Are the Amerks behind on rent? We don't know

On a suggestion from my friend Bruno Sniders, today I called up Jeff Calkins, the general manager of Blue Cross Arena, to find out if the Amerks and Knighthawks are behind on their rent at the arena. I was going on the assumption that the teams are behind on pretty much everything.

Calkins was very courteous, but he also declined to answer.

"We don't give out that information," he said. "That's confidential."

Aaaaaallllrighty then! (I just watched the first Ace Ventura last night. Still Jim Carrey's best movie.)

Calkins manages the arena for SMG, a global venue-management firm based in Philadelphia that contracts with the city of Rochester to run the BCA. Out of curiosity, I asked him about the company's position on the legal acrimony between Amerks owners Steve Donner, Walter Turek and Randall Latona.

Calkins hedged a little bit.

"That's out of my realm," he said. "We always work closely with the Amerks and Knighthawks to make sure the product on the field is good for the spectators."

In general, it was a very diplomatic and very smart answer. I'm sure SMG doesn't want to get caught in the judicial crossfire.