DeBartolo Sued by Corporation and the 49ers

Suspended San Francisco 49er co-owner Eddie DeBartolo was sued by his own corporation and the football team Thursday, accused of owing the company $94 million and stalling their project for a new stadium.

The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and the 49ers, now run by DeBartolo’s sister Denise DeBartolo York and her husband since DeBartolo became enmeshed 16 months ago in a Louisiana gambling scandal, filed the lawsuit in San Francisco County Superior Court.

The lawsuit said it is seeking repayment of the alleged debt, cutting DeBartolo’s management ties to the team and ending a $10 million financial interest claimed by DeBartolo in the $525 million stadium project, which has been stalled because of soaring construction costs.

“Plaintiffs bring this action only after exhausting all efforts, spanning two years, to resolve these disputes,” the suit said.

NFL spokeswoman Leslie Hammond said the league did not have any immediate comment on the suit.

Last month NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue sanctioned DeBartolo and fined him $1 million, saying he is guilty of conduct detrimental to the NFL for his involvement in the gambling fraud case. He also extended DeBartolo’s NFL banishment until at least February 2000.

Tagliabue forbade DeBartolo from exercising any authority over the 49ers’ operations, and DeBartolo agreed not “to retard or in any way impede” the efforts to get a new stadium, according to the suit, which charges that DeBartolo violated that agreement.

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The NFL is investigating complaints from other teams that the Dallas Cowboys may have violated the league’s salary cap rules by locking up players they have not yet signed.

Spokeswoman Leslie Hammond said the league was looking into allegations involving center Mark Stepnoski, wide receiver Raghib Ismail and linebacker Quentin Coryatt. She had no further comment.

Last month, it was reported that the Cowboys had come to terms on multiyear contracts with the three free agents, but did not actually sign them. The New York Times reported that several teams said they recently contacted agents for the three, but in each case were told the player no longer was available.

Some of the teams said they conducted their own investigations and determined that an arrangement had been reached between the Cowboys and the players.

At that point, according to The Times, at least several of the teams complained to the league. They told NFL officials that they believed the Cowboys had reached verbal or written agreements with the players, but had not signed them to a contract to circumvent cap rules.