Howard Milstein "is actively considering suing" the
Jack Kent Cooke Estate trustees, Redskins President John
Kent Cooke and the NFL after his failed bid for the team,
according to Chandrasekaran & Shapiro of the WASHINGTON
POST. A source close to Milstein said that he has retained
the services of "high-profile" attorney David Boies, who is
representing the U.S. government in its case against
Microsoft, "to handle the issue." Milstein spokesperson
Gary Lewi confirmed that Milstein has hired Boies, but he
had no further comment. The source noted that Milstein's
case was in a "preliminary stage," but added that Boies "is
preparing to allege that the trustees broke their contract
with Milstein and [MD business exec] Daniel Snyder by not
doing their utmost to promote the Milstein-Snyder bid to NFL
owners." Boies is also "considering making a legal argument
that Cooke illegally interfered with" the bid. Milstein and
Boies have yet to decide what type of compensation to seek,
and they could ask for "the ability to once again bid for
the team." The NFL and Redskins officials, including Cooke,
declined to comment yesterday (WASHINGTON POST, 4/28).
SNYDER'S SUPPORT GROUP: Patriots Owner and NFL Finance
Committee Chair Robert Kraft said yesterday that he and
other league execs "support" Snyder's bid for the Redskins.
Kraft, who believes the sale will be approved: "I just have
a sense that we're ready to move on. We have other things
on our agenda and we've got to do the right thing for the
fans in Washington. They will have my support." Colts
Owner Jim Irsay: "I think everything is going to be a go."
However, a few owners, including Steelers President Dan
Rooney, are upset at the trustees' decision not to forward
other bids to the league, including John Kent Cooke's and
Sam Grossman's. The estate has said it will refund a $30M
deposit to the Milstein-Snyder group "subject to executing
appropriate releases of claims" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/28).