Tagliabue: Seahawks Belong In Seattle ‘I Think It’s Possible To Stop Them’ From Moving To L.A.

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue reiterated his objection Monday to the Seattle Seahawks’ proposed move to Southern California and said he believes it can be stopped.

“We told the Seattle (Seahawks) people last week we thought they should be operating exclusively in the Pacific Northwest, which is where they are franchised to operate, and that it was inappropriate for them even to be practicing in southern California,” Tagliabue said during a promotional stop.

Seahawks owner Ken Behring, who has cited concerns that Seattle’s Kingdome would be unsafe in a large earthquake, is contracting for the Rams’ former practice facility in Anaheim, Calif.

Tagliabue noted that owners, including Behring, passed a resolution last year giving the NFL control over the team that moves into the Los Angeles market. He also stressed that the Seahawks’ lease with the Kingdome expires in 2005.

Asked whether Seattle’s move could be blocked, he said: “I think it’s possible to stop them,” Tagliabue said. “We had a specific resolution that the membership adopted, and Seattle voted for it, relative to Los Angeles.

“They have a lease for the next 11 (actually 10) years with their stadium in Seattle. And if they have a legitimate safety issue that the courts uphold, then the lease is a different question. Until that court case is decided, they are under a lease obligation to operate in Seattle. They’re under an obligation with their franchise agreement with the league to operate in Seattle.”

The Seahawks have sued King County seeking to get out of their lease, while the county has sued the team to enforce the pact.

Denver owner Pat Bowlen said Behring’s disregard for the agreement could force the league to take legal action in an attempt to prevent the Seahawks from becoming the fifth franchise to relocate in the past year.

“This franchise relocation has gotten out of hand; out of hand,” Bowlen said. “We may be able to block him from going to Los Angeles simply because we have voted as a league to control the L.A. market together. Ken Behring is violating that agreement.”

How binding is the resolution? “We think it’s enforceable,” said Joe Browne, the league’s vice president of communications. “It’s a vote by the members of the league. We believe it’s as binding as any vote they take.”

Behring, responding with a statement from Los Angeles, said he was “completely surprised” by Tagliabue’s comments.

“We have not heard any such statements directly from Commissioner Tagliabue or any other league official,” Behring said. “In fact, the press reports (from London) are directly at odds with supportive statements previously made to us by Commissioner Tagliabue regarding the move of our franchise to southern California.”

King County Excecutive Gary Locke said he was “very encouraged” by Tagliabue’s comments.

“I think it certainly has to give pause to officials in the Los Angeles area that it may not be in their best interest to reach an agreement with Mr. Behring, especially if the league will not sanction it,” he said.

Behring’s proposed move must be approved by 23 of the 30 owners - meaning eight no votes or abstentions would defeat it. Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson and Pittsburgh president Dan Rooney have said they are opposed to any relocation, and cast the only opposing votes last week on Cleveland’s move to Baltimore.

John Shaw, president of the St. Louis Rams, said last week he will abstain if the Seahawks’ move comes to a vote. Raiders president Al Davis always abstains, and so now does Arizona president Bill Bidwill.

With Bowlen and possibly New York Giants co-owner Robert Tisch leaning toward trying to stop Behring, the owners could be just one vote shy of shooting down Behring’s plan.

A vote will not be taken until Behring files a relocation application, which he hasn’t done.

Behring seems to have little power and few friends in the league hierarchy. As one executive put it last week, “The man is out there on an island.” But Browne said Monday the issue is not the league vs. the Seahawks or the other owners vs. Ken Behring.

“Don’t put the cart before the horse,” Browne said. “The league resistance to a unilateral move by any of our clubs to Los Angeles is strengthened by the July 1995 resolution, which was approved without dissent. This resolution provides for greater Los Angeles to be a league opportunity rather than any individual club.”

Meanwhile, Dennis Erickson, who came home to coach the Seahawks, is not thrilled at the prospect of having to leave.

“I took the job because I had a chance to come home. I’m disappointed from that aspect of it,” said Erickson, an Everett native, who left a highly successful University of Miami program.

“But on the other hand, I’m a football coach first, so I’ve got to go coach this team regardless. I can’t worry about the other part.”