The NFL's Finance Committee "unanimously agreed"
yesterday to recommend to league owners the approval of the
sale of the Redskins and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium to a group
led by MD business exec Daniel Snyder, according to Shapiro
& Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. The move "all but ensures"
that the 31 NFL owners will approve the $800M deal at the
league's meeting next week (WASHINGTON POST, 5/20).
WAS SOMETHING COOKING? Ravens Owner Art Modell and
Steelers President Dan Rooney spoke out against Howard
Milstein's suit against John Kent Cooke and Charley
Casserly, and said John Kent Cooke "never tried to influence
their vote" on Milstein's $800M bid for the team. Rooney
called Milstein's suit "disgraceful" and said, "I know it's
a legal matter, and we've got to watch what we say. But I
think the suit is frivolous." Modell: "I'm very
disappointed in this litigation. (Milstein) has a right to
do what he has to do, but he made a commitment to the league
(that) there wouldn't be any litigation if he didn't get the
team, as long as he got his letter of credit back." In DC,
Liz Clarke notes sources close to the situation said that
other NFL owners "could be targets of litigation by
Milstein." Clarke reviews Milstein's 38-page suit in which
he "characterizes" NFL execs, along with Cooke and Casserly,
"as acting in complicity in a campaign to defeat his bid."
Milstein still has yet to be reimbursed for his $30M letter
of credit to the trustees (WASHINGTON POST, 5/20). In DC,
Thomas Boswell writes that Milstein's suit "could expand in
the future to include" various NFL owners and even
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (WASHINGTON POST, 5/20).
MILSTEIN TO SELL? In N.Y., Peter Grant notes sources
saying that Milstein is negotiating the sale of his Douglas
Elliman real estate brokerage, which has sales of more than
$1B, to Insignia Financial Group (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/20).
