Anschutz a Silent Partner and That’s a Bit Disquieting

Football in Los Angeles, 1997: If the wind blows right and the spokesperson for the spokesperson supposedly representing the spokesperson for Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz can slip a letter--hinting Anschutz remains alive--quietly to Los Angeles Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas in time for him to gauge the political impact it might have on his mayoral ambitions, then maybe he can leak it to certain favorable media outlets who will take care of him.

So Ridley-Thomas’ fax machine is buzzing deep into Tuesday night, and that’s OK, because the public is paying for it and might as well get used to it because it’s also going to be funding his new Coliseum.

Ridley-Thomas’ late-night clandestine release to certain media interests makes no mention of Page 2 of the letter, which goes directly contrary to Ridley-Thomas’ demand to Peter O’Malley recently to not compete with the new Coliseum. It’s unclear whether Ridley-Thomas ever looked at that page.

The letter actually now invites O’Malley to move forward with his plans for a football facility adjacent to Dodger Stadium.

So Ridley-Thomas is the messenger, delivering this epistle from on high from Denver, that puts him in direct conflict with his own protestations to O’Malley.

Now that’s funny.

The Times gets around to looking at the letter, and in Friday’s headlines reports: “Billionaire Still Backs Bid for NFL at Coliseum,” while quoting the spokesperson for Anschutz, the spokesperson for Mayor Richard Riordan, the spokesperson for O’Malley, and Ridley-Thomas, who is always available to talk.

“If they have a better project, then they should put it forward,” Ridley-Thomas is now saying, and the winds must be blowing hard.

Beyond the confusion surrounding Ridley-Thomas’ flip-flop regarding O’Malley, the story offers nothing new because Anschutz’s Los Angeles-based partner, Edward Roski, had said the billionaire still backed the bid for the NFL at the Coliseum three weeks ago. Two weeks ago. Last week.

Cannon Y. Harvey saying it, however, has now been deemed by some to be more impressive than Edward Roski, who is partner in the Kings with Anschutz and partner in the new downtown sports arena with Anschutz.

Cannon Y. Harvey? A spokeswriter. A high-up spokeswriter, but a spokeswriter who lives in Denver too. Philip Anschutz not only doesn’t talk, but now comes evidence he also doesn’t write his own letters.

Cannon Y. Harvey is president and chief operating officer of Anschutz Corp., but still he is not Philip Anschutz, and Philip Anschutz is Edward Roski’s partner, and the two of them are peddling themselves as the football solution for Los Angeles.

And now after watching Anschutz at work, do you really want this recluse leading the charge for the return of football to Los Angeles?

Roski has done everything he has promised, and has been tireless in attending meetings and rallying support, but to continue, he needs Los Angeles partners.

Three weeks ago, NFL officials heard that Anschutz had given his word to some that he would play no part in the return of football to Los Angeles. Roski said this was not true, but in a telling move, he could not get his partner to publicly proclaim his support for the new Coliseum.

Anschutz did not respond to an interview request and made no appearance at the NFL owners’ meetings and the session dedicated to listening to the new Coliseum’s pitch for NFL attention.

And Anschutz still has said nothing, although the world now has a copy of Cannon Y. Harvey’s letter to State Sen. Richard Polanco, which indicated that Anschutz Corp. is still interested in the new Coliseum--given certain conditions.

All indications are that the snow has melted in Denver and there is nothing keeping Anschutz from making an appearance and rooting Los Angeles on in its efforts to woo NFL favor. At the very least he could have saved the reputation of Roski, who is out there all by himself touting Anschutz with only Cannon Y. Harvey’s letter to wave in front of everyone.

The NFL is looking at Los Angeles and singing the praises of Houston. No way does it want to go to Houston, but that city already has $200 million set aside for the construction of a new football stadium and a local owner who talks about bringing the game back.

The Los Angeles pursuit for football, meanwhile, is in chaos, and getting worse by the week because of political intrigue. The lack of leadership remains acute, beginning with the mayor, who apparently does not talk for himself, but only through spokespersons who need time to write down what they think the mayor would say.

Cannon Y. Harvey would make a good spokesperson for the mayor. Reading his letter must have been what it was like trying to interpret the Dead Sea Scrolls. From his office in Denver, first of all, he has drawn this conclusion, writing, “There is a strong consensus within the Los Angeles community that the new Coliseum is the right place for the NFL.”

You think he’s been talking to anyone besides Ridley-Thomas?

Page 2 of the letter, however, delivers the real goods and the road map for Anschutz Corp.’s ultimate escape route from Los Angeles.

“Of course, until we know whether the Coliseum would have an expansion team or a relocated team, the cost of the franchise, the method of financing the project [including the level of state and local commitment to the project, if any] and a number of other matters, no one can accurately predict the investment to be made by us and other participants in the project.”

It might not be accurate, as Cannon Y. Harvey suggests, but here’s one prediction for future evaluation: None.

Page 2 also includes the invitation to O’Malley to make his proposal for the return of football to Los Angeles as soon as possible.

This is interesting, but impossible because Anschutz Corp. and Cannon Y. Harvey were not the ones who put it in writing to O’Malley 14 months ago to stay out of the way of the new Coliseum.

Those documents from the Community Redevelopment Agency, which also included the mayor’s signature, still stand. And they continue to be the hammer hung high over everyone’s head by Ridley-Thomas.

There is no way of knowing yet if O’Malley has a plan, or a plan that will work. But he can do nothing at Dodger Stadium without political support, and with the mayor saying nothing and Ridley-Thomas cranking out faxes, Los Angeles must wait for the next letter from Cannon Y. Harvey before it can determine what happens next.