Seahawks Owner Ken Behring said last night "he will defy"
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's "order that Behring return the
team to Seattle, or face fines and sanctions," according to this
morning's SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. Behring, in a statement
released yesterday: "There is no change. We moved the franchise
headquarters to Southern California and our plans will not be
reversed." Several sources said Tagliabue and Behring "had an
angry encounter" during the recent NFL owners' meetings in
Chicago, with tagliabue ordering Behring to move his equipment
back or he would be fined. Meanwhile, several local business
leaders, including Jon Nordstrom, the former Seahawks co-owner
and a close friend of Tagliabue's, "have been working behind the
scenes in recent days to bring the NFL over to Seattle's side."
Working in Seattle's favor: King County officials apparently
have convinced Tagliabue they have a strong case on the Kingdome
lease; NFL owners had wanted to give L.A. an expansion team and
divide the cash; also, the NFL would want to avoid a suit from
King County, which successfully sued the AL in '70 (Boren &
Bruscas, SEATTLE P-I, 2/14).
NO GRAND PLAN: ESPN's John Clayton reports Behring's move
was not "pre-planned." Clayton: "He hired an attorney to break
the team's lease at the Kingdome less than a month ago. Behring,
in fact, surprised family members by moving so quickly without a
stadium deal" ("SportsCenter," 2/13).
