Just what we need, another new stadium.
Don Igo, director of operations for your Omaha Nighthawks, emphatically denies that the Nighthawks are desiring a new football stadium for the Chili Greens area. This thing started on Sunday night with Channel 6 reporting that it had sources who attended a recent Kiwanis Club meeting in which Igo told the group that the Nighthawks had plans to build a 50,000-seat stadium on Chili Greens and partner with UNO. WOWT quoted Igo as saying “everything is a dream at this point.''
On Monday, Igo told me that he never told anyone the Nighthawks had plans to build a stadium.
“It's not true,'' Igo said. “Apparently two guys who were at the meeting were talking about it, and someone heard it. I never said it. The only thing I've said is, ‘We can all dream, right?' Just like I can dream about living in Malibu one day.
“We are playing in TD Ameritrade Park, and that's it. We can't wait to play there.''
Let's hope. This is the absolute last thing the Nighthawks need right now. Talk about a buzz kill. You want to ruin your momentum? Get your new fans thinking that the new team already has its hand out and wants taxpayer money for a stadium. Maybe the construction people in town started this one.
The whole thing is absurd. Yes, the UFL has plans to expand. But can we at least wait until the league proves that it can outlast the new version of “Hawaii Five-O'' before we talk about a new stadium?
I'm trying to figure out where they would put it at Chili Greens — on top of Trev Alberts' new hockey rink or under it?
• Everyone wanted to think that Texas could just reload because it always does. But I thought that the Longhorns might struggle this year offensively because you can't just become a physical running team in one season. It takes at least two or three years. I also thought that Garrett Gilbert leaned heavily on Jordan Shipley in the BCS game. The Horns miss Shipley something terrible. All that said, don't count Texas out against Oklahoma. In that game, anything can happen and probably will.
• Heard from two good sources close to the Big Ten recently that the Big Ten had five main targets for expansion — and not one of them was named Missouri. Ouch.
• Speaking of the Big 12, Commish Dan Beebe attended the Texas-UCLA game — maybe to make sure that Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott wasn't lurking around DeLoss Dodds. According to Austin American Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls, Beebe wore a burnt orange shirt to the game and said he has a shirt for every Big 12 school and jokingly added “two in mothballs.'' Here's what I want to see: Beebe wearing a red shirt to the Nebraska-Texas game on Oct. 16. I think that Harvey Perlman could agree to up the exit fees for that one.
• Nebraska's financial obligation to the Big 12 was exactly what my NU sources expected: about half, or less than what the by-laws called for. I know that everyone wanted to end this matter ASAP, but I would have liked to have seen Perlman take this to court. I think that the Big 12 would have lost.
• The San Diego Bolts may be in trouble this year. They typically stumble out of the gate under Norv Turner but rally after Halloween to make the playoffs. The difference this season: Kansas City is improved and has the schedule to win nine or 10 games, especially if Matt Cassel gets confidence. The Chiefs have taken advantage of a perfect-storm schedule so far. But they might have enough to win the weak AFC West. Or until Turner can figure out how to cover a kick or punt return.
• Midnight Madness at Creighton? Dana Altman always said no way. Greg McDermott says bring it on. The Jays men's and women's hoops teams will hold the event on Friday night, Oct. 15, at the D.J. Sokol Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m. There will be 3-point and dunk contests and scrimmages from both squads. Admission is free. Great idea. But they should probably call it “7:30 Madness.''
• First-year Creighton men's soccer coach Jamie Clark has pumped some offense back into the Jays. Led by newcomer Jose Gomez, CU has scored 15 goals through seven matches. Creighton scored 20 goals in 16 games last year, the first year since 1991 that the Jays missed the NCAA tournament.
• The Lancers open their 25th season in Omaha on Friday night. Twenty-five years? That counts as an Omaha institution. Raise your hand if you went to a game that first season at Hitchcock Ice Arena. Raise both hands if you never thought the Lancers would make it 10 years, much less 25.
• Love the new “Hawaii Five-O,” by the way. As an old Steve McGarrett fan, I'm skeptical. The first show was hip, high-tech, way more violent but very cool. I liked how it paid homage to the old show. Good to see the black Mercury again.
• When I think of George Blanda, “I'll be in for dinner in a minute, mom; George Blanda's leading another last-second rally'' comes to mind.
Contact the writer:
444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com
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