Sponsorship void

Enron, Kmart leave sports teams scrambling

When they slapped "Enron Field" on the new playpen of the Houston Astros two years ago, it was a sweet deal. You had Enron Corp., then an energy giant and Wall Street darling, putting up more than $100 million over 30 years for the naming rights.

Over on the NASCAR scene, at the same time, Haas-Carter Motorsports was signing a three-year deal worth about $45 million with Kmart to sponsor two stock cars. Race fans may or may not catch their bold paint schemes this season -- the No. 66 Kmart Blue Light Special (driver Todd Bodine ) and the No. 26 Kmart School Spirit ( Joe Nemechek ).

The giddy days are over in these precincts, folks.

In case you didn't catch it, the big spenders both filed for bankruptcy in the past month, with Enron seeking the largest Chapter 11 reorganization in history. Kmart apparently is just a case of poor business acumen. It's a lot dirtier inside Enron, where the energy guys stand widely accused of -- among a laundry list of things -- illegally shredding documents, faulty accounting practices and trying to buy off Washington politicians.

So what happens to the pricey sports deals? Stay tuned.

Travis Carter says Kmart made its monthly payment for January, but he isn't sure if the Haas-Carter race team will see another dollar. "The people I'm associated with I can't reach,'' Carter offered. "They're in Jamaica and here and there.''

The retailer sponsored the Kmart 400 in Michigan last race season, but wasn't coming back this season. NASCAR can take a hit or two and not stagger. It's dramatically tougher for a race team to survive a blow like Haas-Carter could be facing.

"You don't have that kind of cash lying around,'' Carter said. "You spend it as you get it. It's a hand-to-mouth thing.''

On the other hand, the Astros aren't as desperate for the cash, though $3 million or so a year would go a ways toward covering the salaries of young stars Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt . An alternative would be to find another sponsor, but because the sponsorship market has slowed, the club isn't likely to fetch as much.

And the club can't legally shed the embarrassment of the Enron name. Not yet, anyway. The bankruptcy court, of course, could put a stop to future outlays and break the contract.

In somewhat of a surprise, Enron is current with payments. How far ahead they've paid is unclear, but it seems certain that the facility will be Enron Field come opening day.

"It's interesting because when this facility was named there was great pride in the city and certainly with these folks at Enron,'' said Pam Gardner , Astros president of business operations. "We're the energy capital of the world and that was a good thing. So, certainly this one was a major surprise to us and the city of Houston, the whole country and financial world.''

But it's not the first time a naming sponsor went in the tank, and you can be sure it won't be the last.

After filing for bankruptcy last year, Trans World Airlines took its name off the domed stadium that is home to the St. Louis Rams. Another bankruptcy victim is Fruit of the Loom, which put its Pro Player label on the stadium where the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins play. The same for PSINet, a telecommunications firm that paid to be associated with the Baltimore Ravens.

The football stadium in San Francisco is in the market for a sponsor. Ditto the future homes of the New England Patriots and San Diego Padres.

Gamblin' man

What gives? Steve Phillips is either a baseball genius or GM operating with the guts of a bank robber. First, the Mets' general manager promised to remake the club without jacking the $95 million payroll, only to exceed budget by at least $10 million.

Nobody turned over a roster more frantically this offseason. Counting Edgardo Alfonzo's shuffle from second to third base, the Mets head to spring training with five new position players (1B Mo Vaughn , 2B Robbie Alomar , LF Roger Cedeno and RF Jeromy Burnitz ), two starting pitchers ( Jeff D'Amico and Pedro Astacio ) and a pair of key relievers ( David Weathers and Mark Guthrie ).

If a nagging back doesn't slow Alfonzo and everyone else stays relatively fit, Phillips will look really smart. Then again, he's taken on fat contracts and equally hefty medical risks.

Just consider this trio: