"Convinced that they cannot fire Roger Headrick as team
president without risking the ire of NFL commissioner Paul
Tagliabue, owners of the Vikings on Monday chose to take
what they regard as the next most logical step: restricting
Headrick's decision-making powers," according to Don Banks
of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Eight of the team's co-
owners unanimously decided to form a four-person executive
committee "that would oversee and review any significant
financial or personnel decisions" made by Headrick before a
February 19 league hearing to discuss the two sides'
dispute. The Vikings board "is waiting to hear" from
Tagliabue "before implementing the plan" (STAR TRIBUNE,
2/10). In St. Paul, Walters & Seidel report that members of
the board held a conference call with Headrick yesterday,
"hoping he would back down in his fight to buy the team.
But Headrick refused" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/10). If
Headrick were to end up with control, "some team insiders
believe season-ticket sales could drop as low as 30,000 next
season," down from 39,900 last season (PIONEER PRESS, 2/10).
