In Boston, Will McDonough writes that 49ers President Carmen
Policy "was not kidding" when he recommended that Jerry Jones
take over NFL Properties. Policy: "I am very serious when I say
Jerry Jones is one of the greatest salesmen I have ever seen"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 8/20). Jones' wll-publicized split with the NFL
with his deal with Pepsi and his statements criticizing the
league's revenue-sharing practices continued to gain attention
from NFL writers around the country. In Dallas, Cathy Harasta
writes, "Everything from chips to dips and socks to jocks
eventually could be an official, new money tree for enterprising
clubs. Jones' soda-pop revolt will become the answer to a
sports-economics trivia question" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/21).
In Baltimore, Vito Stellino writes, "So far, [NFL Commissioner
Paul] Tagliabue hasn't even responded, much less taken any action
against Jones. He likes the perks of the job and he's not going
to risk becoming another Fay Vincent" (Baltimore SUN, 8/20). In
Atlanta, Len Pasquarelli writes, "It's the so-called 'old-guard'
-- the likes of Art Modell ... Dan Rooney ... whom the
commissioner suddenly needs for help" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
8/20).
PRESEASON WOES: ESPN's Mitch Albom, on the injuries in
preseason: "There is only one reason for preseason and this
madness and it's money, because they charge the same amount for a
ticket for preseason as you have to pay for a regular season game
and they have TV contracts to show them" ("Sports Reporters,"
8/20).