What is the status of the 2001 discussion of contraction?
This is a preliminary discussion only, as there are few details available. The owners announced on November 7, 2001 that two teams would be contracted before the 2002 season. The two teams were not announced, and the details had not been worked out. The owners claimed that they did not need the union’s approval to contract two teams because the labor contract had not yet expired (it expired November 8); the union challenged this and asked for an arbitrator to rule on it. The owners and union tried to negotiate a compromise but failed, and the arbitrator will rule soon. In addition, the commission which owns the Metrodome has obtained an injunction forcing the Twins to honor their lease for the 2002 season, which they had already exercised the option to renew; this injunction was upheld by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and the Minnseota Supreme Court refused to hear the case. As a result, contraction was postponed to 2003. If two teams are eliminated, profits for the remaining teams w
