NFL: Glazers can buy Dodgers

Glazers could keep Bucs and set up separate management and financing to buy L.A. baseball team.

TAMPA - If the Glazers are successful in their bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers, they would not be forced by the NFL to sell the Buccaneers, commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Saturday.

In a morning meeting in New York with a group of sports editors from across the country, Tagliabue confirmed that Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer has talked to the NFL about his interest in the Dodgers. Tagliabue said the purchase would be in compliance with the league's cross-ownership rules.

"Yeah, we've talked to them, and our understanding is that they are looking at it as a family opportunity that would be consistent with our rules on cross ownership," Tagliabue said. "That basically means that whatever they did would involve independent resources, independent finances and independent management, separate from the Buccaneers, even though it would be possibly a family member."

As is their history, the Glazers refused to comment on external business ventures.

Bucs general manager Rich McKay said the Glazers have exhibited a commitment to keeping the team in Tampa and added Tagliabue's statements do not necessarily mean the Glazers have lost interest in the Bucs.

"The commissioner's statements were consistent with our thoughts all along that the Glazers intend to own this football team for a long time," McKay said. "Even though they may have an interest in the Dodgers, that interest in no way would affect their desire to continue to own this team. That's at least from my perspective. I don't speak for them."

The commissioner's clarification is important because the NFL prohibits its owners from being involved with ownership of franchises in other cities. The NFL generally does not allow an owner to purchase a professional basketball, baseball or hockey team.

The league will make an exception if the team being purchased is in the same city as the owner's NFL franchise, or is in a city without an NFL team and one that is not considered a potential market.

Los Angeles, the largest television market in the country without a franchise, has been identified as a future home of an NFL team and still could be awarded a franchise. The Glazers apparently got Tagliabue's approval by proposing to divide ownership among family members. Malcolm Glazer, who is worth an estimated $750-million, owns a home in Beverly Hills. Son Ed, one of the executive vice presidents of the Bucs, lives in Los Angeles. Sons Bryan and Joel, also executive vice presidents, run the Bucs' day-to-day operations.

Tagliabue said the Glazers may purchase the Dodgers: "As long as the resources are separate and the financing is separate and there are no cross covenants and/or cross guarantees on any of the financing with the Bucs and no integration of any of the management. ... We've addressed that in other situations. When Charles Dolan of Cablevision was interested in acquiring the Jets several years ago, his brother owned the Cleveland Indians and we looked at ownership in the NFL and the same family owning a team."

Tagliabue said he is satisfied that the Glazers have no intention of selling the Super Bowl-winning franchise.

"I think they are delighted to own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and I think they intend to continue to run the Buccaneers the way they have been," Tagliabue said. "They really view it as a separate opportunity, and it will be done separately in terms of financing and management if they went forward."

In recent weeks, Glazer emerged as the front-runner to purchase the Dodgers, owned by entertainment giant News Corp. and its chairman, Rupert Murdoch. Glazer has an existing business arrangement with Murdoch. He purchased 2.9 percent of English soccer club Manchester United for $14-million. Murdoch is the principle owner of the $1.58-billion franchise.

It is unclear how much Glazer's final bid for the Dodgers would be, but the Los Angeles Times reported that New York sports executive Dave Checketts offered $600-million for the team, provided the company is willing to sell the cable television station that airs Dodgers games. Murdoch purchased the Dodgers for $350-million in 1997.

Glazer, 74, bought the Bucs in 1995 for $192-million and has turned the franchise into an estimated $606-million entity. Glazer considered moving the Bucs to Los Angeles before Hillsborough County taxpayers approved a half-cent sales tax to, among other things, construct the $185-million Raymond James Stadium that was built in 1996. The Bucs have 25 years left on the lease with the Tampa Sports Authority.

- Times sports columnist John Romano contributed to this report.

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