Commission Delays Vote on NFL Deal

What sold in New York has yet to sell in Los Angeles.

A deal to bring the NFL back to the Coliseum, one crafted at league headquarters last week by Coliseum Commission President Bill Chadwick, has yet to attract widespread support at Exposition Park.

Meeting for the last time this summer, the Coliseum Commission was unwilling Wednesday to take action on the proposed deal. The NFL has set an October deadline for the competing L.A.-area stadium sites -- the Coliseum, Anaheim, and possibly the Rose Bowl -- to have ready-to-sign stadium deals in place.

The Coliseum Commission met for two hours Wednesday, mostly in closed session. Afterward, some of its members said they were encouraged by progress made in recent months but cautioned that work remains.

“It’s still a work in progress,” said County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, a commission member. “The Coliseum Commission has been dead serious about trying to make a deal from day one. For a long time, I’m sure, the NFL was skeptical whether the commission could get the job done. I think it’s pretty clear now, and I think the NFL has been made a believer that the Coliseum is serious about making a deal.

“The deal has to be one that’s in the best interest not just of the NFL, but in the best interest of Exposition Park and the Coliseum. It’s moved in that direction. It’s not done yet.”

Earlier Wednesday, Chadwick, also a member of the state science board, presented a first look at the deal to his colleagues there. He got a positive response from Robert McNeill, the state’s designated negotiator for an NFL deal.

“No question about it,” McNeill said, “we’re very encouraged.”