NFL Approves 'Skins Sale

May 25, 1999 / 6:16 PM EDT / AP

The price was $800 million, the highest for a franchise in sports history. A heavy tab for a 34-year-old lifelong Washington Redskins fans.

But Daniel Snyder, a communications mogul and college dropout, finally got what he wanted Tuesday - ownership of one of the league's premier teams.

"Wow!" exulted Snyder after receiving unanimous approval from NFL club owners. "It's been an unbelievable journey."

In a league long ruled by old money, he becomes the youngest among the league's current owners.

The 31 owners accepted his record bid in the only action taken at the start of two days of meetings.

Twenty-four votes were needed to approve the sale, which includes the new Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. Approval was widely expected following last week's endorsement by the NFL's finance committee.

Another key issue is Los Angeles, which lost its two NFL teams after the 1994 season. Two ownership groups are jockeying for the franchise, which the NFL hopes to have ready for the 2002 season.

The owners are to discuss the New England Patriots' decision to stay in the Boston area after withdrawing a commitment to Hartford, Conn. Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci signed legislation Monday that will provide $70 million to help the Patriots build a new stadium.

The debate concerning Los Angeles involves parking lots. One of the plans put forward Tuesday included a garage at the renovated Coliseum that would cost more than $200 million by itself.

Snyder had been a junior partner to Howard Milstein in a previous bid to buy the team from the trustees of the late Jack Kent Cooke.

When Milstein pulled out after it became clear he couldn't win support from other owners, Snyder went his own way. He brought in Fred Drasner and Mort Zuckerman, co-owners of the Daily News in New York.

Snyder's bid was the same as Milstein's. But he backed it with a $300 million down payment that sold the rest of the owners.

The previous high price for a franchise was the $550 million Al Lerner paid for the new Cleveland Browns, who will begin playing in September as the NFL's 31st team.

The Redskins sale has been a long-running soap opera since the team was put up for sale by the trustees of the estate of Jack Kent Cooke, who died in 1997.

Cooke's son, John, was one of the bidders when Milstein got the franchise. When Milstein dropped out, he sued John Cooke and general manager Charley Casserly.

"This has been a long goodbye," Cooke said in a team statement. "As disappointing as it has been, it has also been very gratifying to hear how much my family has meant to the National Football League and Redskins fans."

Snyder has said that for this season he will retain Casserly and coach Norv Turner. He also expects to hire a team president soon, but not necessarily someone from football. However, one of those mentioned is former Miami coach Don Shula.

In Los Angeles, the NFL has decided the renovated Coliseum will be the venue of choice. Now parking always a vexing issue in the city figures into the discussion. The NFL insists 25,000 parking spaces be available.

One group, headed by Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz, presented a plan Tuesday for a parking garage with a park on top that could cost as much as $225 million. The project features a garage covered with trees, grass in front of luxury suites and a cooling system that would spray mist on sweltering fans.

But public money must cover some of the costs, and California politicians are not all that happy.

"With 2.5 million uninsured children and adults in this county, with 75,000 children in foster care ... with sidewalks that can't be repaired by the city? Give me a break," Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said.

Added Assemblyman Roderick Wright of Los Angeles: "Why should a lady in Fresno pay for parking spaces for the Coliseum?"

The other group, led by developer Eli Broad, has a more modest plan. It would provide a 7,500-car garage plus space for more than 17,000 other cars, using the adjacent campus of the University of Southern California and other existing space.

Los Angeles, which beat out Houston for the expansion team, has until Sept. 16 to present owners with a workable plan although that deadline is believed to be flexible if progress is shown.