December 22, 200421 yr http://groups.msn.com/marlinsballparknews/...1&ID_Message=78 Park Deal Must Be A Good Bet South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board December 21, 2004 There's a lesson for the Marlins and Miami officials in the embarrassing retreat the nation's capital finds itself in right now. Three months ago, Washington, D.C., celebrated an agreement with Major League Baseball to relocate the Montreal Expos. The franchise, which would have been renamed the Washington Nationals, would have brought pro ball back to the D.C. area almost 33 years after its last team, the Washington Senators, left to become the Texas Rangers. The party now has been abruptly postponed, the Nationals uniforms are on hold, the official team store is closed and those Washingtonians who paid for season tickets can get a refund. Sounds like baseball is striking out in D.C., and the Marlins and Miami leaders must be careful not to swing and miss as well in their own stadium dealings. The disappointment stems from an ill-advised deal Washington Mayor Anthony Williams cut with MLB, which owns the Expos. Williams wrongly agreed to put the city on the hook for a $440 million baseball park. The District of Columbia Council wisely rejected that deal, which included a provision to borrow as much as $531 million. The council cut the public commitment in half, and now MLB and the city have until Dec. 31 to broker a deal or call it quits on the Nationals. As the deal to send the Expos to Washington began unraveling, the Marlins were making a play of their own. Marlins Vice Chairman Joel Mael and Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting P.J. Loyello traveled to Las Vegas earlier this month for a high-profile meeting with Mayor Oscar Goodman. The apparent message to Miami from this get-to-know-you meeting in Vegas was: Get the deal done or we'll look elsewhere. All this took place even as Marlins President David Samson said he believed a deal for a new Miami stadium, which has been in negotiations for about a year, would be soon completed. Those negotiations have a greater sense of urgency now that the Marlins may have to leave their current home, Pro Player Stadium, after the 2010 season. What's clear is that the mess in Washington should send a message to both the Marlins and Miami. Whatever they agree to, it must be affordable, reasonable and feasible for both the team and city. A deal that unfairly, or overwhelmingly, burdens any one entity is in no one's best interests. No offense to Vegas, but the Marlins belong in South Florida. Both the team and its fans have been through a lot and need to be patient for the right deal. As for the Nationals, word in South Florida is that Vegas is in the market for a team. Copyright ? 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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