The commission in charge of the Memorial Coliseum seems at a crossroads: should it keep chasing its NFL dream, or sign a long-term deal with USC?
That will be the focus of today's monthly meeting, its last before summer break. Clearly, there are divergent opinions on the nine-member commission, with some not ready to give up on pro football returning, and others fed up with the flirtations that have dragged on since the Raiders left after the 1994 season.
"The NFL's had a free option on the Coliseum for at least the last 10 years," said David Israel, vice president of the commission. "All long-term decisions that have been made at the Coliseum have been made with an eye on an NFL team playing there.... We have to accept some realities."
That's not the way Los Angeles Councilman Bernard Parks sees it. He's the commission's president who regularly attends the annual NFL owners meetings to gather information after closed-door sessions.
While Parks agrees the Coliseum is in need of repairs and improvements, ones that USC could provide if it had a long-term deal, he's not in favor of closing NFL loopholes in an agreement.
"I do not believe it would be in the best interests of the residents I represent, nor the city, to foreclose on a potential multibillion-dollar corporation coming into the city of Los Angeles," Parks said.
Bill Chadwick, a state appointee to the commission, also says there is room to strike a deal with USC while leaving the door cracked for the NFL.
"It's not very intelligent to take positions that preclude you from entering into economically profitable enterprises in the future," he said. "You try not to make irrevocable decisions.... We want this to be a win-win."
Todd Dickey, USC senior vice president for administration, said talks between the school and the commission are "moving along" but declined to provide details. However, sources familiar with the negotiations said the school was not amenable to leaving an opening for the NFL in a long-term agreement.
This spring, for the first time in several years, the subject of the league returning to the Los Angeles area wasn't even broached by team owners at their annual March or May meetings.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has said repeatedly the league will not pursue a return to the Southland until it finds a favorable stadium deal -- and years of proposals have yet to produce one.
