X GAMES MIGHT SKATE TO L.A.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Los Angeles might not have an NFL football team, but it might get the X Games next summer.

L.A. is one of two finalists to host the 2003 and 2004 X-Games, with Miami also in the running.

If Los Angeles gets the X Games, the event will take place Aug. 14-18 in 2003 and 2004 at Staples Center and be televised by ESPN.

``Los Angeles is the birthplace of extreme sports, and we feel it's important for the X Games to come back,'' said Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group and Staples Center.

AEG and ESPN have a history of working together. It was AEG that brought the ESPY Awards to the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

``The kind of relationship and respect we have for each other opens the door for other things,'' Leiweke said. ``The X Games are something we are very excited about being a part of.''

The X Games, which just ended its eighth event last August in Philadelphia, are the equivalent of the Olympics for extreme sports such as skate boarding, in-line skating and speed climbing. Los Angeles might have a slight advantage over Miami because many extreme sports athletes live in Southern California and a number of the X Games' sponsors are based here.

``What we look for in a venue is a city that not can only handle the games but also embrace them,'' ESPN's Josh Krulewitz said. ``We need someone that shares our vision, and that's why we look for the most premier venues. These athletes are the Kobe Bryants and Barry Bonds of their sports, and they deserve world-class venues.''

Leiweke said Staples Center and its parking lots provide enough space to handle the event. A final decision is expected by the end of October.

``We have each city's presentation and we are in the process of evaluating both,'' Krulewitz said.

The X Games are awarded to sites for two years. The past two were in Philadelphia.