World Football : American TV Says Wait Until 1991

Pressure is building to postpone the debut of a new international football league for a year, with American television applying the latest squeeze.

No decision on a start-up date for the World League of American Football has been made, sources said today as Commissioner Tex Schramm and other league officials met with prospective owners and visited possible stadiums for its flagship London franchise.

In the United States, however, NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol said his network would not be interested in a 1990 start for the spring league, and football officials indicated that 1991 is looking more and more likely for the first season.

“1991 seems to be the choice of the majority of WLAF board of directors,” NFL spokesman Joe Browne said.

Schramm was unavailable for comment today. He is scheduled to hold a press conference here Thursday, but sources said no announcement on a start-up date is expected.

The sources, who asked not to be identified, also said reports in some British newspapers today that a decision has been made to postpone the start for one year were wrong.

Ebersol said NBC might bid for TV rights to a league beginning in 1991, “but under no circumstance will we bid in 1990.”

The NBC executive said next year is “too soon (for the league) to have a real, honest chance to make money.”

CBS hasn’t shown much interest in the new league because it would conflict with the network’s coverage of the NBA and, beginning next year, major league baseball. That leaves ABC as the only possible network outlet in 1990.

The NFL owners voted last month to go ahead with the international league and will help to stock the teams--four in Europe, six in North America--with players and coaches.

The league is supposed to start with European franchises in London; Frankfurt, West Germany; Milan, Italy, and either Paris or Barcelona, Spain. There would be North American franchises in Canada, Mexico and in four U.S. cities.