NFL owners meetings formally begin today in West Palm
Beach, FL, and among the items on the agenda are the
league's new anti-violence initiatives, a vote on instant
replay and a discussion on the league's Internet strategy.
In N.Y., Mike Freeman reported that NFL Commissioner Paul
Tagliabue has formed a committee to improve player behavior
and wrote Tagliabue's "ideas -- which range from sterner
punishment to bringing in military leaders as advisers --
are sure to be debated, even criticized, by the owners and
others." Ravens Owner Art Modell: "I just do not know if
there is anything the league office can truly do to help
with this problem." But NFLPA Exec Dir Gene Upshaw said,
"Everyone agrees we have to do something. What we can't
seem to agree on is what." Freeman: "While Tagliabue seems
to be taking a harder stance, executives close to him
maintain he wants to do more." One proposal includes
starting a news media campaign that "emphasizes the positive
deeds players do in the community, and encourage wives and
girlfriends to participate more" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/26). In
Baltimore, Vito Stellino noted that Ravens coach Brian
Billick, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and Bucs coach Tony
Dungy will "lead a panel" on player behavior. Stellino:
"League officials want to see if they can come up with any
new policy initiatives, including better screening of the
players in the draft and a better way to identify at-risk
players" (SUN, 3/26). In N.Y., Gary Myers wrote that one
scenario could see players "who come into the NFL with
felonies in their past may, in effect, be redshirted for a
year after they are drafted while undergoing treatment and
counseling." Players could also be "pushed into the next
draft after undergoing treatment and counseling," although
there are "questions if that would face a legal challenge"
(N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/26).
WHAT COULD WORK? NFL Management Council Dir Harold
Henderson, on the current NFL system: "I'm concerned that
people think the programs we're inputting are not being
successful. That being said, we're always looking for ways
to do more and make it better" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 3/26).
Bengals President Mike Brown: "I do agree there are more
problems now, not that it's just being reported more. I
think the league has to address it" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER,
3/26). Eighteen players have been charged with crimes since
the start of last season (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/27).
EVERYONE ON SAME INTERNET PAGE? In Minneapolis, Kevin
Seifert wrote that while the NFL "has no ... course plotted
for potential Internet windfalls," the league recently
"circulated a draft proposal that called for team sites to
be centralized and in some ways, managed by the league, and
for revenues to be shared at least to some degree."
Currently, Web revenues range between $100,000-500,000 per
team. Vikings Exec VP/Business Operations Mike Kelly: "What
the NFL appears to be proposing is a strong central anchor.
... They think they can generate larger amounts of revenue
by selling to advertisers on access to all 32 sites on a
national scale." Seifert wrote that one reason for the
group plan is that the league is "concerned" that Web sites
such as rivals.com "might look to essentially purchase
Internet rights from certain teams" (STAR TRIBUNE, 3/26).
OTHER ISSUES: In Boston, Will McDonough writes, "It
appears instant replay will be a slam dunk to return for the
2000 season" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/27)....In Ft. Lauderdale, Alex
Marvez wrote that the "lack of progress" on benefits for the
league's assistant coaches has "prompted" the NFLCA to
"begin considering a lawsuit in hopes of forcing the NFL
into action." NFLCA Exec Dir Larry Kennan has an
"unofficial meeting" with a group of owners this week.
Kennan: "After this meeting, we're drawing the line in the
sand because it's time for them to do something significant
for the coaches" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 3/26)....In
Baltimore, Stellino wrote that the NFL Finance Committee
"unanimously recommended" yesterday that the league approve
the sale of 49% of the Ravens to business exec Stephen
Bisciotti. Full ownership will vote on the matter today.
Bisciotti was set to fly to FL yesterday with Legg Mason
Sports Managing Dir John Moag (Baltimore SUN, 3/27).....NFL
attendance "was at a record high" in '99, "helped by the
addition" of the Browns. Attendance totaled 20,762,730,
more than one million higher than '98. It was the third
year in a row the league set a new record (AP, 3/27).
TAKING ISSUE WITH THE TIMES: NFL Senior
VP/Communications Joe Browne wrote a Letter to the Editor of
the N.Y. Times criticizing the newspaper's report of the
U.S. Senate Caucus on Int'l Narcotics Control's
investigation into the league's action against players who
reportedly failed drug tests (See THE DAILY, 3/9). The
Times' headline stated, "Panel Says Drug Policy Favored Top-
Tier Stars," and Browne wrote, "The caucus's staff director
told our office that the Senate panel did not conclude that
top-tier stars were favored under any previous or current
N.F.L. drug policy. The staff heard suggestions of this but
did not find them to be true" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/19).
