Owners’ squabble slows
NFL labor negotiations

The league must agree on revenue
sharing before a deal with the
NFLPA can be addressed

KAPALUA, Maui » NFL owners ended their meetings yesterday still divided over revenue sharing, a division that is holding up serious negotiations on renewing their labor agreement.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said there had been some progress after declaring at the start of the meetings that negotiations were at "a dead end."

But at least one key owner, Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney, indicated little had been done to reach any agreement on a formula for contributions to the player pool under the salary cap. Five high-revenue teams -- Dallas, Washington, Houston, New England and Philadelphia -- contribute a lower percentage to the players' benefit package than the rest of the 32 teams.

"Not really," Rooney said when asked if there had been much accomplished this week on the issue.

On Monday, Tagliabue indicated the deadlock was between the NFL Players Association and the owners. But other than a short phone conversation, he had no contact during the week with Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA, and yesterday he shifted the burden to the squabble among the owners.

"I think we've made some significant progress internally on the collective bargaining issues we're facing," Tagliabue said in his wrap-up news conference. As a result, he said, the owners would meet April 19 in Atlanta for further discussions.

The owners and the union have agreed to broaden the formula for the salary cap from what is known as "designated gross revenue" to "total football revenue." Tagliabue said that instead of the current 88 percent to 90 percent of total money going into the cap, that figure would increase to between 92 percent and 93 percent.

The labor contract does not expire until 2008. But the actual deadline comes a year earlier because under the contract first agreed to in 1992, 2007 would be without a salary cap, a point neither side really wants to reach.

The NFL's disagreement with the union is over the percentage that goes to the players, currently 64 percent of the DGR. Upshaw, who is vacationing in Hawaii, said yesterday the owners want to cut that to 57 percent because the total pot is bigger, and the players are asking for 65 percent.

He also indicated those are negotiating figures.

"We'll find a way to get it done," he said. "It just that we have an opportunity now and we may have to pass on it because the owners can't seem to agree among themselves."

Most of the meetings were centered on the dispute over revenue sharing, which also dominated last year's spring meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. From comments on both sides -- Jerry Jones of Dallas among the high-revenue teams and Rooney and Indianapolis' Jim Irsay among the smaller-market teams -- it appeared that little has been resolved since then.

There also was little done to alter playing rules.

The rules change that would have had the biggest impact was voted down -- a proposal to include "down by contact" calls in instant replay. It received 20 votes, with 24 necessary, although Atlanta general manager Rich McKay, co-chairman of the competition committee, said he thought it would be approved in the future.

"It involves one of the most important plays in the game: change of possession," McKay said of the proposal, which would allow reviews of fumbles that take place after the whistle has blown.

Tagliabue also said the league is reviewing a number of scenarios for the prime-time part of its television package. CBS and Fox already have agreed to pay a total of $8 billion over six years for the Sunday AFC and NFC rights.

He suggested it was possible the traditional Monday night over-the-air rights could be replaced by cable, with the Sunday night game going to a regular network.

"We've looked at ESPN for Monday nights, other networks for Sunday nights or Monday nights, ESPN for Sunday nights, split packages on Monday nights."

Switching networks on Sunday and Monday nights also is possible, particularly with the league's desire to have some flexibility in moving games from the afternoon to prime time. Such time switches work far better when they are Sunday afternoon to evening rather than Sunday to Monday night.

Owners vote for
New York

KAPALUA, Maui » The Super Bowl is coming to the Big Apple in 2010. Maybe.

Now all the New York Jets have to do is get approval for their stadium project on the West Side of Manhattan, which is no slam dunk.

NFL owners voted 31-1 yesterday to award the 2010 game to New York, provided the 75,000-seat stadium, whose cost now has reached nearly $2 billion, is built.

"Today is a landmark day," Jets owner Woody Johnson said, "and the 2010 Super Bowl in the New York Sports and Convention Center will be a historic event. We're thrilled about this announcement."

But there still are many hurdles before the Jets can break ground on what also would be the centerpiece of the city's 2012 Summer Olympics bid.

Earlier this week, the Jets substantially increased their bid for the land on which the stadium with a retractable roof would be built, upping it to $720 million. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns the land that currently is used as train yards, will choose among three bidders on March 31.

There also has been substantial opposition to the project from neighborhood action groups and others who question why New York's policemen, firefighters and teachers are without contracts, but the city can chip in $500 million or so for a stadium.

Both the city and state favor the project.

"We're thrilled with the National Football League's decision to award the 2010 Super Bowl to New York City," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "It is an enormous vote of confidence in our plans to build the New York Sports and Convention Center. When it is complete, New York will finally have a world-class facility for the country's top sports events, along with the economic activity and jobs that come with them."

Jets president Jay Cross compared the stadium project to a race.

"Every day we are closer to the finish," said the Jets' lead man on the stadium. "This is one of many steps in a long hurdle race. We've cleared the next hurdle."

March 31 would be next, and if that goes against the Jets, the West Side site probably would be dead.

Beyond that, if the Jets beat out the bids of Cablevision, which owns Madison Square Garden, and a third bidder, TransGas Energy Systems LLC, there still could be lawsuits.

Plus, New York is considered an outsider to get the 2012 Games in a race with Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow.

But yesterday was a day for celebration for the team that has not played in a Super Bowl since 1969; for the city and state; and for the league itself.

"When the NFL says it wants to bring its signature event to New York, that helps build momentum," said Cross, who has worked for four years on the stadium deal. "It's important to build a broad base of support and a consensus."

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was particularly supportive of the 2010 decision.

"It's very important," he said. "It will be a great economic catalyst to the city, great for the NFL and our partnership. The whole point is, take New York and look at that area and the economic catalyst it can be.

"The last Super Bowl in Jacksonville and the one before it in Houston and next year in Detroit creates tremendous exposure and tremendous economic opportunities."

The Jets, who have played in the New Jersey Meadowlands along with the Giants since 1984, "have been a nomad franchise," according to coach Herman Edwards. "We need our own stadium, obviously. We're the only one of 32 teams that shares a stadium. It's a little different than any other home venue."

The Manhattan stadium would open for the 2009 season and the NFL would waive its rule that a team must play at least two seasons in a stadium before hosting a Super Bowl there.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, a strong supporter of the stadium and a Super Bowl in New York, said there is no contingency plan should the arena not be built.

"The plan would be, on the outside chance it didn't go forward in New York, we would revisit it and re-evaluate and look at alternative cities," he said.

Bidding on the 2009 Super Bowl is ongoing and the site will be chosen at the May league meeting in Washington. Tampa, Miami (host of the 2007 game), Houston and Atlanta are the bidders.