All is "eerily quiet" in L.A.'s "fleeting bid to land
the NFL's 32nd franchise, offering yet another signal that
the expansion team appears poised to slip away," according
to Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. DAILY NEWS, who writes there
"has been little 11th-hour activity to save" the bid. NFL
VP/Communications Greg Aiello: "Things have calmed down, but
not in a way that's good." The NFL has made contact with
the city of Carson and Hollywood Park, but Aiello "said
there has been no significant development." New Coliseum
Partner Ed Roski said his group is continuing to push the
L.A. Coliseum: "We're hoping to re-engage them, but it's not
looking that great right now." Roski plans to write the
league and stress that there is no need for two parking
structures estimated to cost more than $150M. Roski: "The
whole thing turned around on this parking. ... We were
stalled when we asked for public funds for parking
structures we do not need. This isn't like other places.
We don't have inclement weather to worry about when walking
to our cars" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 8/18). In DC, Leonard
Shapiro writes that league sources said "there was some
progress last week involving the Coliseum site," but that a
deal might not be completed by the league's September 15
deadline. One league source: "They tell us they've got it
solved, and when they show us what the solution is, there is
no solution. They're trying to dictate terms to us and some
of them don't really seem to understand that we have an
extremely viable option in Houston, and we can settle Los
Angeles in a different way" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/18).
L.A. REFUSES TO BE TRAPPED BY ALLURE OF NFL: In L.A.,
Brinsley & Taub report on the "indifferent, even hostile
attitude" of L.A. citizens toward the NFL's return and write
that the "city's changing demographics" are playing a role.
For the city's Spanish-speaking residents, soccer "clearly
is more important. And unlike soccer, pro football games
are expensive to attend" (L.A. BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/16).
