Even though the NFL announced Friday it had voted to extend
the CBA through 2002, that does not mean it is a "done deal,"
according to Will McDonough of the BOSTON GLOBE. McDonough
writes the NFLPA has said it will not go along with an extension
unless the deal includes revised revenue-sharing among the teams.
The league, which was unable to get an agreement on a new
revenue-sharing deal at last week's meetings, has asked that a
study be done on revenue-sharing in order that it be discussed at
the next meeting set for March in Palm Beach. Last year, the NFL
introduced a form of revenue-sharing with a pool of $18M to be
distributed to the bottom 14 teams in terms of total revenue.
Last week, the consensus seemed to be that owners wanted the
number of funded teams reduced to seven and a new plan to account
for profitability (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/11).
CAP ESTIMATE: Larry Weisman writes in USA TODAY that the
NFL's salary cap for '96 looks to increase 4.6% to $38.8M,
according to preliminary figures held by management and the
players union. NFLPA Head Gene Upshaw expects the cap "to settle
at about $40 million" (USA TODAY, 2/12).
NOT SUPER IN FRISCO: S.F. Mayor Willie Brown said Friday he
doesn't know where the city will find the money to renovate 3Com
Park in time for the '99 Super Bowl -- and as a result, the city
may lose the game. Brown said he hoped the city could host the
game in a new facility sometime after '99 (Gregory Lewis, S.F.
EXAMINER, 2/10).