SAN DIEGO YEAR IN REVIEW : THE TOP 10 SPORTS STORIES : 8 : THE ARENA SHUFFLE

There has been arena football. How about arena political football?

After years of dashed hopes and political infighting, a new sports arena appeared closer to reality.

The first was an agreement to transfer the

current Sports Arena lease from Harry Cooper to a group headed by developer Ron Hahn. While still awaiting final City Council approval, the lease transfer has been ironed out.

With those details worked out, Hahn’s group joined forces with Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Forum, to develop a sports arena and try to lure professional teams as featured tenants. Buss is expected to make a proposal to the National Hockey League expansion committee shortly and the group has also spoken of trying to bring back the National Basketball Assn.

Cooper tried for years to work out plans for a new sports arena but could never maneuver the political rapids.

The Hahn-Buss consortium, however, has the political savvy and contacts to deal with City Council and planners. And it has the fiscal clout to pull off an arena package that could cost more than $200 million by the time expansion fees are paid.

Hahn says the downtown area is the primary site for a 20,000-plus state of the art arena, which could be in operation as soon as 1996. No definite land parcel has been chosen.

The next target for Hahn and Buss is Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall, whom they would like as a third partner, possibly as owner of an NBA team.