Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones met with a group of NFL owners and
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue yesterday in the Washington area to
discuss the $300M lawsuit filed against Jones by the league. In
this morning's FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, Mike Fisher reports that
no agreement was reached and that meetings may continue through
Monday. Jones, before the meeting: "Talking it out is the right
approach, not a lawsuit. We don't need to air our dirty linen
across the country" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/28). Also
present were the Vikings' Roger Headrick, the Broncos' Pat
Bowlen, the Panthers' Jerry Richardson, the Steelers' Dan Rooney
and the Jaguars' Wayne Weaver (AP/WASHINGTON POST, 9/28). In
Dallas, fans apparently approve of Jones' combative nature toward
NFL Properties. In a poll in Wednesday's DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
57% of respondents said they supported Jones' actions. However,
70% said they did not approve of the $35M given to Deion Sanders
(WASHINGTON POST, 9/28).
GORBACHEV IN SPURS? Jones is profiled in a front page piece
in this morning's WALL STREET JOURNAL. Thurow and Helyar write,
"Jones has emerged as the Gorbachev of the NFL, setting out to
reform the league's sacred spread-the-wealth dogma." 49ers
President Carmen Policy's response: "Remember what happened to
Gorbachev. The coup." Policy: "If (Jones) isn't in the NFC
East ... he doesn't get the television exposure. Now he plays
the New Yorks, the Philadelphias, the Washingtons of the world.
How about if we transfer him to the AFC Central," which the
JOURNAL calls the "Siberia of the NFL" (WALL STREET JOURNAL,
9/28).