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Monday's League Meeting Notebook Commissioner addresses efforts to end violent crimes
Posted: Wednesday March 29, 2000 10:57 PM
By Don Banks PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNNSI.com) -- Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Monday the NFL is exploring ways in which to deal with players who are convicted of violent crimes, but he stopped short of outlining any specific proposals. In his first news conference at the NFL's four-day annual meeting, Tagliabue did say that he could assert his authority as commissioner to unilaterally toughen discipline for criminal offenders. He also acknowledged the need to address the issue of players who enter the league with a history of violent crime. "We're trying to reassess our entire policy, including the level of discipline," Tagliabue said. "I would say what we're looking at is a complete review. ... But I would have authority over provisions about conduct detrimental to the league, and any different set of policies and standards for discipline." The league on Wednesday will conduct a panel discussion among coaches and owners to brainstorm new ideas for preventing and dealing with situations like the high-profile murder charges brought against Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis and Carolina receiver Rae Carruth. The goal, Tagliabue said, is to make some decisions regarding future policies and then perhaps vote on them at a May owners meeting in Baltimore. At least one NFL player, Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter, has said that Tagliabue has talked to him about adopting a tougher screening program for draft-eligible college players who are identified as high risk in terms of violent crime in their past. Tagliabue expressed support Monday for more in-depth screening programs. "Some clubs are doing some in-depth screening of draft eligible players that most people feel is innovative," Tagliabue said. "There are tests out there that employers generally use, and some teams have suggested that we should do that on a league-wide basis and take advantage of the best testing technology that's available. That could be a very important initiative and could pay some dividends in terms of helping the players." Johnson no-show not counted outFirst-year Jets coach Al Groh acknowledged that Pro Bowl receiver Keyshawn Johnson might not report for offseason workouts or training camp in order to register his displeasure with New York's decision to not renegotiate his contract, and to involve his name in recent trade talks. Groh said Johnson didn't specifically say he wouldn't come to camp without a new contract, but that he was preparing for any and all possibilities. "Obviously he wasn't overjoyed with the outcome," Groh said. "We'll just have to take that as it comes. ... I don't have my head stuck in the sand. You realize when you make a decision of this nature what the potential implications are. And I did it with full awareness of everything and what the potential consequences were, both in the present and the short-term." Groh said he does not expect Johnson to take part in the team's offseason workout program, which began last week, "in the short term." Johnson is seeking to renegotiate his contract despite having two years remaining. The Jets say they can't do so under their current salary cap situation. Groh and the Jets entertained trade offers for Johnson last week, then announced that he was no longer available "at this current time." Both Tampa Bay and Baltimore had expressed interest. Officials from the Bucs and Ravens said Monday that they were moving on with the assumption that Johnson is unavailable. Assistant coaches making demandsTagliabue showed little in the way of support for the league's assistant coaches when he was asked about their relatively recent efforts to bargain with the NFL for increased benefits and other considerations. "I'm not aware of any negotiations with the NFLCA," Tagliabue said, referring to the NFL Coaches Association. "In fact I wasn't aware there was an NFLCA until now. But I think I know what the initials refer to." Led by former NFL assistant Larry Kennan, the group's executive director, the NFLCA is attempting to improve the pension and medical benefits of the league's assistants. The league has met with Kennan's group, but never formally acknowledged them as a union, Kennan said. "We've been trying to understand their point of view with respect to the some of the medical-care issues, some of their retirement issues, and some of their turnover issues," Tagliabue said. "We do understand we have a task force working on it. A year ago we adopted some new medical-related type policies. We'll probably have a meeting of some of the owners with Larry Kennan at some point. But it's principally a club responsibility and the owners feel very strongly that it should continue to be that way." The NFLCA has threatened to file a lawsuit against the league in the coming months if their concerns are not addressed. "He's saying he doesn't know what it is because he doesn't want to recognize us," Kennan said of Tagliabue. "I don't have a problem with the commissioner's comments because I do believe he'd like for us to resolve this. But I do have a problem when they say it should be handled by the teams, because this is a league issue." Tagliabue sees no threat to replayWith the vote on whether to continue the current instant replay system for a second season still two days away, Tagliabue was asked Monday if he thought there were eight teams opposed to replay and prepared to vote that way. It would take eight of the league's 31 teams to come down against replay in order to kill it after just a one-season experiment. "No, I don't think there are," Tagliabue said. "Based on what I've heard, there are not eight teams opposed to replay." The matter is scheduled for a vote Wednesday morning, just before the four-day meeting is expected to adjourn. The league's competition committee voted 6-1 in recent weeks to recommend that the current coaches challenge-based system is left intact for at least another season. Ravens sale goes throughAs expected, league owners on Monday voted unanimously to approve the sale of 49 percent of the Baltimore Ravens to Baltimore businessman Steve Bisciotti. Longtime franchise owner Art Modell will retain a controlling 51 percent interest in the team, but Bisciotti in 2004 will begin a two-year window in which he can acquire the majority ownership of the team from the financially troubled Modell. Bisciotti is paying $272 million for his share of the team. Modell, who has owned the Browns-Ravens franchise since 1961, called the transaction "a major milestone for me." Modell is expected to remain part of the organization in some capacity even if Bisciotti assumes control later this decade. "I'd like to sit back and learn from one of the icons," Bisciotti said of Modell. Gone but not forgottenIn so many words, Buffalo coach Wade Phillips on Monday made it eminently clear how he feels about the disputed play that ended the Bills' season. Tennessee receiver Kevin Dyson returned a last-minute kickoff for a touchdown against the Bills, winning an AFC first-round playoff game in dramatic fashion. The play, dubbed the "Music City Miracle," featured a controversial cross-field lateral from tight end Frank Wycheck to Dyson. Asked if the ruling that Wycheck's lateral did not travel forward was a good call or bad call, Phillips left little doubt about his view of the play. "You mean the illegal play at the end of our game?" Phillips said. "I can't comment on that." Middle linebackers need not apply?With Baltimore Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis' trial on murder charges due to open in Atlanta on May 15, Ravens coach Brian Billick said the team has no contingency plans to address the position in the upcoming NFL draft. "It'd be imprudent for us to approach the draft any other way then we [otherwise] would," Billick said. "If we take a linebacker in any round, and anybody construes that as being a lack of faith in Ray Lewis being with us in the fall, it would be a mistake in doing so. We'll let this process play itself out with Ray, but we have every belief that he'll be with us in the fall." Making the numbers workThe league will continue mulling over scheduling options this week in anticipation of realignment to an eight-division, 32-team configuration for 2002. Before owners worry about which teams will be moved out of their current divisions, they're more concerned with settling on a workable scheduling formula. With each team having just six division games in the four-team divisions, clubs will play four games against another division in their conference and four more against an inter-conference division. The remaining two games on each team's schedule is the problem. Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney said Monday he's favors a "strong" schedule format, in which first-place teams from the year before play two other division winners, and second place teams play two other second-place finishers and so on. "That way you'll equal it out," Rooney said. "Which means that the team that wins a division will end up playing about four division winners the next year. So that's pretty good." Realignment will not be settled until June of 2001, at the earliest. But league owners would like to vote on a new scheduling format long before the nitty-gritty work of moving teams into new divisions begins.
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