The NFL cancelled a court hearing today on the league's
$300M lawsuit against the Cowboys after Jerry Jones promised the
team would not file its own lawsuit without advance notice. The
league announced that the only issue that will be discussed today
will be the status of a temporary restraining owner in place
barring the Cowboys from filing any lawsuits of their own. In
this morning's FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, Mike Fisher reports that
Jones and Patriots Owner Robert Kraft have discussed a change to
the league's revenue sharing plan. The plan would split "about
in half" the 5% monitored by NFL Properties -- about $100M last
year. One portion would be paid directly to clubs that market
themselves; the other divided among the 30 teams based on market
size. An NFL source told the STAR-TELEGRAM that Jones thinks
he'll win in court, "but he's also confident he'll win other
owners over without court" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/21).
Kraft, in this morning's USA TODAY: "There is a bigger issue here
-- local selling and marketing, and who can do a better job. ...
If we get to the substance of the issues, maybe there can be some
amendments made while keeping the spirit of sharing" (USA TODAY,
9/21). Columnist Bryan Burwell notes there is "a silent minority
of owners who have invested as much as Jones has into the pro
football business, who are rooting for Jones as he finds new ways
to produce big profits" (USA TODAY, 9/21).
WHO DOESN'T APPLAUD RAMPANT CAPITALISM: There is support
this morning for Jones' proposals, at least among columnists. In
Washington, Dan Daly writes, "If you can put your feelings about
the man aside for a moment, you might see some sense in his
proposal" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/21). In St. Louis, Jeff Gordon
writes, "If he wants to build his Cowboys franchise into the
ultimate capitalist venture, we should applaud him. That's free
enterprise" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/21). Burwell: "Jones
makes a lot of sense when he talks about individual teams
marketing their own products" (USA TODAY, 9/21). In
Philadelphia, Bill Lyon writes, "The courts tend to support
capitalism" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/21).
AND FROM A SLIGHTLY BIASED OBSERVER: Emmitt Smith on Jerry
Jones and the NFL: "I don't think the NFL has a chance. I really
don't. I think the man knew exactly what he was getting into
when he made the deals, so I don't think he would have made the
deals if he thought he was going to get sued for a large amount
of money" (CNN, 9/20).
