NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue met the media assembled
for Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego on Friday and gave his
annual state of the league address. Excerpts follow:
TV DEAL: "Many of you described [the deals] with
superlatives: 'Staggering,' 'Stunning,' 'Unbelievable,' and
so on. I think of the contracts in a very, very different
way -- as just a beginning." Tagliabue: "The television
agreements also present challenges, beginning with the
challenge to use the money in constructive ways. This
means, among other things, an extended labor agreement with
the players, team stability and reinvestment in the game."
ON PUBLIC FUNDING FOR STADIUM DEVELOPMENT IN LIGHT OF
NEW DEALS: "What we have talked about and will talk about is
public-private partnerships on stadiums. ... In many, if not
most communities, there comes a recognition at some point
that a public-private partnership in which we invest as well
as public money is invested makes sense." ON REPORTS OF A
$500M EXPANSION FEE AFTER THE TV DEALS: "That's a throw-
around number. No one has done any analysis of what the new
TV contract means in terms of value of NFL franchises. How
that translates, we haven't been able to look at yet."
WORLD LEAGUE: "Internationally, we expect continued
success with the World League in 1998 when it will kick off
in several months with a new name: NFL Europe."
ON MINORITY HIRING FOR HEAD COACHING POSITIONS: "Once
we're through this hiring season ... people will recognize
that there's been a considerable amount of progress made."
INSTANT REPLAY: "[I]t could very well get support this
year. ... With the coach's challenge system, and a very
limited number of plays that would be subject to review, I
think it would help in those instances that were identified
last year with calls that were season-making-type plays."
ON THE NFL'S RETURN TO HOUSTON: "Cleveland has got to
be the number one priority for 1998 because we are committed
to launching the Browns in September 1999 and will do that.
But Houston is very much in our thinking and our planning
for 1998 as well, as is Los Angeles."
EXPANSION FOR CLEVELAND: "I think there's growing
recognition in the league that expansion to Cleveland would
be the optimal way of relaunching the Cleveland Browns."
ON THE BLACKOUT POLICY: "I think if we didn't have our
current policies relative to the blackout it would have a
very negative effect, especially on our teams that our
struggling. ... The haves would not get hurt. The have-nots
would get hurt hard in terms of attendance and interest."
ON WHERE THE OILERS WILL PLAY NEXT SEASON: "We don't
have a view right now. Obviously, our preference would be
that they don't play in a half-empty stadium."
MEXICO: "We're going to be looking at that possibility
of having a regular-season game in Mexico" (ESPN, 1/23).
REAX: ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported, "Some owners
were caught a little off guard by [Tagliabue's remarks] that
he expects instant replay to return in 1998 because it will
be pushed by co-chairman of the competition committee, Green
Bay Packers Coach Mike Holmgren. Holmgren wasn't so sure."
Holmgren: "I'm not going to champion the cause as much as
I've done the last two years" ("SportsCenter," 1/25).
