With stadium financing trailing by 1,535 votes, officials still have to count about 3,000 remaining absentee ballots.

After funding a special state-wide election for stadium financing, a new stadium for the Seahawks was passed and Allen purchased the team.

A LOT of sports talk these days concerns issues like salary caps and stadium financing.

The league owners agreed that too many questions - stadium financing, parking and ancillary development - remained to award the franchise today to either group.

The paper quoted experts on stadium financing as saying the deal would virtually assure Cooke of recouping the $160 million he would spent to build the facility.

But aides to the Mayor and the Speaker have said privately that they expect to reach a compromise on stadium financing, as well as on a tax cut package.

But in the world of stadium financing, what one team calls an expense for infrastructure another will call a government subsidy.

McNair's stadium financing includes $195 million in public money, allowing him to pay a higher fee than Ovitz, who offered $500 million to $550 million, said one league official.

His plan to open the city's tax vaults and place nearly $600 million in commercial rent tax revenue on the negotiating table for stadium financing is premature.

The present owners will consider, among other things, market strength, the financial stability of the ownership groups, stadium financing and early sales of premium tickets.