Stadium

Reporting from Sacramento -- State lawmakers on Friday unveiled a bill that would expedite legal challenges to a football stadium proposed in downtown Los Angeles, setting off debate over whether legislators should fast-track special treatment for the project in the waning days of this year's session. Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez and Sen. Alex Padilla, both Democrats from Los Angeles, said their bill would balance the need to uphold environmental laws with the imperative to help the project by Anschutz Entertainment Group, which could create more than 10,000 jobs.

Billionaire developer Philip Anschutz is committed to the idea of an NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles and is willing to buy a team himself in order to make the deal work, his top executive said Monday. Speaking to Times reporters and editors, Anschutz Entertainment Group President Tim Leiweke downplayed recent reports that NFL executives are dissatisfied with the terms of AEG's proposal for a team, as well as talk of possible competition from a Chavez Ravine football stadium now that ownership of the Dodgers has changed hands.

A new poll has found that nearly half of Angelenos support the idea of a downtown NFL stadium and that about as many don't think the project should be granted special breaks. A survey conducted by the Center for the Study of Los Angeles found that 49% of respondents were in favor of a proposed 72,000-seat stadium, whose construction would entail the demolition and rebuilding of a portion of the Convention Center. Thirty-nine percent said they oppose the proposal, and 12% didn't answer or had no opinion.

A city investigation into allegations that maintenance workers at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium were improperly used for private jobs, including remodeling work at the homes of stadium executives, has found no evidence of wrongdoing. The city manager's office reached that conclusion after an investigation by the police and city auditors, according to a report given to the City Council by John Lockwood, assistant city manager.

The Miami Dolphins will inaugurate their new stadium Aug. 16 in an exhibition game with the Chicago Bears, the NFL team said. The last time the Dolphins faced the Bears was a 1985 Monday night game at the Orange Bowl that marked the Bears' only loss of the season. The day before that game, Dolphin owner Joseph Robbie had ground-breaking ceremonies for the $100 million, 75,000-seat stadium north of Miami near the Dade-Broward County line. The time of the opening game hasn't been set.

San Diego police are investigating allegations that maintenance personnel at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium and city-purchased construction materials were improperly used for private jobs, including remodeling work at the homes of stadium executives, city officials said Thursday. Assistant City Manager John Lockwood said the investigation stems from an anonymous letter received by the city manager's office about a month ago.

You get a full house at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, and the place historically turns into a lunatic. It's much more inmate than asylum. It takes on a vitality of its own and crazy things happen. Toss in a full moon to go with that full house, and it should almost be enough to scare the skunks out from behind the Padre bullpen. It's like the stadium sees all those strange and unfamiliar faces and decides to show off.

Police found a body in a commercial complex a block and a half from Edison International Field after the World Series game Sunday night. Police found a trail of blood leading toward the stadium, but were trying to determine what happened. The unidentified victim was a male, and appeared to be in his 20s, police said. "We are trying to determine what occurred between where the body came to rest and where the blood leads to," said Sgt. Rick Martinez of the Anaheim Police Department.

Police barred English soccer fans from staging a march to the stadium for today's England-Egypt World Cup game. A similar march last week ended in a rock- and bottle-throwing clash with security forces. Police said they would enforce an Italian law that forbids such processions without 48 hours advance notice. A British government official said police showed some tolerance in allowing last Saturday's march. Today police allowed English fans to walk to the stadium only in small groups.

San Francisco 49er owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., said Wednesday that Mayor Dianne Feinstein has convinced him that proper improvements could be made at Candlestick Park and, therefore, he is not eager to move his football team. Feinstein flew to Phoenix, the site of the National Football League annual meetings, to outline improvements to the stadium, saying as much as $20-$30 million would be pumped into refurbishing the stadium.