Sports Afield

That scenario seems unlikely, though, with the powerful Livestock Show and Rodeo waiting in line behind McLane for a turn at the public trough.

Still, if it's assumed that a key part of the Authority's job is to build public confidence for future tax-financed stadiums, its start has hardly been auspicious.

"Stylistically, I'd like them to be a little more sensitive to issues like open meetings and conflict of interest," says Jim Greenwood, who made a reputation on the City Council for pushing for open government. "But substantively, they're doing some okay stuff."

Not surprisingly, Rains tries to slough off even such mild criticism.
"Have we made mistakes? You don't live 60 years like I have without fucking up some. But I'll take that board and what it has accomplished and put it up against any 12 people out there.... Whenever someone complains that something doesn't look right, I have to say that I'm a helluva lot more interested in results than in whether my backhand looks beautiful.

"The question is not whether our cape work looks beautiful, it's whether we kill the bull," he says. "This is pass/fail, and the only question is whether the bull leaves the ring or not."