GET YOUR PROGRAM: A Quick Look at Players, Places and Key Concepts

People

*Paul Tagliabue: NFL commissioner. Up to his legal briefs in problems with franchises doing as they please. Had the power to stop the Rams from leaving L.A., but crumbled.

*Roger Goodell: NFL whiz appointed to oversee placement of team in Los Angeles. Has a plan, backbone to stick with it and ambition to succeed. That works in L.A.’s favor.

*Jerry Richardson: NFL Stadium Committee chairman, lessee for the NFL’s newest state-of-the-art stadium in North Carolina. His recommendations to other owners will be heeded.

*Jerry Jones: Cowboys owner. Patron saint of all NFL owners because he owns Texas Stadium and has figured out how to make money from luxury boxes, club seats.

*Richard Riordan: L.A. mayor. Says an arena is more important than a football stadium. Doesn’t care who builds a stadium as long as the city doesn’t pay for it.

*Peter O’Malley: Dodger team president. NFL’s leader in the clubhouse. Has reputation, hero qualities to rally local support. Lacks financial pop to swing deal by himself.

*R.D. Hubbard: Hollywood Park CEO. Wild card who does not have NFL support or promise of Super Bowls. Does have building permit in hand; will cause a stir.

*Marvin Davis: Billionaire entrepreneur who is noted tire kicker. Has made noise about buying football and baseball teams before only to disappear.

*Fred Lyte: Example of local naivete. The Irwindale businessman made a bid to buy the Arizona Cardinals; would anyone pay big money to watch the L.A. Cardinals regularly lose in the Coliseum?

*Rupert Murdoch: Fox boss. Tagliabue dropped his name as potential suitor. Is he just trying to keep Fox happy because of upcoming TV negotiations?

*Michael Hernandez: L.A. city councilman in Dodger Stadium district. Tells some people he will fight O’Malley stadium; tells others he might be open to compromise.

*Steve Soboroff: Santa Monica businessman, Riordan’s deal-maker. Is as responsible as anyone for trying to keep the football-is-coming-to-L.A. momentum alive.

*Fred Rosen: Ticketmaster chief, Football L.A. chairman. Ready to unleash his marketing skills once a football venue is determined.

Places

*El Segundo site: 47 acres owned by Rockwell near LAX. Disney has showed interest in the location but price of property has climbed. Kings owners said to have also bid on land.

*Coliseum: It will take millions to bring this facility up to NFL standards. Who pays for it? NFL isn’t bluffing--football won’t return to historic landmark.

*Dodger Stadium: Success of baseball team, proximity to downtown L.A., high-profile leadership of Peter O’Malley make this look like ideal site. Neighborhood activists could provide roadblock.

*Anaheim area: City officials unveiled plans for a billion-dollar sports entertainment complex, and no one from Disney showed up for the press conference. Who are they kidding?

AND THINGS

*”State-of-the-art stadium”: A get-rich scheme for NFL owners. Revenue from luxury boxes and club seats does not have to be shared with visiting teams.

*PSLs: Personal Seat Licenses. You pay a one-time premium fee for the right to buy tickets for the same seat year after year. Carolina Panthers fans have shelled out between $600 and $5,400 for the privilege. Might be a tough sell in L.A.

*Football L.A.: A task force of well-known L.A.-area citizens organized by Mayor Riordan. Assembled mostly for show, lacks power.

*Warner Bros.: O’Malley is going to need a partner, he has friends there, L.A. is the entertainment capital of the country, so why not one of the best in the business?

*Disney: Michael Eisner or Michael Ovitz could circumvent NFL rules prohibiting corporate ownership by becoming team owners. Disney wants Anaheim; NFL doesn’t.

*Expansion: NFL owners don’t agree on much, but are unanimous about not expanding. Some think L.A. will still be waiting for football in the year 2000.

*Los Angeles area football fans: The great unknown. Do they miss the NFL? Will they buy PSLs? Will they be impressed by a state-of-the-art football stadium?

*Relocation: Seattle, Arizona and Tampa--three consistent losers--are all interested in moving. How exciting. Add Indianapolis to the list. Rams don’t look so bad.

*The magic number: L.A. City Council has local power, but it will take 23 NFL owners to approve the football solution in Los Angeles--be it via expansion or relocation.

*TV money: NFL owners each received $39 million per year from last TV contract, which expires after 1997. Will no football in L.A. cut down on that payoff?