The House Judiciary Committee voted 24-6 to send a bill to
the full House that would require major pro sports leagues,
except MLB, to replace teams that move, provided that certain
criteria are met, according to Ken Denlinger of the WASHINGTON
POST. Any team that moves would be required to give its
community six months notice. The city would then have three
years to name a new investor after the league-approved
relocation. After the investor is identified, the league would
"be required to provide a team at a fee no greater than what the
previous expansion franchise paid -- and on financial terms and
conditions no less favorable than what that franchise received."
Failure to comply would force the league to "pay the community
three times the purchase price of the team or its market value,
whichever is greater. Also, the league would lose its antitrust
exemption for pooling broadcast revenue for a season." NFL
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and
NBA Exec VP Jeffrey Mishkin have all objected to the legislation.
Joe Browne, NFL Senior VP/Communications, said they are
"confident that the (legislation) will be rejected if and when
the bill gets to the floor of the House" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/26).
Sponsors of the bill tried to have the city keep the name and
colors of the departed team, but "that provision was pulled
because of concerns it would have been an unconstitutional
government takeover of the team owners' property." The bill is
retroactive to August 1, '95. House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-
TX), said the NFL has done a "poor job" counting its votes and
predicted the bill would pass the House unless NFL officials
quickly deal Houston a replacement team (John Williams, HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 4/26).
NO GO: The committee rejected two attempts to add MLB to the
bill, including an attempt by the New York delegation to add
language that would let the city sue if the Yankees moved out of
New York (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/26).
