March 29, 2006 [LINK]
As mega-lobbyist Jack Abramoff faces jail time for having perverted the meaning of democracy in Our Nation's Capital, the Washington Nationals are getting nervous that ticket sales might drop off as a consequence of tighter scrutiny of entertainment favors that are one of the most common means of wielding influence in Congress. See Washington Post.
This may be bad timing for Major League Baseball, because a drop in expected ticket revenues could seriously affect the market value of the Nationals franchise, the sale of which is expected to be announced almost any day. According to one rumor, the Lerner family has already been told that it won the bid. I wonder if the series of nasty editorials by Washington Post columnist Colbert King against the main contender, Fred Malek, might have anything to do with the MLB decision?
Mike Zurawski referred me to more photos of the upper deck construction at Fenway Park, as well as some of the new picnic area in right field at Miller Park, but it's hard to see any details. The Giants are making some improvements to AT&T Park; see MLB.com.
The diagram for League Park has been updated and now conforms to the new standard; early year versions will be available soon.