UPDATE: Angels v. Anaheim Trial Begins

Last week, the trial began in the case between the Angels baseball team and the city of Anaheim. The issue -- whether the Angels' name change to the absurd "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" violated the provision in their lease which required the team name to "include the name Anaheim therein." The team argues that its new name satisfies the clause; the city argues that sports teams are known by the geographic title before the nickname -- in this case, Los Angeles. Coverage of the Angels this past year should support the team's interpretation -- the Angels were routinely referred to as "Los Angeles," "LA", or "LAA," rather than "Anaheim" or "ANA."

In its opening arguments, the city claimed that the Anaheim clause was the "bait" dangled in front of the city so that it would agree to spend $20 million to renovate the stadium. "The city council would never have approved of this deal with the possibility the team would be called the Los Angeles Angels, or that Anaheim would be liquidated from the name of the team," the lead attorney stated in his opening argument, while fans wearing "We Are Not L.A." t-shirts looked on from the gallery.

Now, it will be left to the Orange County jury both to interpret the lease provision and decide what both sides intended when entering into the contract. The trial is expected to last four weeks. (Shaikin, "Opening Shots Fired in Angels, Anaheim Trial," LA Times, 01/13/2006; Parsons, "Can Angels Name Spat Have a Winner?" LA Times, 01/15/2006; Flaccus, "Angels' Name Change Trial Begins," Forbes (AP), 01/13/2006).

Related Posts:
Why Not the O.C. Angels? (1/3/05)
Judge Allows Angels to Change Name (1/22/05)
California Assembly: Angels Engaged in False Advertising (5/17/05)

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