The NFL's Finance Committee "will recommend today or
tomorrow that the league lend an unspecified amount of money"
to teams in the six biggest TV markets that need to build new
stadiums, according to Kevin Mannix of the BOSTON HERALD. If
the vote passes, it "could provide" Patriots Owner and NFL
Finance Committee Chair Robert Kraft "with the ability to
proceed with his plans of building a new stadium in Foxboro."
The proposal would have "a similar impact" on the Bears,
49ers and Eagles. One league exec: "We want to make sure
that we maintain representation on the major markets. This
is a way to help make that happen." The "major" source of
funding "is expected to come from the visiting team's
portion" of game gate receipts (BOSTON HERALD, 3/15).
REDSKINS: In DC, Maske, Heath & Shapiro write that the
NFL "postponed" a meeting with prospective Redskins Owner
Howard Milstein, "scheduled for today, as the sides attempted
to work through financial issues." However, Cowboys Owner
Jerry Jones said that he "believes that the votes are lined
up for the sale to be approved" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/15). NFL
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue did say that the two sides made
"substantial progress" toward resolving financial differences
(WASHINGTON POST, 3/14). But in Boston, Will McDonough wrote
that the meeting between the Milstein group and the NFL's
Finance Committee "did not go well" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/15).
OTHER NOTES: Among other topics discussed at the
meetings will be the return of instant replay and rotating
the Thanksgiving Day game among all 31 teams. Lions Chair
Bill Ford, Jr. on discussions with NFL Commissioner Paul
Tagliabue about moving the Thanksgiving game: "I expressed my
displeasure and he expressed surprise that I was displeased,
which I found incredible. Then I reminded him he had
promised the city of Detroit in November that it was a dead
issue, and he never really responded to that. I got no
satisfaction at all" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/15).
