bubba9497 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 NFL Attorneys Request A Stay for Draft Ruling By Mark Maske Washington Post Staff Writer http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12711-2004Feb27.html Attorneys for the NFL asked a federal appeals court yesterday for a stay of the Feb. 5 ruling that opened this spring's draft to college freshmen and sophomores and high school players. Arguing the league and some of its players could be irreparably harmed without a stay to keep Maurice Clarett, Mike Williams and other previously ineligible players out of the April 24-25 draft, the NFL filed its motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. The NFL is attempting to overturn a decision by U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, who ruled in Clarett's lawsuit against the league that the NFL had to permit the former Ohio State tailback to enter the draft because its eligibility requirement -- that a player must be at least three years removed from high school -- violates antitrust laws. The NFL maintains its draft-eligibility rule should be exempt from antitrust scrutiny because it resulted from collective bargaining with the players' union. The league maintained in its motion that its chances to overturn Scheindlin's ruling by appeal are "extraordinarily high'' and said that Scheindlin "made the classic error of confusing impact on a competitor with impact on competition.'' Clarett's attorney, Alan C. Milstein, has said he believes the NFL has "no chance'' to win its appeal. The league said that, if it gets the stay to keep Clarett, Williams and any other affected players out of the draft and then Scheindlin's ruling is upheld or the stay is lifted, the NFL would schedule a supplemental draft within 10 days to allow those players to enter the league. After Scheindlin's decision, the league set a March 1 deadline for previously ineligible players to enter the draft. On Wednesday, Williams -- a standout wide receiver who just completed his sophomore season at the University of Southern California -- said he would enter the draft. Like Clarett, Williams has hired an agent and is ineligible to return to college football. The NFL has filed a notice of appeal but has not yet filed its appeal of Scheindlin's ruling. Scheindlin denied the league's initial request for a stay. NFL Notes: League sources confirmed a USA Today report that NFL executives and team owners are contemplating a series of proposals aimed to maximize their rights fees in their next round of negotiations with the television networks. Among the proposals being considered are moving back the start of the season by a week or two to push the playoffs into February sweeps; moving back the starting times of games by an hour; ceasing the practice of putting AFC games on one network and NFC games on another; and moving Monday night games to Thursdays or creating a new package of Thursday night games. But owners and executives, who spoke on the condition they not be identified because they said the proposals still were in the formative stages, said some of the ideas have been discussed in the past without being implemented, and it's far too early to know whether any will be put into effect. The league's current TV deals run through the 2006 season. . . . Richard Berthelsen, the general counsel for the NFL Players Association, said yesterday the union had not decided whether to file a grievance on behalf of Terrell Owens to attempt to overturn the decision by the league office that the wide receiver remains under contract to the San Francisco 49ers. Owens would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency next week but missed a Feb. 21 deadline to file the paperwork voiding the final three seasons of his contract. "We're still looking into it,'' Berthelsen said. . . . Agent Leigh Steinberg spoke to Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Bruce Allen yesterday to continue to try to negotiate a new contract for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Joey Galloway. That would be a precursor to a proposed trade that would send Galloway to Tampa Bay for fellow wideout Keyshawn Johnson, but the Buccaneers' tight salary cap situation is complicating the talks. "It's challenging,'' Steinberg said. "It's still in the process.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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