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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Behring Wants Seahawks For Son Owner Says Forget About Buying Franchise, He’s Taking It To L.A. Area

From Wire Reports

Forget speculation Ken Behring might be interested in selling the Seattle Seahawks so the NFL team can remain in the Northwest.

He wants it as a plaything for his son.

There were reports in Seattle that negotiations were still being conducted between Behring and King County officials to sell the Seahawks. Behring said in Los Angeles on Monday one of the officials asked that a line of communication be maintained, but there will be no further talk about him selling the team.

“My son wants to spend the rest of his life in football, and that’s why I am in this,” he said. “If my intention was to sell, I could have done that while I was there.

“We have a complete commitment here, and while it will be a little rocky for a short period of time, there are many, many solutions that can be used once time passes and emotions quiet down. They don’t want us there and we don’t want to be there, so I’m sure there’s some way to work things out.”

Meanwhile in L.A., for Walt Disney Co. conspiracy theorists, who believe the Mouse will one day run this team, there is this titillating piece of information: The attorney who is representing Behring in his lawsuit to free the Seahawks to leave Seattle is also the attorney for Michael Ovitz, Disney president, and the same attorney charged by the Rose Bowl recently to secure an NFL team.

Strange, strange day. While Anaheim city officials had a key-to-the-city-like greeting planned for Behring on Monday, including a news conference and walk-through of Rams Park, Behring was in Los Angeles meeting with Mayor Richard Riordan and John Ferraro, president of the Los Angeles City Council.

As for that six-month exclusive window of opportunity Anaheim officials said they had to convince Behring to settle permanently there, well, forget it. Apparently, it was all a misunderstanding.

“It’s a natural mistake,” Behring said. “When we started talking about the Rams’ practice facility, Anaheim said it would like us to give them some consideration whenever we started looking for a permanent site, and they said we could have the practice facility for six months without paying.

“That changed, though. We said we were going to pay as we go, so we don’t lead anyone on one way or the other.”

Behring said he expects to sign a one-year lease with attached option years for Rams Park today, although the Magnolia School Board failed to approve such a deal at a Monday night hearing. Another hearing will be conducted tonight. Behring said he has opened negotiations with the Rose Bowl, and will tour the facility today. He has no plans to visit Anaheim.

Despite growing sentiment, and in some cases downright conviction, that Ovitz and Disney are behind the move here, Behring said there is no truth to such talk.

“I sure wouldn’t take them out of the running if they are interested, but we have not talked,” he said.

“This is a guy who has a free-agent franchise and … he can be courted by one suitor or another. He loves it,” said Pete von Reichbauer, a member of the King County Council.

Behring, widely denounced in Seattle, told L.A., “I’ve learned a lot of things about owning a football team these past few years. One is working hard to earn the support and respect of the community.”

While the vans continued moving Seahawks’ equipment south, King County prosecutor Norm Maleng said any government signing a contract with Behring for use of a stadium to play NFL games would be sued by the county.

As soon as the county learns of a contract, “Boom, we’d file suit,” Maleng said.

“We do have a very strong legal position,” Maleng insisted. That is because 10 years remain on the Seahawks’ lease of the Kingdome in Seattle and because of a “specific performance” clause in the lease that says monetary damages are not a sufficient penalty if the Seahawks break the lease, he said.

Under the clause, the county can require the Seahawks to play home games in the Kingdome, Maleng said.

The Seahawks remained unimpressed by Maleng’s legal argument. Ron Olson, Behring’s Los Angeles-area attorney, contends the county can’t enforce the lease agreement with the Seahawks because the county is in fundamental breach of the contract. The team asserts the county has not maintained the Kingdome as a first-class facility for viewing and playing football - a stipulation contained in the lease.

To underscore his position, Maleng sent letters to several Southern California city and stadium officials, warning them they could be in big legal trouble with King County if they enter into any agreements that would move the Seahawks to their locale.

Rose Bowl general manager Dave Jacobs said Jacobs added he was sensitive to Seat tle’s legal fight to keep the team, and he had this message for Seahawks fans: “The Rose Bowl is not trying to steal your team away from you.”