"If Jerry Jones was looking for a fight with the National
Football League over soft drink sponsors and his threat to
withdraw the Cowboys from affiliation with NFL Properties, he may
be overmatched," writes Frank Luska in today's DALLAS MORNING
NEWS. "A heavyweight opponent to the Cowboys owner announced
himself Thursday from New York -- commissioner Paul Tagliabue."
Tagliabue: "The success of the league has really been to operate
as a partnership. That is what distinguishes us from baseball
and some of the other leagues. Once people start doing things
that are self-serving and short-sighted, you have some serious
problems....The key thing is not so much the pouring rights but
some of the rhetoric attacking NFL Properties and, 'Don't go to
the league, come to the Cowboys.' At best, something like this
is short-sighted and self-serving in terms of the Cowboys'
interest. At worst, it's very unfair and destructive." More
Tagliabue: "First of all, the Cowboys are where they are because
of a league institution called the draft, which is what produced
Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irwin. Institutions of
that type take a team that was 1-15 to where it is. You end up
with a philosophy of 'What's mine is mine and what's yours is
mine.' That's why I think it's very self-serving and short-
sighted" (Frank Luska, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/11).
TROY VS. JERRY? Coca-Cola is expected to announce today
that quarterback Troy Aikman will be an endorser in TV and radio
ads being created this weekend, according to USA TODAY. The ads
are expected to air in the Dallas area around August 21. Coca-
Cola "will use Aikman in response" to Jones' deal with Pepsi (USA
TODAY, 8/11).
