As the deadline passed yesterday for L.A. to have
exclusive negotiating rights with the NFL for its 32nd
franchise, Houston's congressional delegation "began a
lobbying effort," according to John Williams of the HOUSTON
CHRONICLE. The area's seven House members sent NFL
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue a letter "urging the league" to
give Houston business exec Bob McNair the franchise (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 9/16). CBS SportsLine's Len Pasquarelli writes
on the deadlines the NFL sets for itself: "It relies on
semantics and legal jargon to permit itself sufficient
wiggle room, and that's precisely what happened in this
case." One AFC owner: "We set deadlines and, sure, this one
wasn't ever as firm as the league wanted everyone to
believe, and then we backtrack. It's not good business and
it's not good PR. It just makes us look like we're mired in
indecision, you know? (Deadline) is a word I don't want to
hear us use anymore." One member of the Finance Committee
said McNair will win the expansion team "if he comes up to
our price." One Expansion Committee member said of the
league's expansion franchise, "Write in (McNair's) name ...
but write it in pencil for now" (CBS SportsLine, 9/16).
