Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 20, 1991 TAG: 9103200207
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: KOHALA, HAWAII LENGTH: Medium
But as the result of a phone conversation between Arizona Gov. Fife Symington and Tagliabue, which took place last weekend, the owners tentatively awarded the 1996 game to Arizona, which will hold a second referendum on the holiday in November 1992.
"We wanted it for 1993, but it was the best deal we could make," said Bill Bidwill, owner of the Phoenix Cardinals.
The 1993 game, which had been awarded to Phoenix a year ago, will be in either Pasadena or San Diego, which presented their arguments to the owners after the vote on Phoenix.
All this is the result of a referendum in Arizona in which a King paid holiday was turned down by 17,000 votes out of more than a million cast.
The owners' vote on taking the game from Phoenix wasn't announced, although it needed 21 of the 28 votes.
But what has become an emotionally charged issue, particularly in Arizona, wasn't that clear cut - "a difficult and sensitive issue," said Joe Browne, the NFL's vice president for communications and Tagliabue's chief spokesman.
Bidwill said: "I believe the political situation in Phoenix has changed dramatically. I think the '92 vote will pass."
The conversation between Tagliabue and Symington took place by telephone last weekend, but Bidwill said he didn't know anything about it until about midway through the 3 1/2-hour discussion Tuesday.
Many owners who voted to take the game from Phoenix had severe misgivings.
"I sympathize with the people in Phoenix, I really do," said Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns and one of the league's influential owners. "But I don't see how we had any choice."
The game was awarded to Phoenix on the fifth ballot last year by a 16-12 vote over Los Angeles after San Diego was eliminated on the first. Many owners said Phoenix got the game because they wanted to help Bidwill establish himself in Phoenix.
After the vote, the King issue was raised.
Tagliabue said he expected the state to have a holiday, but Norman Braman, chairman of the Super Bowl site selection committee and owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, said that if there was no holiday, he would lead a move to withdraw it.
In other action, for the sixth straight year, NFL owners voted by the slimmest of margins to retain instant replay and again set themselves up for yet another debate next year on the same issue.
The vote was 21-7, the minimum needed under NFL by-laws that require a three-quarters vote on all major measures. Putting it in permanently, however, was not considered.
Al Davis of the Los Angeles Raiders gave an impassioned plea, citing the success of American technology in the Persian Gulf War as an example of what can be accomplished.
The owners also voted to keep the same 47-man roster with 45 men active as has been in force the past two years. And pending agreement with the principals in various labor suits against the league, they will retain the five-man practice squad.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB