Cuban: Only interested in Stars as a minority partner

A couple of reports on Canadian television Saturday (One on CBC and another on Sportsnet) speculated that Mark Cuban could be ``kicking the tires,'' on possible ownership of the Dallas Stars, but Cuban said in an e-mail Saturday night that his interest would only be as a minority partner and only to help him with control of the American Airlines Center.

``I've had conversations w/ several folks for the same reason: As always, the arena,'' Cuban wrote. ``And I will talk to anyone who is interested in the Stars, because I would like to get control of the arena.''

Hicks Sports Group has defaulted on loans that helped purchase and run the Stars, and now a group of lenders led by Monarch Investments is trying to sell the team. Sources said recently that the executive committee of the group of lenders is pondering naming an interim president to watch over the Stars, as a sale could take a while.

_Mike Heika