Vikings’ Green Selected to Competition Committee : Pro football: Coach is first African American who will contribute to making NFL rules.

Like Dennis Green himself, the announcement was subtle. But its meaning was clear.

The news release Tuesday said that Green, the Minnesota Vikings’ coach, had been named to the NFL’s competition committee.

Unwritten was that for the first time in the history of the NFL, an African American will directly contribute to the making of its rules.

Green is not only the first African American on the committee, but must be considered one of the most influential African Americans in professional sports.

“Clearly, the competition committee is the most important committee in the NFL,” said Gene Washington, the NFL’s director of football development. “Just as when the first black head coach was named in the NFL, this is news.”

The committee annually evaluates and recommends changes in the rules. Because of the group’s influence, these changes are almost always approved by the league’s owners.

Last spring, this group dramatically changed several aspects of the game by recommending the two-point conversion, kickoffs from the 30-yard line, and the return of missed field-goal attempts to the point of the kick.

The co-chairmen of the committee are Don Shula, coach of the Miami Dolphins, and George Young, general manager of the New York Giants.

“The likes of Vince Lombardi and Tex Schramm were once on that committee,” an NFL spokesman said at the owners’ meetings in Chicago. “This says a lot about the commissioner’s opinion of Dennis, that he is on it.”

To many in the NFL, where more than 60% of the players are African Americans, this appointment will be welcome news.

“Denny has earned his way at every step,” Washington said. “This has to be one of the sharpest, brightest guys in football. He should be on there. The fact he is African American is a plus. Icing on the cake.”

Green avoids making an issue of his race. He maintained that stance Tuesday, preferring to discuss the importance of the committee.

“As an assistant coach and head coach in the NFL, you realize the effect the competition committee has on the rules of the game,” Green said. “What I’m going to do is a lot of listening.”

Jeffrey Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, said it was important to note that Green was not a token appointment.

“It’s wonderful step for a deserving man,” Lurie said. “A deserving man of any color.”

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As expected, the thorny issue of division realignment was discussed during the first day of the two-day owners’ meetings, but there was no decision.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is expected to use the powers given him by the owners last year and simply slot the two expansion franchises into the two four-team divisions.

But in a twist, he is expected to make the situation temporary.

Today, he is expected to announce that the Carolina Panthers will begin play next season in the NFC West, and that the Jacksonville Panthers will join the AFC Central. But they will play in those divisions for only one season.

That will give Tagliabue more time to lobby for change and Georgia Frontiere time to settle upon a home for the Rams.

The decision to slot the teams has several owners angry and the decision to make it temporary has the expansion owners uncomfortable.

With no long-range solution, it will be difficult for Carolina and Jacksonville to build teams to match the opposition and weather in a specific division.

“Obviously, the sooner we know the parameters of how we should build our teams, the better,” said Jerry Richardson, Carolina owner.

There is precedent for a temporary arrangement.

In 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their first season in the AFC West and the Seattle Seahawks played in the NFC West. The next year they switched to their current divisions.

But, said Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers: “In everything from marketing to personnel, it is best if the teams know where they are going to play right now.”

That is why Rooney is still backing a slight modification of one of the league’s plans, which would, among other things, move the Houston Oilers to the AFC West and the Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals to the NFC West.

“We should back the fans, we should back the television networks, we should make sure that we continue to dominate the sports scene, to use an Al Davis word,” Rooney said. “We should show we’re a forward-thinking league and realign.”

In other developments on Tuesday, the league adopted a slightly different scheduling format for its expanded, 30-team league next season.

The new format ensures that third- and fourth-place teams will have easier schedules than previously and that fifth-place teams will have more difficult schedules.