Haagen Will Give Up L.A. Coliseum Post

Coliseum Commission President Alexander Haagen said Friday he will leave the commission when his term as president expires in February because he has become convinced that he has lost his effectiveness.

“I will not accept reappointment as a commission member,” said Haagen, whose public feud with Los Angeles Raiders owner Al Davis over proposed Coliseum renovations last spring preceded Davis’ announcement of plans to move the professional football team to suburban Irwindale.

“I don’t think at this point, being accused of being the culprit who has helped create the situation between the Raiders and myself, that I can be effective,” Haagen told The Times. “I think I’ve put my time in. Let them bring some able-bodied person forth to replace me.”

‘The Black Hat’

The 65-year-old commission president, a major Southern California shopping center developer in private life, said he was tired of appearing to wear “the black hat” in the Coliseum-Raiders-Irwindale controversy.

Haagen’s announcement that he would no longer serve even as a member on the nine-member commission immediately drew speculation that his departure might serve to revive talks with the Raiders over a deal that would keep the team playing in the Coliseum. Even though Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich had been slated to become commission president, it had been felt Haagen would, as a member, conserve important influence.

Richard Riordan, a commissioner who has sought new avenues to keep the Raiders at the Coliseum, said of Haagen’s decision:

“I think he’s doing the right thing. I think by his getting off the commission, it can help get the Raiders back. . . .

“We do not want to interfere with Irwindale. Irwindale has to play its hand out. . . . But talks may begin again if it does not come off there.”

Another commissioner, Stanley Sanders, called Haagen’s announcement “a statesmanlike act” that “will go a long way to resolving what was an avoidable dispute” with the Raiders.

Sanders said the Coliseum Commission or its representatives have “a major opportunity” to reopen discussions with the Raiders over Coliseum renovations that would keep them in the stadium.

At City Hall, an aide to Mayor Tom Bradley, exclaimed, “Great news!” when informed of Haagen’s announcement.

The aide, who asked not to be identified, said Bradley had called Riordan just Thursday to urge a speed-up in talks with private bidders who are asking to assume management of the Coliseum complex. It has long been felt that the private firms might be able to talk on a more friendly and efficient basis with Davis and the Raiders organization than the often-divided commission.

The Raiders, who have repeatedly denied in public statements any intention of resuming talks with Coliseum representatives, held to that position Friday.

Irv Kaze, a team spokesman, dismissed the significance of Haagen’s departure, saying, “They’ve had a lot of people do that (leave).

“We’re committed to Irwindale. We are going to Irwindale.”

But there have been difficulties in putting together the Irwindale deal, which originally was to have been consummated Nov. 4. A temporary court injunction has held things up pending the preparation of an environmental impact report, expected in February, and there are questions about guaranteeing the bonds that will finance the $115-million deal.

A month ago, a Coliseum Commission attorney, Maxwell M. Blecher, said he had been told by a Raiders lawyer that Davis was prepared to listen to a new offer to keep his team at the Coliseum.

Although the Raiders issued a sharp denial at the time, a close Davis friend, former Coliseum Commissioner William Robertson, said later that the statement to Blecher had been made by Raiders attorney Joseph L. Alioto, the former mayor of San Francisco.

Just Friday, Robertson said he had informed one of those who is bidding to privately manage the Coliseum, Irving Azoff of MCA Inc., that while Davis does not want to talk now, “if the Irwindale deal went belly up for any reason, he’d be much more receptive to dealing with a private (Coliseum manager) than with the Coliseum Commission.”

Told a few hours later of Haagen’s announcement that he will depart the commission, Robertson said he thought it came too late as far as direct Coliseum Commission-Davis talks went.

“He should have resigned a year ago,” Robertson said of Haagen. “I personally don’t think Davis is going to deal with a commission structured like this one, even if Irwindale falls apart.”

Haagen’s falling out with Davis occurred early in the year when the Raiders owner insisted that a $9-million plan to rearrange Coliseum seating to bring fans closer to the football action go forward at the same time as the Raiders’ construction of luxury suites on the Coliseum rim.

Haagen insisted there was neither the time nor the money to do the seating realignment this year, and Davis ceased construction of the boxes. On Aug. 20, Davis announced plans to move the Raiders to Irwindale.

Times staff writer Mark Heisler contributed to this story.