An "arduous day of auditioning for seven aspiring
owners of the Browns concluded with the welcome news that
the NFL will pick the buyer of the new Cleveland franchise"
on September 8, according to Tony Grossi of the Cleveland
PLAIN DEALER. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and his
expansion committee will reduce the field and present to
ownership "at least two finalists, one of which must be the
auction's highest bidder." If there are more than two
finalists, a majority vote of the 30 owners will reduce the
field to two. Then 23 votes will be needed for a winner to
be declared. While the Al Lerner-Carmen Policy tandem "is
clearly the perceived front-runner," Grossi reports that it
"sounded as if the big winners" in Atlanta yesterday were
Cleveland real estate developer Bart Wolstein and Indians
Owner Richard Jacobs, "each of whom had steered clear of
lobbying owners with individual visits." Jacobs "barely
used half his allotted time," and Bills Owner Ralph Wilson
and Rams President John Shaw cited Jacobs as a candidate who
"impressed" them. Steelers Owner Dan Rooney and Raiders
Owner Al Davis said that a speech by Jim Brown on behalf of
Wolstein's group "scored big with them." But Lerner
cautioned, "This meeting is a part of a process and we need
to be careful not to overstate it or understate it" (PLAIN
DEALER, 8/20). In DC, Leonard Shapiro writes, "Several
owners said Richard Jacobs's low-key approach had impressed
them" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/20). ESPN's Chris Mortensen:
"What one owner told me is that they're trying to find out
if there's a hidden guy, a hidden gem, like Wayne Weaver was
with Jacksonville. Is there a guy out there who's so
dynamic that we don't know about? And that's really what it
was about today" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 8/19).
LARRY AND MY BROTHER CHARLES: Larry Dolan, who is
teamed with brother and Cablevision Chair Charles Dolan, on
the presentation process: "That was a tense little
situation, and I didn't fall down" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/20).
CROSS-OWNERSHIP QUESTIONS: In Cleveland, Tony Grossi
writes that the "loser of the day might have been" Delaware
North Chair Jeremy Jacobs, whose ownership of the Bruins is
in "clear violation" of NFL cross-ownership rules (Cleveland
PLAIN DEALER, 8/20). Jacobs "said he would not sell the
hockey team as a condition" of owning the Browns. Jacobs:
"I love the Bruins" (Richard Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES, 8/20).
In Boston, Gregg Krupa reports that Jacobs "received
strongly positive reviews from various sources," and a
source close to Jacobs "expressed confidence" that he can
manage to work around the NFL's cross-ownership rule. The
source: "[W]e think there are ways of dealing with it"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 8/20). In N.Y., Marc Berman cites sources
who said that Islanders co-Owner Howard Milstein told NFL
owners that he would sell his 45% stake in the Isles if
granted the Browns. While Milstein is viewed "as a New York
outsider," he promised yesterday he would take up a
residence in Cleveland. Isles President David Seldin, who
led Jacksonville's NFL expansion effort, was with Milstein
in Atlanta yesterday (N.Y. POST, 8/20). In N.Y., Richard
Sandomir reports that Larry Dolan "insisted" that if his
group lands the Browns, Cablevision would not have to sell
the Knicks and NHL Rangers: "This is a personal, private
matter." Dolan added that he, not Charles Dolan, was the
general partner of their venture (N.Y. TIMES, 8/20).
NOTES: In Akron, Terry Pluto writes, "It is clear that
Tom Murdough has approached Dick Jacobs about combining
groups. It's also clear that Jacobs has listened" (AKRON
BEACON JOURNAL, 8/20)....The Cleveland City Council voted
yesterday to accept a $22M bridge loan from the state "until
the legislature approves a grant in the same amount toward
construction" of the Browns stadium (PLAIN DEALER, 8/20).
