Miami
Before the AmericanAirlines Arena, the Heat used to play in the far more pedestrian sounding Miami Arena. Yesterday, Palm Beach County investor Glenn Straub, a self-described "dictator," won an auction to buy the old arena for about $28 million and surprised everyone when he said he wasn't planning on tearing it down. What, then, are his plans? And will the Heat be involved?
"Tearing it down," Straub toldThe Miami Herald, "serves no purpose." He intends to keep the money-losing arena open and indeed is hoping to transform the three blocks separating it from the AmericanAirlines Arena into a public park in order to make the two arenas co-arenas, in a sense.
Does that mean the Heat might potentially play at the old place? Let's hope not. Straub, who the Herald reports once was sued by his own brother for shady business practices, was dubbed "Wellington's most hated man" by The Palm Beach Post several years ago when he fell off a horse and spectators cheered.
That's probably going too far. Who wouldn't cheer at a polo match when someone falls down? Who didn't cheer when Paris Hilton fell off her horse on TV? Falling off horses is innately funny!
What's not funny is the Heat taking a step back in the arena they play in. Let's hope they stay put.
TEAM NOTES
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Sarah Talalay ofThe Florida Sun-Sentinelwrites: Miami Arena, considered obsolete the moment it opened 16 years ago, may get new life as a for-profit venue for horse shows and minor league sports, after a Palm Beach County entrepreneur won an auction Tuesday agreeing to pay slightly more than $28 million for the pink downtown arena.
The LA Daily News Wire Services writes: The Sacramento Kings signed former USC forward David Bluthenthal to a contract Tuesday. Bluthenthal, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound free agent, played in Israel last season for Maccabi Tel-Aviv of the Euroleague. He averaged 6.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 17 games. Bluthenthal has never played in the NBA, although he has played on summer league teams for the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors.He averaged 16.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in seven games for the Kings' summer league team this year.
Michael Vasquez ofThe Miami Heraldwrites: The Miami Arena, a facility with a long history of troubles, has a new owner with his own controversial reputation who says he's going to try to keep it open as a ''niche'' venue for large events.Palm Beach County investor Glenn Straub, who agreed at a Tuesday auction to buy the arena for roughly $28 million, has publicly described himself as a ''dictator,'' is strongly criticized by his former neighbors and was once sued in court by his own brother.