Carousel of Contenders Has NFL in Driver’s Seat

The Rose Bowl, Michael Ovitz, the Coliseum, Carson ... and it goes on and on and nothing ever seems to happen, which reminds me: The Ducks and Devils have just completed the first period and no one has scored.

If they had a penalty box in these NFL negotiations to bring a team back to Los Angeles -- holy interference -- just imagine how crowded that place would be.

*

OK, FOR the record, there has been one significant change in the NFL process dating to the departure of the Rams and Raiders after the 1994 season, and that’s a victory for the Los Angeles area. I wouldn’t expect a parade, however.

The NFL has gotten the message: There will be no expectation of public money to build a new playpen for a team moving to this area.

As a result, though, the rules of engagement have changed, and now like any other private business that comes to the area and spends much of its own money, the NFL will determine where, when and how it’s going to set up shop.

And in effect, Los Angeles has lost control of the NFL process.

“It’s not unlike so many years ago when Jack Kent Cooke said the Sports Arena isn’t appropriate any more and everyone hassled him, so he said, ‘I’ll go and build my own arena,’ and he did,” said Bernard Parks, the city’s former police chief who is now working on behalf of the Coliseum as a Los Angeles city councilman.

I’d have thought Parks would have slapped the cuffs on NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue for being a public nuisance after hearing him speak. But like all others in this NFL process, who usually begin by trying to befriend the Commish, Parks said he was encouraged by what he was hearing from the league.

Blah, blah. I could fill the rest of this space with the names of folks who have been encouraged by what the NFL told them in the last nine years, and who are no longer involved. Two weeks ago Rose Bowl officials were crowing about their cozy relationship with the NFL.

Now it’s Carson, and the NFL has everyone believing it can’t wait to plant a new stadium on a toxic-waste dump. I’d believe the NFL -- if they were planning to move the Raiders to Carson.

*

A FEW details probably need clarifying before the circus really begins:

* The NFL’s decision to commit $10 million to Carson earned headlines. But the NFL is not obligated to pay anything to Carson if the site is deemed not acceptable for a stadium. It’s pretty good when you can make it appear as if you’re spending $10 million and at the same time increase the leverage on Pasadena.

* The NFL rejected Ovitz’s demand that Carson be given exclusivity.

* The NFL intends to respond to Pasadena’s 10-day deadline demanding exclusivity with a “Dear John” letter informing point man, John Moag, it will continue to play the field. The NFL, however, will let the Rose Bowl down gently and will urge Pasadena officials to continue moving forward.

* The NFL gave the Coliseum exclusivity in 1999 and feels now it was burned by indecisive city officials. The NFL wants control of the process, which means it will continue to pit site versus site.

* The Coliseum and Buccaneer owner Malcolm Glazer -- if he buys the Dodgers -- remain hole cards to be played by the NFL at a later date when the pot needs to be raised.

* Miami is expected to get the 2007 Super Bowl, and New York is the 2008 favorite. The NFL will use Super Bowl tickets to finance a stadium here. As each Super Bowl is awarded elsewhere, the L.A. timetable probably moves back a year. The next available Super Bowl is probably 2009 -- the NFL likes a new stadium up and running two years before the big game. That puts regular-season football here in 2007, still probably a good year before the Ducks score a goal.

* The site that continues to rework the numbers, make concessions and give the NFL the best possible pay day will win.

*

GOOD NEWS: Times’ motor sports writer Shav Glick received the American Auto Race Writers’ first-place award for news and first place in technical writing. He finished second in features. Those who contend Glick spends too much time on the golf course and not enough at his computer are obviously mistaken. That happens only on the days when he should be working harder on his feature stories.

*

BAD NEWS: The Angels met with President Bush, who poked fun at the World Series champions. He said David Eckstein had been at the White House before and he “didn’t take any silverware.” I know the day is coming when he’s going to need a new job -- you don’t think he’s auditioning for Page 2?

*

GOOD NEWS: UCLA won its ninth NCAA softball championship behind the incredible pitching of Keira Goerl, who already has the Bruin record with 99 wins -- and a year left to play. Goerl wears No. 14 because she admires Pete Rose’s style of play. Make no mistake, though, UCLA wasn’t gambling when Goerl pitched.

*

BAD NEWS: My favorite hockey player, Patrick Waugh, is going to announce his retirement today.

*

TODAY’S LAST word comes in a phone message from Arthur Rayburn:

“I have a complaint. You have been referring to Kevin Brown for the last two years as Mr. Grumpy. Mr. Grumpy has been hurt, sick, and has had a bad back and sore arm for two years. He’s a fierce competitor. I’m sure because of his sore back and poor pitching he’s been angry and depressed. He’s having an outstanding season -- you should show him the courtesy of no longer calling him Mr. Grumpy.”

As soon as you stop, I will.

*

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com.