While many of the deal's details were not reported in the Morning News on Saturday, the Dallas Observer has obtained a copy of the contract between the parties -- in this case, Hillwood Development Corp. and Mavericks majority owner Ross Perot Jr., Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks, Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, and Belo chairman, president, and chief executive officer Robert "Bob" Decherd. Excerpts from the contract can be found below.
The Dallas Mavericks (hereinafter "The Dallas Mavericks," "Mavs," or "The Most Misunderstood Basketball Team of All Time"), Hillwood Development Corp. (hereinafter "Hillwood"), Ron Kirk (hereinafter "The Mayor"), Ross Perot Jr. (hereinafter "Junior"), Tom Hicks (hereinafter "Mr. Hicks"), and Belo Corp. (hereinafter "Belo") agree as follows:
1. Whereas not a single disparaging word will appear about the Mavericks in the pages of The Dallas Morning News, Belo agrees to the following conditions:
(a) Beginning immediately, the Morning News will reassign Dallas Mavericks beat writer Marc Stein to the Dallas Mavericks media relations department, where he will gather statistics, conduct post-game interviews, hand out quotes to other local media members, and keep beer cold for Don Nelson. Should Stein refuse the assignment, he will be fired or made pop-music critic.
(b) All Dallas Mavericks stories will now be written by the Mavericks' director of communications. Stories will not contain final scores, unless the Mavericks win. If Mavericks should win a game, then the article will appear as the lead story on the front page of The Dallas Morning News with a banner headline, in type no smaller than 72 points.
(c) In the unlikely event the Mavericks enter the playoffs, The Dallas Morning News shall publish not fewer than three (3) full-color special sections devoted to the team. This agreement is notwithstanding any other newsworthy events that might occur at this time (e.g., hell freezing over).
(d) No other members of the local print media will be allowed in the Dallas Mavericks' locker room following games. The director of communications will act as a pool reporter, feeding Stein's post-game quotes and other feel-good news to local writers.
(e) During Dallas Mavericks home games, Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway will no longer be allowed within 25 feet of Reunion Arena or, upon its completion, the American Airlines Center. During Dallas Stars games, Galloway will not be allowed within 10 feet of the arena.
(f) Losses will now be referred to as "near-wins."
(g) There will be no more references to the following seasons: 1990-1991, 1991-1992, 1992-1993, 1993-1994, 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998, 1998-1999.
(h) Dallas Morning News columnists Tim Cowlishaw, Frank Luksa, and Kevin Blackistone must include one or more of the following phrases when writing about Mavericks head coach-general manager Don Nelson: "a genius," "a guru," "a magician," "a risk-taking wizard," "omnipotent," "brilliant," "mastermind," or "not as crazy as he seems." Every column about Nelson will describe him as "one of the greatest coaches ever, if not the greatest coach of all time."
(i) The following players will hereinafter be referred to as "potential All-Stars" whenever their names appear in print: Shawn Bradley, Leon Smith, Chris Anstey, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Erick Strickland, and Hubert Davis (e.g., "Potential All-Star Shawn Bradley blocked one shot and scored six points during 34 brilliant minutes of play").
(j) Every foreign-born draft pick will be referred to as a "transplanted Texan."
(k) National Basketball Association beat writer Bart Hubbuch will refer to other NBA teams as being "inferior in every way to the Dallas Mavericks."
2. Whereas the above restrictions also apply to other subsidiaries of Belo, including but not limited to WFAA-Channel 8, TXCN, and Belo's other newspapers and television stations, the Dallas Mavericks and Belo also agree to the following stipulations:
(a) Effective immediately, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Donn Nelson will replace Dale Hansen as lead sports anchor on WFAA. Hansen will be kept on only to interview the following local sports figures: Troy Aikman, Byron Nelson, and high school athletes with good grade-point averages.
(b) Scott Sams will be the only television reporter allowed in the Dallas Mavericks' locker room following games. He will be limited to one or more of the following questions: "What's it like to play for the greatest coach of all time?" "What's it like to be so tall?" "How do you say 'double dribble' in Chinese?" and "How important of a near-win was this?"
