The city of Cleveland's lawsuit against the Browns will go
to trial on February 12, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge
Kenneth Callahan ruled on Friday. Arnie Rosenberg of the Akron
BEACON JOURNAL notes that decision could affect the NFL's planned
vote on the Browns' move on January 17. NFL Dir of
Communications Greg Aiello: "We're going to proceed with the
meeting, and the legal situation will be one of the topics. It's
not a certainty there will be a vote." The date has other
implications, as Callahan's preliminary injunction prohibits any
actions by the Browns towards a move until the trial. This means
the Browns and the Maryland Stadium Authority cannot begin
selling tickets or PSLs in Baltimore until the case is settled.
According to the Authority, bonds to finance the facility sold
after February may not be tax exempt, potentially raising the
cost of the new stadium (Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 12/16).
THERE WON'T BE A VOTE, SAYS WILL: NBC's Will McDonough,
noting the February 12 trial date: "The NFL will not vote now on
Cleveland on January 17. They'll put that over and say let's go
to the court in Cleveland and find out what happens." McDonough
predicted the judge will find for the city and then the case will
go to a state appeals court and probably continue into next
season. McDonough: "The Browns have already made contingency
plans to play in Cleveland next year if they have to" ("NFL on
NBC," 12/17).
THERE WILL BE A VOTE, SAYS CHRIS: ESPN's Chris Mortensen
predicted "two significant things will happen" at the January 17
NFL owners meeting: "The owners will vote to block this move --
and at the same time, vote to guarantee Baltimore a team by 1998,
clearing the way for Baltimore to begin construction on the new
stadium." Noting the failing health of Colts Owner Bob Irsay,
Mortensen said the Colts "now become one of the candidates to
move back to Baltimore. That's a rather dramatic scenario."
Chris Berman noted the NFL is pursuing all scenarios "vigorously"
and that a high-ranking league official told him the odds are
50/50 there will be football in Cleveland next year. Berman:
"That was higher than I expected to hear" ("NFL GameDay," 12/17).
HE MAY BE NAMED WHITE, BUT HE SURE KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND A
GRAY AREA: Before yesterday's game, NBC's Bob Costas
interviewed Cleveland Mayor Michael White, noting that Modell
declined an interview request. Costas asked White whether it is
more practical to take a win in court and force the Browns to
stay, or to use a legal victory as "leverage" to make a deal with
a new franchise. White said only that the city has been
"wronged" -- adding, "This must be made right." Asked if it was
acceptable to have a team called the Browns "immediately or close
to immediately" in Cleveland and to let Modell go to Baltimore,
White said simply, "We want our team, we want our colors and we
want our name." White would not comment when asked if that team
had to be the one in Cleveland now ("NFL on NBC," 12/17).
LERNER TRIES TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT: Browns Minority Partner
Al Lerner, a key player in the move, told Saturday's Cleveland
PLAIN DEALER that he has been trying to convince the NFL that
Cleveland should get a team when the Browns leave. But he added,
"The reality is it's not going to be a team owned by Art Modell"
(Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 12/17).
THE MAYORS: White and Houston Mayor Bob Lanier were
appointed co-chairs of a committee of U.S. mayors that will study
the relationship between cities and their teams. (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 12/16). Tampa Mayor Dick Greco will ask the NFL to
consider adopting a rule calling for teams to give two years
notice before a move. NFL General Counsel Jay Moyer said it is
unlikely the proposal will be considered in January (Pat
Yasinskas, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 12/16).
MARYLAND REPORT: The WASHINGTON POST reports some MD
lawmakers are asking that Modell and the team contribute more to
the $200M stadium proposal (WASHINGTON POST, 12/16). The
Baltimore SUN chronicles the deal from the standpoint of the key
players -- Modell, Lerner, and Maryland Stadium Authority Chair
John Moag (Baltimore SUN, 12/17).
FUTURE FRANCHISE FREE AGENTS? ESPN's Mortensen said, "Tampa
is heating up its effort to keep the Bucs and they're making
progress." Mortensen said the Bucs "could get their stadium
built almost overnight" if they lured Steve Spurrier or Jimmy
Johnson as coach ("NFL GameDay," 12/17). Several observers noted
the irony of Mike Brown's Bengals as the Browns' opposition
yesterday. In Pittsburgh, Ed Bouchette called the chance Brown
could return to the city in which his father, the legendary Paul
Brown, started as "possible, but doubtful" (PITTSBURGH POST-
GAZETTE, 12/18).
