Thursday, March 30, 2000
Instant replay passes again
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
PALM BEACH, Fla. — There was an instant replay on instant replay Wednesday when the owners voted 28-3 to keep the same system for another one-year trial.
That was the vote last year in Phoenix when the owners revived replay after an eight-year absence. Both times the Bengals and Cardinals voted against, but this time the Chiefs replaced the Jets in the nays when Kansas City owner Lamar Hunt cited his problems with delays in games.
OFF-FIELD CONDUCT: Brown said the Bengals will look at ways to beef up its staff in responding to the league's recent problems of players committing violent acts. Brown and Bengals coach Bruce Coslet sat in on Wednesday's two-hour discussion of coaches and owners.
“We're in the entertainment business, and image is everything,” Coslet said. “It's a tough thing to get a handle on, but the best thing is to discuss it.”
The NFL dropped broad hints this week it wants the teams to put more attention into prevention and counseling. Brown said the Bengals traditionally have relied on their assistant coaches to monitor their players, but Wednesday's session “gave us food for thought.
“Some teams have added more staff, such as security people and program people,” Brown said. “We're probably not as heavily staffed as those teams, but a lot of teams are just like us. We're going to take a look at some things.”
INTERNET READY: The owners approved an Internet framework Wednesday in which all clubs belong to nfl.com and will link directly to official club sites. The revenue will be shared, and the teams must have standardized promotion/links to nfl.com and approved Internet partners by the league. The NFL and teams are to work together to develop technology, design and content.
CLIP AND SAVE: Steve Zucker, the agent for Pickens, came to the meetings partly to remind the Brown family his client would welcome a trade.
Zucker scored some points by making a copy of an article on Bengals founder Paul Brown that is in a 1948 issue of Sport magazine. Zucker gave it to Mike Brown as he walked into one of the sessions at The Breakers Resort.
“I've got a lot of regard for Mike. I did my first first-round contract with him,” Zucker said of the 1986 signing of Tim McGee. “I collect old stuff like that and happened to be looking through the magazine one day sitting around the house. It's got some great stuff in there about when Mike was about 12 years old.”
Bengals Stories
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Johnson's outlook as NBA player unclear
Minter's focus: More UC wins
Reds face truth about pitching
Bell, Portugal on different paths
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Red Sox 4, Reds 3
Ducks lose last shot at playoffs
Stuff move closer to playoffs
