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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Thursday, August 20, 1998 McCombs: San Antonio lacks political leadership to get football team SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs says he doesn't expect San Antonio to attract a professional football team any time soon because the city lacks the necessary political leadership. "There is not a passionate interest in sports in political leadership in San Antonio, and until they get that then they're not going to get an NFL team," McCombs said Tuesday on a WOAI radio sports show. McCombs didn't mention any names but said current city politicians do not seem to have a strong desire to lure a pro sports team to town. "I think that San Antonio would have to have a full court press with all of its top political leaders to attract the interest of someone coming here," McCombs said. The only major professional sports team in the city is the NBA franchise, the San Antonio Spurs. McCombs, a billionaire businessman who made his fortune through car sales, radio and real estate, once owned the Spurs. He recently bought the Vikings for $250 million. Despite his longstanding desire to have a football team in San Antonio, McCombs repeatedly has said he has no plans to move the Vikings to Texas. McCombs, in the interview on WOAI, also warned time is running out for building a new arena for the Spurs. He said when he sold the team in 1994 he told the new ownership group it had five to seven years before having to leave the Alamodome for a new arena. The Spurs now are backing a plan for a new $150 million arena financed by property taxes on the city's northeast side. McCombs said he believes a new arena should be funded with public money. "I think it is a proper function for government to be involved in the ownership ... of sports facilities," he said. Several City Council members have said they are studying the Spurs' proposal before offering their support. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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