Anaheim on Inside Track to Seahawks?

Ken Behring, owner of the Seattle Seahawks, will meet with his attorney in Los Angeles this morning, and then Anaheim city officials expect him to join them to consummate a deal for a temporary training site and open talks on a more permanent arrangement.

Behring intends to move his football team to Los Angeles, and after practicing at Rams Park and playing games on an interim basis in the Rose Bowl, he would like to make a deal with someone to build a football stadium to open in time for the 1998 or 1999 season.

Anaheim city officials, who are excited about the six-month exclusive negotiating agreement they believe they have with Behring for the construction of a new stadium, have called a news conference for later today.

“We are looking forward to [the meeting with Behring] with a lot of enthusiasm,” said James Ruth, Anaheim city manager. “We are optimistic that we will be able to work things out. It will need a lot of cooperation from all parties. We are very upbeat.”

While Anaheim is ready to embrace the Seahawks, or whatever they are going to be called, Los Angeles’ football task force and the NFL continue to go about their business as if Behring never left Seattle.

The NFL declined to make Commissioner Paul Tagliabue available for comment Sunday, and said the Seattle situation would be discussed at this week’s owners’ meetings in Chicago.

Mayor Richard Riordan’s office didn’t return a phone call Friday, but on a local television show he said, “I say beware of immediate reaction. I never feel comfortable taking something away from another city. So I’m not comfortable.

“All I know is I am highly confident that we will have a football team in Los Angeles County by the beginning of the ’98 season. . . . Obviously I don’t want them [Seahawks] to come. If they come, I will work with them to work it out.”

Riordan’s Football LA Task Force said it will continue to take its direction from the NFL.

“Our position has been that the NFL reserved the Los Angeles area for itself, which includes Anaheim,” said Fred Rosen, chairman of the task force. “We have allied ourselves with the NFL and we are playing by the rules. We’re not sure the Seahawks have the right to move here or to Anaheim.

“I think they are in for a very bitter fight. Unlike some of the other moving situations, the NFL has reserved this area and they have Behring’s signature on that agreement. Given such facts the courts might find differently than they have in the past.”

Whatever the legal battles, Rosen said the most important thing for the future of football in the Los Angeles area is the quality of ownership.

“Without having good ownership, the fans here did not show a lot of interest in football,” Rosen said. “One would hope Behring would be a good owner, but one must also look at history.”

Since Behring assumed ownership in 1988, the team made one playoff appearance (1988). The Seahawks are 54-74 in that time, and have not had a winning season since 1990.

The Rams, who failed to have a winning season since 1989, left Anaheim because of poor fan support and the team’s demand for a new football stadium.

The city of Anaheim, which tried to push a renovated Anaheim Stadium on the Rams, are now pitching a new football facility as part of a billion-dollar sports complex.

“I’m just real excited about the position that we’re in,” Anaheim Councilman Bob Zemel said. “I think we’re the spot for them to play and I hope it’ll happen.”

Today’s meeting with Behring signals the beginning of delicate negotiations for Anaheim officials, who at the same time will be trying to reach agreement with Walt Disney Co. over renovations to Anaheim Stadium for baseball.

Behring has stated an interest in playing games in the Rose Bowl on an interim basis, but the city of Anaheim would also like to talk to him about playing temporarily in Anaheim Stadium.

Said Tony Tavares, president of Disney’s sports enterprises: “I know over a two-year period there would be conflicts. . . . At some point they won’t be able to play football in that stadium because of the renovations that are going on.

“If it would prevent us from starting our work, I would object.”

Taveres said Anaheim officials have assured Disney that whatever they do with a football team will not interfere with their baseball negotiations.

Disney recently purchased 25% and controlling interest of the Angels. The entertainment giant has set a March 17 deadline for the two sides to reach agreement on renovations that would reduce seating capacity by 20,000 and cost as much as $110 million. If an agreement is not met, Disney can walk away from the deal.

“It’s just another thing in the hopper,” Ruth said.

Rams Park, which city crews spent three days preparing for the Seahawks’ arrival, was quiet Sunday, but Councilman Lou Lopez visited the site in the morning and said “it is looking good and is ready for the Seahawks to move right in.”

The Magnolia School Board must approve any lease with the Seahawks, and it will be meeting tonight. The school board is expected to provide that approval, but does not figure to be interested in any long-term arrangement with the Seahawks because of mounting enrollment in the district and the need for the facility as a school again possibly three to five years from now.

At Seahawk headquarters in Kirkland, Wash., half a dozen angry fans threw themselves into the path of a moving van loaded with exercise equipment as the Seahawks began their move to Anaheim.

Shouting, “You can’t take our team! You can’t take our memories!” and “Turn it around,” the protesters eventually dispersed as the United Van Lines truck eased through the crowd and out the driveway.

Workers spent most of Sunday morning loading the van with barbells, bench presses and other exercise equipment, and the truck pulled out at about 12:30 p.m. A second moving van stood by, and its driver said he planned to leave this morning.

“I’ve just been told to show up here. We’re moving headquarters stuff,” said the driver, who would identify himself only as Gary.

“They’re moving,” he said, adding that his destination was Anaheim.

Throughout the morning, fans dropped by Seahawk headquarters to watch the move. “We need a team,” said Beverly Vowles. “Behring has a little man syndrome,” she added. “He thinks he can push his way around, like Napoleon.”

King County officials said it would be up to the judge and the lawyers to determine whether the move constituted a violation of the judge’s 14-day temporary restraining order.

“Our attorneys are aware of what’s happening, but the actual language of the restraining order prohibits the Seahawks from doing anything that would prevent them from playing their regular season games in the Kingdome,” said Gary Locke, King County executive. “If they want to practice in L.A. or work out in L.A., that’s OK, as long as they play their regular season games in the Kingdome.”

Locke was in Washington, D.C., Sunday and said he planned to raise the Seahawks’ departure issue with President Clinton when he meets with him today on another matter.

“I’m going to alert him to what’s happening and convey the concern of fans across the country who are being subjected to this game of musical chairs,” Locke said. “There is legislation before Congress to give the NFL a partial exemption from antitrust, so the NFL can regulate the movement of teams to a stronger degree than they have.”

Locke said county officials “take issue” with Behring’s characterization of their negotiations in Behring’s interview with The Times.

“We have found it difficult all along to know exactly what the Behrings have wanted by way of improvements,” Locke said. “Their demands have changed, from the number of suites to how much money they wanted to spend and even to a new stadium.”

He said the county acted in good faith when it filed its lawsuit seeking to halt the move.

“When we left the meeting [with Behring], we indicated to him that we would inform him of our decision, and we did call him back and let him know that I would be directing that a lawsuit be filed,” Locke said. “And as soon as he received that word, he had his own attorneys stationed in other parts of the state, who immediately filed a lawsuit against us. It turned out to be a race to the courthouse, and we won.”

King County Council member Peter von Reichbauer continued talks over the weekend aimed at finding a Seattle buyer for the Seahawks, but officials said it was not likely there would be any progress until at least next week.

“I’m sure Mr. Behring wants to keep as many options as he can on the table,” said von Reichbauer.

Von Reichbauer said he talked to Behring by telephone Saturday and was “still hopeful” Behring would agree to sell the Seahawks to a local buyer.

Seahawk fans are hopeful local billionaire Paul Allen will wind up with the franchise. Allen, owner of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, is a Seahawks’ season ticket holder.

Kim Murphy, Doug Conner, Greg Hernandez, Mike DiGiovanna and Times wire services contributed to this report.