Houston is "going to get the 32nd franchise over" L.A.,
according to John McClain of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE, who
wrote that NFL execs told him that "not only is [L.A.] not
moving forward, but it is actually going backward." They
also told him "that they are optimistic Houston will get the
team." The "only thing" that will keep Houston from getting
the team is bid leader Bob McNair's "refusal to be gouged
with an exorbitant expansion fee." One "high-ranking" NFL
exec: "It's time for McNair to put his cards on the table.
We want to find out just how much he can afford." McClain:
"McNair can afford a lot, but he's not going to lose a
fortune on an NFL team. He has the figures that will work,
but they depend on how and when they are paid." NFL sources
say that McNair can "expect" an expansion fee of $500-600M.
McClain speculated that after extending the L.A. deadline
once again, the league will "conditionally" award the
franchise to McNair "sometime before the first of the year,
or about a month before McNair's public money runs out"
(HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/14). In Boston, Will McDonough wrote,
"Don't be shocked if the NFL doesn't put an expansion team
in either Los Angeles or Houston. The [L.A.] effort is all
but dead, and some owners don't think Houston can afford the
going price for an NFL team" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/15).
