LAST GAME OF THE MILLENNIUM: The Super Bowl could be headed
back to Joe Robbie Stadium, the site of last year's Super Bowl
XXIX, as early as '99, according to a front-page piece in this
morning's MIAMI HERALD. While San Francisco won the rights to
the '99 game, the city is having trouble making the promised $26M
in renovations to 3Com Park. NFL owners will "demand assurances"
from S.F. at the March 10-15 meetings, with one league source
saying the city "will bow out" of '99 and look instead to 2000.
South FL officials have told the league they are ready should
S.F. drop out. Phoenix, Tampa, Atlanta and Pasadena are also
mentioned. NFL Exec Dir for Special Events Jim Steeg said if they
decide that S.F. will not host in '99, they will put off a
decision until October "to give everyone a chance to bid." They
will also decide the site of the 2000 game in October (Armando
Salguero, MIAMI HERALD, 1/26). Bill Shover, Chair of the Super
Bowl XXX Host Committee, would neither confirm nor deny reports
the NFL asked Phoenix to bid so that South FL was not the lone
bidder (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/26).
NFLPA EXECS MEET THE MEDIA: NFLPA Exec Dir Gene Upshaw said
if owners do not approve the extension of the CBA soon, "it will
be very difficult to get approval later." Upshaw noted
disagreements on revenue-sharing are "holding up approval"
(PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 1/26). The new CBA includes "broad
concepts" on revenue-sharing, although specifics have not been
worked out. One area the union has agreed to involves PSL money.
NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen said the union will not
insist that PSL revenue be shared by owners "until the cost of
adding new seats or luxury boxes is recouped" (WASHINGTON POST,
1/26).
UNION TO GET TURF STUDY: The NFLPA and the NFL have joined
to commission a study by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to examine injuries that occur on artificial turf and
natural grass (N.Y. TIMES, 1/26).
FOR JERRY JONES, EVERY DAY IS MEDIA DAY: Cowboys Owner
Jerry Jones weighed in on the Browns, saying that the league
could end up with new stadiums in both Baltimore and Cleveland.
Jones' comments "added more fuel to reports that NFL owners will
vote Feb. 8-9 to approve the Browns' move while promising an
expansion or existing team to Cleveland if it builds a new
stadium" (Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 1/26).
MAYORS MEETING: A task force of mayors headed by Houston
Mayor Bob Lanier proposed federal legislation "to make it easier
for cities that lose teams to get new ones." Their plan
includes: forcing teams that leave a city before their lease
expires to pay the remainder of debt issued by a public entity
to build a stadium/arena; requiring leagues to adopt "objective
standards" governing relocation; requiring teams give "adequate
notice" before a move and that the league hold hearings; allowing
public ownership of teams. The task force also agreed to form a
"clearinghouse of information" for use by cities (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 1/26).
