In the tentative deal reached by the NFL and NFLPA to
extend its CBA through 2003, there is "some ambiguous
language in the agreement to redirect some TV money to help
needy teams pursue new stadium construction," according to
Tony Grossi of the Cleveland PLAIN-DEALER. Steelers
President Dan Rooney: "The problem with that is the
confusion. The (people in) Pittsburgh and Denver, they'll
think, 'OK, now the league's going to pay for stadiums.'
That is not going to help. All this does is help a little."
Grossi added that the union "held the advantage in
negotiations, but it declined to hold out for such givebacks
as eliminating the restrictive franchise player and
transition player designations" (PLAIN-DEALER, 3/1). In San
Diego, Jerry Magee examines the "dogging-it" clause in the
tentative deal which applies to a player with a guaranteed
contract being warned by the team over the "intensity" of
his performance. Magee: "Intensity is not a matter that can
be legislated. It is a character thing. It should be left
that way" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/1).
OTHER FOOTBALL NOTES: ESPN's Chris Mortensen said that
members of the Black Coaches Association "feel progress is
being made" where "the pool of coordinators -- black
coordinators -- is starting to get deeper." Mortensen: "We
now have ten black coordinators on the offensive and
defensive side of the ball in the NFL, which has widened the
pool. They're happy with that. What they're not happy with
is what's going on in the NCAA, where there are only five
head coaches out of 114 schools, and the coordinators, just
about ten, really, what they have in the NFL" (ESPN, 3/1).
...USA TODAY's Gordon Forbes reports that Joe Kapp's planned
pro football league includes former Rams exec Don Klosterman
and ex-NFL QB Craig Morton. The league "targets Hispanic-
American fans in New York, San Antonio, Los Angeles,
Orlando, Mexico City and San Jose" (USA TODAY, 3/2).
