With the Bengals' future in Cincinnati clouded by a stadium stalemate, Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White on Tuesday reiterated his opposition to the NFL team moving to his city for the 1999 season.
''I believe that the long-term fallout and intrastate strife resulting from such a move is not worth the price of having the Bengals play in Cleveland,'' Mr. White said.
''If our city accepted Cincinnati's team, the problems that would be created between our communities would far outweigh the benefits of the deal, no matter how successful the Bengals were.''
Mr. White has held the same view since the NFL agreed in 1996 to bring a team back to Cleveland, but the league owners have the say on which team moves to the new stadium.
Mr. White said he has again asked the NFL for an expansion team, but several owners want to fill Cleveland with an existing team struggling economically.
There has been speculation that state money for the Cleveland project could be in jeopardy if Cincinnati lost the Bengals to another Ohio city.
But Ohio Senate President Richard Finan, R-Evendale, said he wouldn't base a decision to award money on such a move.
Bengals President Mike Brown, expecting a Cincinnati solution, reacted lightheartedly.
''We look forward to renewing the Cleveland-Cincinnati rivalry, so maybe I should say some mean things about the mayor so we can get it going,'' Mr. Brown said.
''Seriously, we're on the same page as the mayor. The Bengals want to stay in Cincinnati.''
Mr. Brown said the Bengals hope the first game in their new Paul Brown Stadium is the 2000 NFL opener against the Browns in a facility named after the first coach for both teams.
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