Owners At Expansion Impasse

Tue., March 16, 1999

Before deciding whether to put a 32nd franchise in Houston or Los Angeles, NFL owners may have to amend their rule that requires a three-quarters vote for major decisions.

The owners adjourned with no consensus on where they would put an expansion team, or even if they would expand at all. The main obstacle, much as it was a decade ago during a seven-month debate over the commissioner’s job, is the rule that requires 24 of the 31 teams to agree.

“We don’t have 24 votes to go to 32 teams, we don’t have 24 votes to go to Houston and we don’t have 24 votes to go to Los Angeles,” said Jerry Richardson of Carolina, chairman of the league’s expansion committee.

If a new stadium is built in nearby Mesa, Ariz., for the Arizona Cardinals, the area will be awarded a Super Bowl following the 2004, 2005 or 2006 seasons by the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals were awarded four compensatory picks in April’s draft for losing free agents last year.

A total of 27 compensatory choices were awarded to 16 teams. The picks range from the 96th overall (third round) to Green Bay to the 254th overall, the final selection of the draft, to St. Louis.

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Owners At Expansion Impasse

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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