Anschutz, left; Roski, upper right
The Los Angeles Business Journal looks at the two different proposals for a NFL stadium in the LA area, asking what the current relationship is like between Ed Roski Jr., who wants to plunk down a NFL stadium in Industry, and Philip Anschutz, owner of AEG, which is dropping suggestions of pushing for a stadium near LA Live. The two men may have worked on Staples together, a $300 million privately funded project which opened in 1998, but now the relationship is either fine, or there's a rift (it depends on who you ask). One source notes that AEG's talk of a stadium now "sends a message" to Roski, but Steve Soboroff, former chairman and chief executive of Playa Vista, shoots down the idea that there's any sort of conflict. And more opinions: "Because of the delicate and high-stakes nature of the situation, several friends and associates of Anschutz and Roski declined to comment on the record, but sources said their partnership is not what it once was.
'"The best day of their partnership was when they said, ‘Let’s do Staples.’ They were shoulder to shoulder then. It hasn’t been shoulder to shoulder since seven or eight years ago,” the sports facilities expert said."
And later: "For both men to be competing for the same prize can only mean one thing, according to some observers – not only have the two grown distant, but a full-fledged rift has developed."
· Roski, Billionaire Partner Square Off in NFL Bid [LABJ]
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