NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue postponed appointing a committee to search for his replacement on Monday, the opening day of the National Football League's annual club owners' meetings.
Tagliabue announced a week ago he would resign from the post in July, but was vague on Monday as to when he would select a search committee and team owners didn't seem bothered.
"It's not a race for speed, it's a race for success," said Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles. "This is the CEO of a 32-team operation, so it's not the speed, it's the quality."
One reason for the delay is trying to avoid what happened in 1989, when outgoing commissioner Pete Rozelle appointed a committee of insiders. That alienated outsiders, leading to a seven-month deadlock.
That could still happen again.
Despite a last-minute agreement on enhanced revenue sharing that resulted in an extension to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement with the players' union, there is still considerable disagreement by low-revenue and high-revenue teams. Tagliabue is aware of that and will have to ensure the committee is balanced with the various factions among the owners.
Elsewhere on Monday, the competition committee recommended a series of rule changes. They will be voted on later in the week and include:
* Limiting end-zone celebrations to forbid players from demonstrating on the ground, such as doing sit-ups. They also can't use props, but can spike, dunk or spin the ball as long as they are standing up and are in the end zone.
* Toughening enforcement on pass rushers who hit quarterbacks below the knees. However, it wouldn't involve hits that defensive players can't avoid, such as the one in last year's playoffs on Cincinnati's Carson Palmer by Kimo von Oelhoffen, then with Pittsburgh, that severely injured Palmer's knee.
Schedule
A season opener tomorrow featuring Miami at Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh, and a Thanksgiving Day game at Kansas City highlight a portion of the NFL schedule announced on Monday.
The Miami Dolphins, who finished 9-7 last season, will play at the Steelers on Sept. 7.
Three nights later, the first featured Sunday matchup will be a brotherly quarterback feud between the Mannings as Peyton brings his Indianapolis Colts to the Meadowlands to play Eli and the New York Giants.
The league scheduled a doubleheader for Monday Sept. 11, when Minnesota will visit Washington, followed by San Diego at Oakland in an odd coupling.
While Washington sells out every game and has led the NFL in attendance for six straight years, Oakland rarely has a full stadium. That raises the potential for a TV blackout in the Bay Area for the game with the Chargers.
The Thanksgiving Day lineup on Nov. 23 features the Dolphins at Detroit, followed by Tampa Bay at Dallas, and the Denver Broncos visiting the Kansas City Chiefs.
The entire schedule will be released early next month.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care