Dickerson Loses NFL Appeal : Football: Tagliabue says the Colts acted within their rights when they took action against the running back that cost a big chunk of his salary.

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue today upheld the Indianapolis Colts’ decision to place Eric Dickerson on the club’s reserve/non-football injury list, an action that cost the star running back hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost salary.

“Commissioner Tagliabue today advised the Indianapolis Colts and Eric Dickerson’s attorney that the Colts did not act improperly in placing Dickerson on the club’s reserve-non football injury list” on Aug. 29, the NFL said in a statement.

Dickerson, who had frequently said he didn’t want to play for the Colts in 1990, reported to the team’s training camp 11 days late and failed a physical because of a hamstring injury he incurred while working out on his own during the off-season.

The NFL’s seventh-leading career rusher elected to undergo physical therapy in Houston and failed to take several physicals the club requested.

Dickerson met with General Manager Jim Irsay on Aug. 29 and again declined to take a physical requested by the team.

The club then suspended Dickerson for four weeks for conduct detrimental to the team and placed him on the injured-reserve list, decisions that cost the running back more than $600,000 of the $1.45-million salary he was to receive in 1990.

“We feel our position is well-documented,” Irsay said in announcing his decision. “We’ve done everything we could to get him to take a physical. Nothing has worked.”

Dickerson, who had asked that the Colts trade him, cannot be activated until Oct. 17--one day after the league’s trading deadline.

Tagliabue met with Dickerson’s attorney, Arn Tellem, the running back and Colts officials on Sept. 17 in New York.

“His decision was based on that meeting and on the subsequent written submissions made by both sides to this office,” a statement on the ruling said.

Dickerson’s attorney was not immediately available for comment.