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NFL still has no solution for playoffs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 20, 2001

The NFL, hoping to prevent the loss of playoff games, hasn't announced a decision about whether to play wild-card games.

The league was hoping to swap dates with the National Automobile Dealers Association, which has its convention in New Orleans the week after the Super Bowl. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue spoke with the automobile organization on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of the annual convention changing either its dates or location.

But the NADA, which has booked 24,000 hotel rooms that week in New Orleans, turned down the offer.

"If there had been any way at all we could accommodate the NFL's request, we would have," NADA spokesman David Hyatt said. "It was mission impossible."

The NFL, which would have to repay as much as $80-million to TV networks for wiping out a round of the playoffs, might check back with the NADA this week.

"We still think the door is open to other discussions," said Dan Happoldt, spokesman for the Super Bowl XXXVI host committee in New Orleans.

Happoldt said the league has assured New Orleans the possibility of moving the Super Bowl to another city is extremely remote. One scenario has both conference title games being played in New Orleans on Jan. 27 -- the current Super Bowl Sunday -- and moving the Super Bowl to another locale.

"Any scenario involving the Super Bowl being played in any city but New Orleans is the absolute last-case scenario -- and not very likely in our opinion," said Happoldt, who also said the game is worth $310-million to the city's economy.

Tampa Sports Authority spokesperson Barbara Casey said the NFL has not contacted the authority about Tampa being a possible relocation site for the Super Bowl. Casey, who has been involved in staging past Super Bowls in Tampa, said the league is likely to have difficulty finding a replacement city that has enough available hotel rooms.

"Moving the Super Bowl back a week or two would be everybody's first choice," said Dean Spanos, president of the Chargers. "It's the most reasonable and practical solution. It's also the most difficult solution."

- Staff writer Darrell Fry contributed to this report.

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