Fran Notes

Franchise Notes

Published March 21, 2012

The Bills Monday announced that 1,400 new season-ticket packages were purchased and over 4,000 were renewed since last Thursday at 4:00pm ET when the team announced the signing of DE Mario Williams. The new season-ticket sales mark the most in a two-day timeframe since ’02, when the team sold 1,285 new season tickets in one week. The team's web site also registered nearly three million page views last Thursday and Friday. Social media follows also saw an increase as the team added over 3,200 Facebook fans and nearly 4,000 Twitter followers since the start of free agency on March 13 (Bills).

HE'S BACK: In L.A., Arash Markazi noted Clippers’ season-ticket holder Darrell Bailey, known as “Clipper Darrell,” attended every game of the team’s most recent six-game home stand “in his custom-made, half-red and half-blue suit.” Bailey “created a media firestorm when he said the Clippers asked him to refrain from using” his nickname earlier this month. The two sides “came to an agreement before the Clippers returned home after their road trip and Bailey was back in his usual seat in Section 107 on March 11” when the team played the Warriors. Markazi noted the agreement “was more of a clarification than anything else.” The Clippers “wanted to be notified of appearances Bailey was making under the ‘Clipper Darrell’ name and also wanted Bailey to be careful of possible endorsement deals he was considering accepting as ‘Clipper Darrell’” (ESPNLA.com, 3/19).

SCOTTISH RIGHTS: In London, Rod Liddle wrote Scottish Premier League club Rangers bankruptcy administrator Paul Clark said that "more than three offers have been lodged for the club, with at least one more in the pipeline." English rugby club Sale Sharks Owner Brian Kennedy “and a consortium led by former Rangers director Paul Murray both confirmed they had submitted takeover proposals on Friday, the loose deadline for first indicative bids set by administrators Duff and Phelps.” Chicago-based Club 9 Sports, “who have seen investment offers for [English League One clubs] Sheffield Wednesday and Tranmere rejected, and groups from the Middle East and Far East were also reported to be formulating bids” (LONDON TIMES, 3/18).