NFL owners unanimously approved the sale of the
Redskins and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium yesterday to the group
headed by Daniel Snyder for $800M, according to Maske &
Shapiro of the WASHINGTON POST. Snyder will not have a vote
as an owner until the sale is finalized by the Jack Kent
Cooke estate trustees, which will occur "most likely" by the
end of June, but sources have "indicated" that he will begin
reviewing the team's business operations before closing
(WASHINGTON POST, 5/26). Snyder said yesterday that he and
his partners "will seriously consider selling the naming
rights to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium." Snyder, who said that
it's a "possibility" that the team could earn around $5M a
year from a naming rights deal: "Obviously we're going to go
over some marketing and advertising areas we believe are the
(ownership) group's immediate strengths. We'll consider
those options." However, minority partner Fred Drasner said
that he and Snyder "are not certain" whether a deal could be
reached before next season. Snyder said that he "has no
plans" to change the team's name due to protests from Native
American groups. Snyder: "I do not think it's offensive. I
think it's a tradition" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/26).
LITTLE KNOWN OWNERS: In Baltimore, Jon Morgan reports
that the Redskins sale included the state of MD and Prince
George's County as "unusual" co-owners of the team. Because
$70M in public funds were spent on infrastructure around
Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, the state and the county own a
share in the team and stadium. The share pays no dividends
and has only one purpose: "To veto any move of the team's
home games to a different stadium" (Baltimore SUN, 5/26).
REAX: In DC, Thomas Boswell: "How can Snyder improve
the Redskins' marketing? Actually, this is a no-brainer.
The Redskins haven't marketed themselves in 30 years. They
open the gates and say, `We're the Redskins. Give us your
money.'" Boswell adds that Don Shula would be the "perfect
person" to be the team's new president (WASHINGTON POST,
5/26). Redskins WR Michael Westbrook: "We're not concerning
ourselves with what's going on with the ownership of the
team. We just hope our owner doesn't come in and start
firing or cutting people" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/26).
MILSTEIN TAKES HEAT: Jaguars Owner Wayne Weaver, on
Milstein's suit against Redskins President John Kent Cooke
and GM Charley Casserly: "It's certainly unwarranted. If I
was John Cooke trying to hang on to my team, I'd do anything
I could to keep it. I think it's a frivolous lawsuit and
won't go anywhere" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/26). Tagliabue said
he spoke to Milstein two or three weeks ago: "I told him I
thought the understanding is there would be peace and no
lawsuits, but he said he felt Cooke acted improperly and I
said I felt he was misguided" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/26).
