The NFL closed its league meetings in Atlanta and gave
Michael Ovitz until the end of June to "prove" his Coliseum
stadium proposal is "more than colorful renderings and fancy
schemes," according to Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. DAILY NEWS.
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue: "The critical thing is to
take the vision presented in the Ovitz-[Ron] Burkle plan and
make what modifications needed to be made, and convert it
into a reality." While league owners "don't believe the
state would come close to funding" the $225M in parking
infrastructure assistance, they remain "impressed by Ovitz
and his ideas." But Raiders Owner Al Davis said, "I don't
think they know what they're doing." Expansion Committee
Chair Jerry Richardson, noting the drawn out proceedings,
said, "It takes time. I'm sorry, but it takes time" (L.A.
DAILY NEWS, 5/27). Also in L.A., T.J. Simers writes after
listening to Tagliabue yesterday, "It's all so confusing."
Tagliabue: "The way I would put it and the way I put it to
owners, I think we have a Plan A and a Plan B and then we
need them to evolve together into a Plan C" (L.A. TIMES,
5/27). Also in L.A., George Skelton reports that Ovitz's
bid for public aid "has them laughing out loud" in
Sacramento. Some CA legislators feel that Ovitz "knew he
was losing" to Eli Broad and Ed Roski and threw a "Hail
Mary." Skelton: "It didn't have a prayer, but was certain
to excite NFL owners and perhaps persuade them to keep him
in the game. It seems to have worked" (L.A. TIMES, 5/27).
In Long Beach, Doug Krikorian writes the NFL-L.A. "football
saga ranks right up there at the top for sheer comedic
impact. ... I just wish one, or all, of these high-powered
gentleman would stand up to the bullying Tagliabue and
inform him, 'You can take your NFL expansion franchise
promise, and shove it! We only get on our hands and knees
in L.A. during earthquakes" (PRESS-TELEGRAM, 5/27). FSN's
Keith Olbermann: "Maybe the new L.A. team really will manage
to move out before it even moves in" (FSN, 5/26).
MCNAIR WANTS NO DELAY: In Houston, John Williams writes
that with the NFL "considering extending" L.A.'s September
15 deadline for a viable stadium plan, Houston business exec
Bob McNair said "he would pull out of the running for an
expansion franchise" if L.A. gets additional time. McNair:
"I don't believe in wasting my time if they just keep
extending to keep extending. I'm not going to keep chasing
that target. Either it's a deadline or it's not a deadline.
... Everything happening in Los Angeles is just talk, it's
speculation." Williams adds that "one thing was clear"
about the Atlanta meeting: "Houston was not discussed."
Steelers President Dan Rooney: "No one is talking about
Houston, a nice town, by the way." Williams notes that NFL
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said an expansion fee for L.A.
could be less than the $500M earlier floated, and McNair
predicted that if he drops his bid, the league would not get
"nearly as much" in the fee (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/27).
McNair: "If the NFL doesn't want to deal us into the
expansion game, maybe it's time we went out and did
something on our own." McNair's assistant, Steve Patterson,
on Ovitz's plan: "I mean, we could have put glass with a
frosted cocktail rim and salt around our stadium and called
it the Cuervo Dome. But we can pay for our deal. They
don't have the money" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/27).
