The NFL "officially selected the Memorial Coliseum as
the home of its anticipated" L.A. franchise and announced
that the league's Expansion Committee "favors having the NFL
set a price for the team, rather than auctioning the
franchise," according to Newton & Simers of the L.A. TIMES.
That "represents a significant departure from league
practice and suggests that the NFL is more interested in
having a free hand in picking the team's owner than in
simply giving it to whoever can pay the most money." Newton
& Simers add that "some owners appeared surprised by the
committee's ability to reach such an accord, and said that
alone make the meetings over the past few days a significant
breakthrough." The news also leads to "a spirited
competition between at least two" of L.A.'s leading business
execs, Eli Broad and Michael Ovitz. The two "neighbors and
increasingly unfriendly rivals" were in the audience during
yesterday's press conference, and "made it clear that a
flurry of efforts to unite their groups has yielded little."
Newton & Simers noted that Broad's group "enjoys far more
obvious political support," as he has worked "closely" with
Mayor Richard Riordan, leaving Ovitz "at a distinct
disadvantage." Meanwhile, "several team owners said they
were impressed" by what they saw in L.A., but have asked
both groups "to address what they see as serious shortage of
parking spaces in the area" (L.A. TIMES, 4/21). In Long
Beach, Bob Keisser calls the NFL's announcement a "stunning
reversal of fortune," as a year ago, NFL owners "would have
been more inclined to grant a franchise to Baghdad or
Belgrade than the Coliseum" (L.B. PRESS-TELEGRAM, 4/21).
$1B TAG: Tagliabue said that $1B represents the "likely
cost of securing a franchise and renovating the facility."
Cost estimates of renovating the Coliseum run from $325-
400M, putting the franchise fee "substantially less than"
$700M. Ovitz: "We're going to give them a design and a
business plan; they're going to give us a price." Owners
will review proposals at a May 25 meeting (HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER, 4/21). In L.A., Rick Orlov said it was "clear"
from statements of NFL execs that they would like to see
Ovitz join the Roski-Broad team (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/21).
Asked if there would be any other bidders, Tagliabue said,
"We would be foolish and ... somewhat presumptuous if we
said those are the only two people who can get in line"
(Riverside PRESS-ENTERPRISE, 4/21). Expansion Committee
Chair and Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson, on the Ovitz-
Broad split: "We're not trying to create competition. We're
trying to get a franchise in L.A. But these are grown men.
They'll have to figure it out." In Long Beach, Bob Keisser
notes that Richardson is "in Ovitz's corner," as the two
went to lunch together yesterday (PRESS-TELEGRAM, 4/21).
FOX TALK: In L.A., Newton & Simers report that Mayor
Riordan and Broad met Tuesday morning at their request with
two "top" execs from Fox Entertainment Group about plans to
build a new Dodger Stadium near the Coliseum. Fox Chair
Chase Carey: "The stadium question is a long-term issue that
doesn't have to be decided today. Right now, we're a
reactive party to the process" (L.A. TIMES, 4/21).
