NFL’s Owners in Rift? : They May Split Over Committee’s Choice of Finks

A fight between the National Football League’s two principal factions is likely Thursday if an NFL committee persists in its plans to recommend a new commissioner at that time, a club owner said Friday.

Hugh Culverhouse, president of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said that many of the league’s newer owners are bitter over two of this week’s developments:

--The selection committee’s unanimous endorsement of Jim Finks, general manager of the New Orleans Saints, to succeed Pete Rozelle.

--The plan to round up NFL owners on less than a week’s notice for a special meeting to choose the commissioner Thursday in Chicago.

“I’m outraged that they would unanimously recommend Jim Finks,” Culverhouse said. “They said they would present three or four names--and they come up with one man.

“Secondly, it’s an outrage to call a league meeting for July 6 on six days’ notice. That’s two days after a four-day holiday--a holiday for which many people made travel plans long ago.

“Personally, I’m leaving as planned for South America tomorrow. Other (owners) are overseas or out of town. It’s inexcusable for them to call (a meeting) at this time.

“This is probably the most important NFL meeting any of us will ever attend--after all, we’re selecting a commissioner--and they call it on unbelievably short notice. That’s arrogance.”

Other owners made similar points but asked not to be quoted.

The co-chairmen of the selection committee, Lamar Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs and Wellington Mara of the New York Giants, were unavailable, as was Finks.

All were observing a long weekend over one of the few national holidays available to pro football people, who, Culverhouse noted, play games during many of the other holiday periods.

Unable to reach the chairmen, Culverhouse, saying he was speaking for several of the newer owners, wired both Mara and Hunt to express discontent.

“ ‘I urge you to reconsider your plans,’ ” he said.

Finks has been called the favorite of the NFL’s old guard.

The other faction is largely made up of owners who have come into the NFL in recent years. Eight clubs have changed hands in just the 1980s--Denver, Philadelphia, San Diego, New Orleans, Seattle, Minnesota, New England and Dallas.

The presidents of these teams, who paid up to $100 million apiece for franchises, say their problems are much different from the problems of the old-guard owners, some of whom paid little or nothing for their franchises in a different era.

The newer group is concerned that Finks or any other old-guard choice might ignore them and their large debt structures.

If Finks is the only candidate endorsed, they said they’ll nominate a candidate of their own at the Chicago meeting, precipitating a fight.

It takes 19 of 28 owners’ votes to elect.

“When the (selection) committee was named at the spring meeting (in March), they said they’d come up with several (candidates) for us to (consider),” Culverhouse said. “That’s what we want.”

Asked what he expects if Finks’ name is the only one presented, Culverhouse said: “The (old guard) will be in deep trouble.”

It’s a sore point because, to begin with, the new owners’ faction was bitter that none of them was named to the selection committee.

“That committee represents one point of view,” said Norman Braman, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles.

In addition to Hunt and Mara, the selection group includes Art Modell of Cleveland, Ralph Wilson of Buffalo, Dan Rooney of Pittsburgh and Robert Parins of Green Bay.

“When the committee was named, I was afraid of something like this,” a younger owner said.

Culverhouse said: “I think they should postpone the meeting for a week or schedule it to coincide with a (special Chicago) meeting already scheduled for July 18.”

Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie, set to leave for Europe Sunday, said his plans were now unsettled.