After NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's State of the
League address, ESPN.com's Greg Garber wrote that Tagliabue
"can't match the precise, polished presence" of President
Clinton in his State of the Union address, but Tagliabue is
"playing on a level field when it comes to spin. ... As a
lawyer and generally clever fellow, Tagliabue presented a
bright-and-shiny vision of the future" (ESPN.com, 1/29). In
Akron, Pat McManamon: "As Clinton, Tagliabue said that
everything is wonderful in his world, but unlike Clinton,
Tagliabue proposed no tax reductions in the form of lower
ticket prices or PSL rebates" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 1/29).
THE FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT...: In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote
that Tagliabue is the "best commissioner in sports because
his sport runs the best. ... More and more his system is the
opposite of baseball's, no matter how honorable Bud Selig's
intentions are" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/30). In Ft. Worth,
Randy Galloway noted Tagliabue's comments that each team has
the "same chance": "[Bud Selig] can consider that a shot
fired right past his ear" (STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/30). In N.Y.,
Mike Freeman wrote that the "subject of violence was
unavoidable" on Friday and Tagliabue "did not try to steer
clear of it." While there is "remarkable prosperity for the
league," the "one thing that continues to dog the N.F.L. is
the perception that its players, because they play a violent
sport, are prone to rage off the field" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/29).
In Orange County, Todd Harmonson called Friday's session
"typical Tagliabue. He touted the NFL's salary cap system
as far better than anything used by another major sport, he
sidestepped questions regarding the lack of minority hiring
among coaches." He was "most defensive" about the issue of
players' behavior (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/29). In DC,
Michael Wilbon criticized Tagliabue for not being more vocal
about the need for an increase in minority hiring:
"Tagliabue's sense of fairness isn't at issue here; what is
at issue is what I perceive to be his reluctance to take on
the owners with the same level of annoyance he took on the
players over their behavior. The commissioner had every
chance to do that Friday, and instead took a pass"
(WASHINGTON POST, 1/29). In NJ, Paul Needell wrote under
the header, "Tagliabue Is Colorblind To Minority Hiring
Issue." Needell: "The NFL has to be the only place in the
world where three [coaches] can go to two and it's viewed as
progress. Emperor Tagliabue wears no clothes" (STAR-LEDGER,
1/30). The Rev. Jesse Jackson said the pace of league's
hiring of African-Americans is a result of "a culture driven
by white supremacists." But NFL Senior VP/Communications
Joe Browne said "teams have only one standard for hiring
players, coaches and other football personnel. That standard
is when individuals, white or black, will help take the
teams to the Super Bowl" (CNNSI.com, 1/29).
TV TIME OUT? While Tagliabue said the chances of a
flexible TV schedule next season are 50-50, NEWSDAY's Steve
Zipay wrote that for ABC and TV viewers, a new system "makes
sense." But for CBS, Fox, and ticket holders, "there isn't
much upside," as the nets "would lose some high-rated Sunday
game." Zipay: "The hunch here is that it won't happen in
2000." Sources said that some NFL owners "wondered about
stadium availability on such short notice. Others said CBS
and Fox would want some reductions in rights fees." Zipay:
"When it comes to money, givebacks aren't part of the NFL
equation" (NEWSDAY, 1/29).
