Prospective Vikings Owner Tom Clancy said last night
that he "probably won't be in Miami tonight when his
ownership group is scheduled to make its presentation to the
NFL's finance committee" on a $200M bid for the Vikings,
according to Paula Parrish of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE.
When asked whether his absence "will leave an unfavorable
impression" on the committee, Clancy: "If they don't know
who I am, then the problem is theirs and not mine."
Clancy's co-investor Marc Ganis said he "is prepared to give
the presentation without Clancy" (STAR TRIBUNE, 5/18).
TOUGH TALK: In Baltimore, Vito Stellino wrote that
Clancy "wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms" by the NFL
when he declared his intention to buy the team, and since
then, the NFL has "done its best to discredit" his bid.
Clancy, on the involvement of Rockets Owner Les Alexander in
his ownership group: "I'm not moving the Vikings to Texas.
It has the worst climate in America. My name is not Irsay,
it's Clancy ... This is another case of reporter friction.
It's published and all of a sudden, there's a controversy."
Clancy also "made the not-so-subtle threat" that if his bid
is rejected he'll take the league to court: "We have
complied with all NFL rules. If they want to make up new
rules as they go along, there will be consequences"
(Baltimore SUN, 5/17). More Clancy, on Alexander's role:
"I'm not going to give this team up while I'm alive. He's
going to have the right of first refusal, but he's not going
to have the right to move the team" (STAR TRIBUNE, 5/17).
