Park in the near future."

Ken Behring, owner of the Seattle Seahawks, said Saturday he is committed to immediately bringing his football team to Los Angeles with the dream of moving into a state-of-the-art football facility for the 1998 or 1999 season.

The best way to introduce Los Angeles to its new pro football team, perhaps, is to introduce wide receiver Brian Blades. Seahawk players recently voted Blades the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, given annually to one who overcame the most in pursuit of excellence. What did Blades overcome? Well, he hasn't exactly overcome it yet. It's a manslaughter charge against him for the accidental shooting death of his cousin last summer. So it goes with one of football's most puzzling teams.

Even though groups in nine cities have submitted bids for new baseball teams, Harrington, chairman of the Schedule Format Committee that is considering expansion, said many clubs fear adding teams will end up costing them money. "There's this notion out there we may expand and get this $150 million expansion fee," he said. "It is not in baseball's best economic sense to expand, because you have to divide the pot up by a greater number of clubs."

The Seahawks will play at Husky Stadium and the Mariners might head to Tacoma while crews scrape loose ceiling tiles off the Kingdome. Because of the stadium's week-old tile problem, the Seahawks said Tuesday they will move their home exhibition opener on Aug. 13 against Tampa Bay to the University of Washington's stadium. The Mariners are awaiting complete league and union approval to use Tacoma's Cheney Stadium for their Aug. 2-10 home stand, which includes three games against the Angels.

All 40,000 of the Kingdome's precarious ceiling tiles will be pulled down, and the Kingdome will be closed indefinitely, county officials said Saturday. It's not known how long the job will take, what the tiles will be replaced with, or how much it will cost. "We will bust our butts to get the Kingdome open," King County Executive Gary Locke said after a news conference Saturday. "But our primary obligation is to ensure the safety of the team and the fans."

Does this sound familiar? A huge sporting event is coming to town, bringing the curious eyes of the world with it, not to mention the prospects of unbearable commuter gridlock. Years of planning and debate, and millions of dollars, go on the line for just a few summer days in which young men and women from around the globe converge--to jump, swim, lift, dive, row, pedal and otherwise sweat and strain for celebrated medals that will proclaim them champions.

Apart from being lucky in love, transcending in importance that which is earthly, Ted Turner hasn't been enjoying the greatest fortune. His basketball team, the Atlanta Hawks, is consigned to the water closet. And his baseball team, the Atlanta Braves? Please don't discuss them while the children are in the room. Ted promoted the first Goodwill Games in the Soviet Union, and the show laid an egg big enough for an omelet that would feed Grozny.

A communications company that submitted Seattle's bid for an NHL expansion team formally withdrew the application because it did not have the required $50-million entry fee. Seattle was among eight cities bidding for teams.