The next stage in the Cleveland Browns' rebirth occurs Wednesday in Atlanta, where the six groups of prospective owners will make presentations to the NFL's 30 real owners.
Each group will receive 20 minutes to make its pitch before fielding questions for 10 minutes. Opening bids for the franchise, starting at an estimated $350 million, already have been submitted. The league has adopted a "managed" bid process that will allow candidates to submit second and even third bids, a procedure designed to maximize the quality of the owner and the price of the franchise (in other words, snobbishness and greed are at work).
Thomas Murdough, toy manufacturer. Notable allies: None. Bart Wolstein, ex-indoor soccer franchise owner. Notable allies: All-time great Jim Brown and former NFL star, coach and executive Mike McCormack.
NOT ALONE:
Lest you think that the Bengals are unusually ill-fated or just plain hopeless, it should be pointed out that their trials and tribulations aren't unique.
The malfunctioning helmet radio that nagged quarterback Neil O'Donnell last Saturday against the New York Giants also befell Buffalo backup Doug Flutie in the Bills' preseason opener.
Lee Johnson, a competent punter whose age (36) has prompted Cincinnati to seek a replacement, has a counterpart in Miami's John Kidd, who turns 37 Saturday. Kidd missed three games last year with hamstring injuries and has endured back pain through most of training camp while watching 49ers reject Klaus Wilmsmeyer do most of the punting.
The charges of frigid play that erupted after the Bengals' loss to the Giants have been echoed in Chicago, where the Bears appear doomed for their third consecutive losing season. "Right now, I don't know if the thing to do is get jacked in people's faces," quarterback Erik Kramer said. "If you can do it and stay positive and pick somebody up, that's what we've got to do. I think our pride's a little hurt. We're a little embarrassed about what's happened and now we have to come out and play with a certain fire."
WELCOME, KID:
San Diego Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf, the No. 2 pick in the draft who has been hailed as the franchise's savior, endured the kind of rookie hazing that befits somebody with a $31 million contract in his pocket.
Linebacker Junior Seau, the team's acknowledged leader, secured one of Leaf's credit cards and treated himself and 25 veteran players to dinner at an upscale sushi restaurant in La Jolla. Cost: $2,800. "He brought me a receipt and said, "Here you go. We had a good time,' " Leaf said.
That wasn't the only blow Leaf received from Seau. Though Leaf was wearing the red pullover top that means "do not touch" during one recent practice, Seau leveled him after he had thrown an interception. "I was just administering him a lesson. Don't leave the pocket," Seau explained. "We need him to stay healthy through the season."
TEAM PLAYER:
Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, who can afford such largesse, restructured his contract for the second time this year to liberate $3.75 million in salary-cap dollars for the team. This enabled Denver to sign its seven draft picks, pay incentive bonuses and obtain free agents.
As a result, Elway's 1998 base salary is $300,000, believed to be the lowest among NFL starting quarterbacks.
On the other hand, though Elway almost retired this year and probably won't play much longer, the restructuring means that the Broncos must keep paying him through the year 2003.
HERO WORSHIP:
The Kansas City Chiefs had a minor problem. They signed a pair of Pro Bowl defensive ends during the offseason, Chester McGlockton and Leslie O'Neal. Both wore No. 91. Who would receive the cherished number, and who would give in?
McGlockton graciously deferred to O'Neal, who had played 12 years to his six. Not only that, McGlockton happily took No. 75, in honor of former Raiders teammate Howie Long.
SOUR NOTE:
Though the Tennessee Oilers have peddled 47,000 personal seat licenses for their new Nashville stadium, they haven't sold out any of this season's games at 41,000-seat Vanderbilt Stadium, their temporary home.
