Giants’ Co-Owner Impressed by Vision of New Coliseum

It had been almost seven years since Bob Tisch, co-owner of the New York Giants, had visited the Los Angeles Coliseum, but after accepting an invitation to take a tour this week, he came away impressed.

Tisch, who sits on the NFL’s powerful finance committee, said the visit convinced him that the New Coliseum is a viable option for the NFL’s 32nd franchise, to be awarded as early as Feb. 16 in a special meeting with NFL owners.

“The Coliseum sure has come a long way from what I remember,” Tisch said. “I went through the science museum, drove around the neighborhood and down Figueroa and I could see the vision these people have. Ed Roski [of the New Coliseum Partners] is a very decent man, and he has proven himself in the Staples Center construction.

“I told them, ‘Now you have to put the whole financial package together,’ and I have the strong feeling they are on their way to doing that. But the owners are going to want to make sure they’re not getting involved in some pie-in-the-sky scheme and are going to want things nailed down before they make a final vote.”

Tisch said the Staples Center will play an important role in persuading NFL owners to come to Los Angeles.

“The most important thing is, it’s being done,” he said. “There’s a lot of conversation from people, but this is something that’s being done.”

Tisch said he expects an existing team to move to the losing city in the Houston-L.A. sweepstakes after the 32nd team is awarded.

“Let me own two franchises and I would be very interested,” Tisch said. “I would expect the stadium and finance committees to be making a recommendation to the owners in February, where we should be going, but waiting until our March meeting before making a final vote.”

Tisch said he doesn’t expect Raider owner Al Davis’ pending lawsuit, asking the courts to declare he still owns the L.A. marketplace, to block the NFL from giving the city a new team.

“I’m not concerned about it,” he said. “I don’t think he has a leg to stand on.”