NFL Owners Get L.A. Update

NFL owners got an update Tuesday on the four competing Los Angeles-area stadium concepts and, league officials say, should be in position to make a selection by the May meetings.

Owners heard a half-hour presentation from league executive Neil Glat, who has been evaluating the sites, and were brought up to speed on the pros and cons of each proposal. Under consideration are stadium concepts at the Coliseum, Anaheim, Carson and the Rose Bowl.

Main issues surrounding each site were identified, such as the ancillary development at Anaheim; the cost of rent at the Coliseum; finalizing stadium design at the Rose Bowl; and overall cost of the Carson site, including the need to construct parking.

“I think it was received as well as could be expected,” Glat said. “We were giving a very businesslike update.”

The league staff expects the deals to be at a point where ownership can select a site as early as the meetings May 24-25 in Washington.

“We’re consistent with the timeline we set out at the beginning of August,” Glat said.

Asked whether the league might consider taking a fresh look at the Hollywood Park site, recently put up for sale, Glat said, “We’re always keeping ourselves apprised of any stadium-related developments.”

He said the league didn’t have enough information on that site to know whether it could be given serious consideration.

Steve Tisch, whose family co-owns the New York Giants, said the presentation was “responsible and conscientious.”

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The Super Bowl advisory committee unanimously approved the New York Jets’ bid to play host to the 2010 Super Bowl, contingent on the construction of a new stadium on the west side of Manhattan.

The proposal is expected to be put to a vote by the entire ownership body today and requires a three-quarters’ majority to pass. Stadium backers face a difficult fight in getting the venue constructed. City and state officials support the idea, but many political groups in New York oppose it.