Omaha World-Herald

August 20, 2007

Kevin Costner signs on for ad on Rosenblatt
BY KAREN SLOAN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Kevin Costner is stepping up to the plate for a local group's campaign to keep the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Jason Smith, an organizer for Save Rosenblatt, said Monday that Costner has agreed to appear in a commercial promoting the Omaha stadium.

Representatives for Costner were unavailable Monday, but the actor said earlier this month that he was seriously considering the offer.

"If I can help, I'm very willing to," he said at the time. "I'll be a soldier."

City leaders and the NCAA are considering moving the tournament to a new stadium that would be built downtown. Under that scenario, Rosenblatt probably would be demolished.

Save Rosenblatt has collected about 9,000 signatures from people who want to keep the CWS at Rosenblatt, Smith said.

He said he hopes the Costner commercial will spur even more people to sign the group's petition.

Next Monday, a local film crew will head to New Mexico, where Costner is shooting a comedy called "Swing Vote."

Smith said the commercial probably will feature Costner talking about the tradition of Rosenblatt.

"This is big-time stuff, and it's great for the city of Omaha," Smith said. "He understands the tradition and the pride of Rosenblatt Stadium. He'll be talking about the spirit of baseball."

Indeed, Costner has attended the CWS several times, most recently in 2001.

The actor, widely known for his roles in baseball movies, including "Field of Dreams," "Bull Durham," and "For Love of the Game," supports the team from his alma mater, Cal State Fullerton. He also is friends with Titans coach George Horton.

Costner will appear in the spots for free, and the film crew has donated its time. Still, Save Rosenblatt expects it to cost thousands of dollars to produce and air the commercial, Smith said. Save Rosenblatt's efforts are funded through donations.

Omahans could begin to see the commercial as early as the second week in September, and Save Rosenblatt hopes to air the spots in other cities, too, Smith said. For example, the group is looking at big college baseball cities such as Los Angeles, Austin and Houston.

Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey is not concerned that Costner's involvement will hurt the city's ongoing discussions with NCAA officials about a new stadium, said spokesman Joe Gudenrath.

"Kevin Costner has his opinion, and we appreciate his opinion," Gudenrath said.

Smith is hoping that the commercial will generate momentum for Save Rosenblatt.

"We want people to be aware of what's going on," Smith said, "and we want them to be more vocal about their desire to keep the CWS at Rosenblatt."