The NFL confirmed that it will appeal the decision of U.S.
District Court Judge David Doty that raised the league's salary
cap by $2M to $40.753M. The league claims Doty "is adhering to
the letter of the labor contract, not the spirit. The cap is
determined by the growth of the previous season, and the league
contends last year's growth was artificially inflated by the
addition of two expansion teams" (Ron Borges, BOSTON GLOBE,
2/28). It "may put in jeopardy" the CBA extension (AP/ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 2/28).
UPON FURTHER REVIEW: The Redskins will make two proposals
at the March NFL meetings to bring back instant replay. One
would cover plays that involve scoring, change of possession, or
action at the boundaries of the field. The other would allow
teams to challenge three calls per half, with incorrect
challenges leading to a loss of a timeout (Dave Sell, WASHINGTON
POST, 2/28).
HARDBALL: Seeking to "turn up the pressure" on the
Cleveland City Council to approve the agreement with the NFL,
Mayor Michael White said the lease lawsuit against Art Modell
would be dropped altogether if the deal is rejected when the
Council votes March 8. White: "We were wronged, we did our
thing, we made our deal. If the council doesn't pass this, then
we failed to deliver on our side. Does our failure to deliver
give us moral standing to turn around and sue Modell?" (Bart
Hubbuch, Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 2/28).
