Jewish World Review April 16, 2003 / 14 Nissan, 5763

Evan Weiner

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How a lonely city council member could change how the sports world operates


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | New York City Council minority whip Dennis Gallagher may cause some problems for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NBA commissioner David Stern and Madison Square Garden owner Charles Dolan if his proposal ever comes to law.

Gallagher thinks Dolan's Madison Square Garden complex ought to return to New York City's taxrolls and pay some $11 million in annual property taxes which might be used to keep open eight firehouses. Gallagher's thinking runs contrary to sports commissioners, particularly Bettman who has been trying to persuade local politicians in Montreal and Ottawa that those municipalities should do what New York did some 20 years ago, suspend property tax payments so that teams like the Knicks and Rangers can spend millions to hire athletes to entertain.

The Canadian politicians haven't bought Bettman's argument. Now Bettman, Stern and Dolan have a problem, what if Gallagher's proposal has legs and Madison Square Garden has to pay property taxes?

Gallagher's proposal could change the way sports operates --- and that's not good news for Bettman and his associates.

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JWR contributor Evan Weiner is a radio commentator on "The Business of Sports" for Westwood One's Metro Networks. He is being presented with the United States Sports Academy's Distinguished Service Award for 2003. Comment on this column by clicking here.

Up

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© 2003, Evan Weiner