NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue met for an hour with
Philadelphia Mayor John Street last Friday in an effort to
"pressure the city to finish a deal for new stadiums" for the
Eagles and Phillies, according to Benson & Sheridan of the
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, who wrote that it "was the second time
within a week" that Tagliabue and Street had spoken. Though
Tagliabue and Street said that their meeting was
"productive," sources said that Street "gave few concrete
details about his plans," and Tagliabue told Street that the
Eagles "intend to make the city abide by its agreement to
complete a deal by Nov. 30 or to buy the team's new practice
facility and pour tens of millions of dollars into fixing up"
Veterans Stadium. Eagles officials "are becoming
increasingly concerned" as the November 30 deadline
approaches because "no talks are scheduled." One other
"worry" for the Eagles is that NFL owners are scheduled to
meet tomorrow in Atlanta, and one item "on the agenda will be
the NFL loan program." Team officials said that other NFL
owners "are concerned that the deal the Eagles are offering
the city would set an overly generous precedent that they
would have to match" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/28).
MORE THAN JUST A STADIUM DILEMMA: In Philadelphia, Erin
Einhorn wrote that "around the corner" from Tagliabue's
meeting with Street, the mayor's "education people were
negotiating" to end the first possible teachers' strike in
Philadelphia in 19 years (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 10/28).