(c) Don Nelson will be given an hourlong show on WFAA-Channel 8 every Thursday between 8 and 9 p.m. to talk about "the promising future." Proposed titles: The Greatest Coach of All Time, Don Nelson; Don Nelson Knows More About Basketball Than You; or Father Knows Best. His son Donn Nelson will take over the show in the fall of 2000, when Don Nelson moves to his own 24-hour show, which will replace TXCN.
(d) Susie Woodhams will be made head choreographer for the Dallas Mavericks Dancers. Woodhams must appear during at least one routine each home game and be stationed in front of Junior 's floor seat.
3. Dallas Mavericks President Terdema Ussery will replace Sports Day editor Dave Smith. Smith will now be placed in charge of security for American Airlines Center, but only during the building process. Once American Airlines Center is completed in September 2008, Smith will be promoted to Director of Publicity. His duties will include the following:
(a) Making sure Junior's glass is never less than half full.
(b) Writing all press releases about the new arena, which will be reprinted verbatim in The Dallas Morning News and read on WFAA-Channel 8 and TXCN during the first three minutes of nightly broadcasts.
(c) Sweeping up after home games with the arena's new janitorial staff, to be made up of The Dallas Morning News' investigative team and other Pulitzer Prize winners on staff.
4. Should Michael Finley, Chris Anstey, Steve Nash, or Shawn Bradley score fewer than 10 points per game, the following morning during home stands they will deliver papers in the South Dallas area. If they score fewer than 15 points combined during more than 50 games in a single season, all four will sell classified ads during the off-season.
5. Every Dallas Mavericks season-ticket holder will be forced to subscribe to The Dallas Morning News. If said ticket holder already has subscription, then he/she must receive The Arlington Morning News.
6. Ten percent of all revenue from sales of The Dallas Morning News will go toward funding American Airlines Center. All newsstand sales will go toward paying for the new arena.
(a) Dallas Morning News staffers will now park their cars at the new arena and take a Hillwood shuttle to the paper's offices, which will now be repainted, inside and outside, in green and blue.
(b) Dallas Mavericks mascot Mavs Man will deliver papers on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, he will edit Sports Day and write a front-page column.
7. Effective immediately, the Dallas Mavericks' advertising slogan will be changed from "One Fan at a Time" to "One Reader at a Time."
8. Beginning with the 1999-2000 season, the Dallas Mavericks' jerseys will replace players' names with the slogan "Sunday Isn't Sunday Without the Sunday Dallas Morning News."
(a) The Mavericks Dancers will perform once a night to the "Sunday Isn't Sunday Without the Sunday Dallas Morning News" ad jingle.
9. The Dallas Mavericks will sign free agent Gary Trent to a two-year, $5 million contract. The Dallas Morning News also will then hire Trent as a Fashion!Dallas consultant for $25 million for five years, with a $7.54 million signing bonus.
10. Any stories about the new arena must adhere to the following guidelines:
(a) No stories about cost overruns or delays in the construction of the Americans Airlines Center will appear in The Dallas Morning News or on WFAA-Channel 8 or TXCN. From now on, any delays will be referred to as "improvements" that are "making the arena a world-class sports facility." Use of the phrase "that giant sucking sound" is strictly forbidden, as is "conflict of interest."
(b) Mr. Hicks, Junior, and The Mayor will approve any story about the new arena. All three will have free rein to rewrite the story, and The Mayor will provide headlines for any stories about the new arena.
(c) Dallas Morning News architecture critic David Dillon will no longer criticize the design of the new arena. From now on, he will be limited to the following phrases when writing about the American Airlines Center: "ahead of its time," "breathtakingly beautiful," "a basketball heaven," "a slam-dunk design," "the eighth wonder of the world," and "round."
(d) Should Dallas City Councilwoman Laura Miller or a local media outlet not owned by Belo request city documents pertaining to the American Airlines Center, Belo, the Dallas Mavericks, and Hillwood will be notified immediately. The documents will be handed over to Belo, and all three parties will then destroy the documents.
11. No part of this agreement shall appear in the pages of The Dallas Morning News or on any television station owned by Belo, including but not limited to WFAA-Channel 8 and TXCN. Should this contract appear in print in a Belo publication, the deal will be voided, and Belo's interest in the Dallas Mavericks will be handed over to Mr. Hicks at no cost.
Accepted & Agreed:
Ross Perot Jr.
Majority Owner
Dallas Mavericks
Robert Decherd
Chief Executive Officer
Belo Corp.
