As AFL owners meet today in Chicago to discuss the
league's current labor dispute with its players, AFL
spokesperson David Cooper said that there "could be a late
solution" to "save" the 2000 season, according to Mark
Singelais of the Albany TIMES UNION. The Int'l Brotherhood
of Teamsters is trying to organize AFL players into a union
"to bargain with the owners." Cooper noted that a majority
of AFL players are opposed to suing the league: "I think the
consensus is that the players, working with the Teamsters,
are close to a majority and will have more than a majority
pretty soon. They could come before the Board of Directors
(today) or Thursday and still have a pretty good shot at
saving the season." AFL owners have said that they're
"willing to negotiate all issues" with the players if they
form a union (Albany TIMES UNION, 2/23).
NO SOUND FOR THE FURY: In Grand Rapids, MI, Gary Bond
reported that the labor standoff has resulted in its first
"major casualty," as the Detroit Fury, one of three AFL
expansion franchises scheduled to debut this season,
announced that it is "folding due to a lack of ticket sales
and the inability to land sponsorships because of the labor
dispute." Bond wrote that "even if the dispute is settled,"
the Fury said that there "isn't enough time to secure the
needed financial support" (GRAND RAPIDS PRESS, 2/22).
FAN FRIENDLY? USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke writes that the
Fan Football League (FFL), which NBC and Turner "decided
against owning," still "hopes to launch" in March 2001 with
12 teams. Prospective DC franchise spokesperson Jim Speros:
"We hope to announce the league in the next month." Speros
said the FFL has a TV deal with Pax TV Network, which has 77
million HHs, and "would aim" for a game of the week on NBC.
But NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer said, "We have not had
any contact with them, and we don't anticipate doing
anything with that league" (USA TODAY, 2/23).
