As part of his January 7 Weekend Politics & Media Mashup, Rostra blogger Tony Manolatos wrote:
I leave you with this prediction: look for the U-T to carpet bomb the expansion plans for the San Diego Convention Center in favor of a plan that would funnel some of those tax dollars to a new Downtown stadium for the San Diego Chargers. The paper foreshadowed such a move in its New Year’s Day editorial, and its new owners have said from Day 1 that they would cheer for a new stadium.
This would likely set up a war between the hotel owners/tourism industry backing the Convention Center expansion and the Chargers. Happy New Year, San Diego!
Today’s front-page-starting-above-the-fold U-T editorial (meaning the front page of the paper, A-1, not just the front page of the editorial section), includes these excerpts:
…U-T San Diego has come to believe in a new vision. It is a vision that would not just integrate a new stadium with an expanded convention center, but, in phases, would include a sports/entertainment district with a new sports arena, new public parkland, public beach and promenades…
And we believe it is a far better approach than current plans to build a new stadium away from the waterfront and an expanded convention center as separate projects.
To be sure, the hour is late and time is of the essence; another important vote on the current convention center expansion plan is scheduled at the City Council on Tuesday.
It is clearly not this newspaper’s intent to divide the community at this important juncture. If that project goes forward and receives all the necessary approvals — not at all a sure thing — so be it. Our intent is to say that if it does not go forward, here is a better plan…
I’ll leave it to the readers to decide whether the U-T’s opinion qualifies as a carpet bombing “of the expansion plans for the San Diego Convention Center in favor of a plan that would funnel some of those tax dollars to a new Downtown stadium for the San Diego Chargers,” to reiterate Manolatos’ words. I’m guessing he’ll say it wasn’t that difficult to figure out what new U-T owner Doug Manchester was planning. As well, others were making similar predictions, such as Scott Lewis of Voice of SD two days later.
But, all the same, the next time I head to the track, I’m gonna see if Tony is available to tag along.