The NFL, "now expecting" Marvin Davis to "drop out of
the expansion derby as early as [today], is seriously
considering the surprising move of assuming Davis' option on
a stadium site in Hollywood Park," according to T.J. Simers
of the L.A. TIMES. Simers: "It's unclear if Hollywood Park
would be agreeable to such an arrangement, but it's one more
startling indication of the league's desire to still place
an expansion franchise in Los Angeles." Davis requested and
received a week's extension on an option on 100 acres near
the Forum, and Simers wrote that after the extension, the
NFL increased the "pressure" on Davis by "expressing
concern" about his gambling interests in MO and IL. Davis
is expected to bow out of the running, as sources said he
"concluded" that an NFL deal "is not a good business deal."
If the league obtains the option on Hollywood Park, it could
use it as "leverage in its franchise-fee negotiations with
Houston" and "explore the possibilities of building a
stadium at Hollywood Park and then auctioning it along with
an expansion team to the highest bidder" (L.A. TIMES, 9/25).
