Ameritech said it would make phones available in its
customer service offices to help Browns fans make free long-
distance phone-calls to the league or other NFL team front
offices in protest of the Browns' move. The offer runs tomorrow
through Sunday. In addition, Save Our Browns is urging fans to
use tomorrow to flood the NFL league and team offices with e-
mail. Cleveland Mayor Michael White urged fans everywhere to
"reach out and touch the NFL" (Adams & Ethridge, Akron BEACON
JOURNAL, 1/10).
OTHER BROWNS NOTES: 49ers President Carmen Policy said he
believes Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will negotiate a settlement
before the owners' March meeting. Policy saw the possibility of
an "assets swap," where Browns Owner Art Modell gets to move to
Baltimore, but "the Browns" stay in Cleveland (Vito Stellino,
Baltimore SUN, 1/9)....In motions filed in Cuyahoga County court,
attorneys from the Browns and the city of Cleveland are battling
over the city's claim that the team and Modell's financial, tax,
phone and personal records are crucial in the city's suit to
prevent the move. County Judge Kenneth Callahan is expected to
rule this week on the matter (Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 1/8).
JUST ONE STEP AWAY: At a press conference yesterday,
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said he thought there might be "six-
and-a-half" owners who will be rooting for the Cowboys to reach
the Super Bowl (Mult., 1/10).
SALARY SPREAD: According to the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, never
before has the NFLPA's salary survey so "profoundly reflected"
the polarization between haves and have-nots. The NFLPA finds
360 players (20%) had contracts averaging more than $1M a year,
with highs for the number of players earning over $2M (119), $3M
(22), $4M (7) and $5M (4). But, 443 players had deals averaging
less than $178,000 -- the minimum for a veteran with more than
three years' experience. Of the 22 players making $3M+, 14 were
on offense (Len Pasquarelli, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 1/7).
