L.A. city officials are "desperate to keep" the city's
bid for an NFL expansion team at the Coliseum "alive" and
are "trying to get" the two competing ownership groups "to
merge forces," according to Rick Orlov of the L.A. DAILY
NEWS, who reports that the two groups of Eli Broad-Ed Roski
and Michael Ovitz-Ron Burkle "met last week for the first
time in several months to push to unite their efforts." One
participant, who asked "not to be identified": "We tried to
impress on them that the league is very interested in seeing
both sides work together." NFL VP/Communications Greg
Aiello: "I think you would have to say it's a positive
development." Meanwhile, L.A. City Council member Mark
Ridley-Thomas said Wednesday the city is "committed to not
using any general fund (money) or have any new taxes. But
it does seem fair to use any new taxes generated by having a
football team in the Exposition Park area to make public
improvements." Ridley-Thomas: "This is money that would not
have been there otherwise. ... This is an investment in an
area that needs to be rejuvenated" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 8/26).
STEINBERG'S PREDICTION: Agent Leigh Steinberg, speaking
on Padres Owner John Moores approaching the NFL about
returning a team to Anaheim (See THE DAILY 8/23), predicted
on Tuesday that the NFL "would not place an expansion team
in Orange County at the expense of one in" L.A. and "would
not accept an offer for a privately financed stadium."
Steinberg said that the city "will not pay to build a
stadium" and that would "doom the proposal even if Moores
were willing to write a $1-billion check to cover"
construction costs and the franchise fee. Steinberg: "It's
almost a paradox. If you find a wealthy enough person to
build a stadium and finance it without public money, the NFL
doesn't want that project" (L.A. TIMES, 8/25).
