NFL set to decide between L.A. plans

HOUSTON -- For more than 20 years, the National Football League couldn't figure out its Los Angeles problem. Which really means the Los Angeles stadium problem.

The Rams and Raiders left in 1995, and there were various stops and starts along the way, including the rewarding of an expansion team to Houston when no plan for a Los Angeles stadium occurred.

Perhaps it is fitting then that the league's 32 owners are gathering in Houston for a special meeting, and they appear less than 48 hours away from finding a solution if the league's 29 owners aside from San Diego, Oakland and St. Louis can come up with one that works.

After a long year of rumors and speculation, and two competing plans for stadiums in Inglewood, Calif., and Carson, Calif., the NFL's Los Angeles Opportunities Committee met Monday night in an apparent effort to present a plan Tuesday that has the best chance of succeeding for the market and getting the 24 votes necessary for approval.

Tuesday is expected to be a long day of discussion and debate, with the hope that a vote will come Wednesday.

While support for the Carson project is building for a plan that would include the Chargers and Raiders moving there, Rams owner Stan Kroenke is working feverishly to get Inglewood accepted.

The latest salvo was fired by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a steadfast proponent of Kroenke's plan. Jones sent a letter to the L.A. Committee on Friday, pushing for a partnership between the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood. That idea is nothing new, but it had seemed a longshot at best considering Chargers owner Dean Spanos' repeated statements that he has no interest in Inglewood or partnering with Kroenke.

However, approached by San Diego radio reporter Marty Caswell on Monday, Spanos said, "Whatever the decision of the owners is, we'll abide by it."

The Los Angeles Times reported there is increasing momentum to pair the Rams and Chargers.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean he won't continue pushing for the Carson pairing with the Raiders, especially considering the presence of Disney CEO Bob Iger, who was appointed in November as the non-executive chairman of the joint Chargers-Raiders plan. Iger is expected to address the owners in Houston, and he will push hard for the Carson project, which he would oversee and become a part owner of one of the teams if that becomes the owners' choice.

Adding more intrigue Monday night was Iger, Spanos and Davis having dinner in a restaurant in the Westin Hotel where the meetings are being held.

Then, The Sports Xchange was told from a source close to the situation that the Times story was incorrect, that there are no discussions involving the Chargers with Inglewood and that they have no interested in that project.

Of course, that doesn't mean some owners won't continue trying to push for it.

A pairing of the Rams and Chargers potentially would leave the Raiders in limbo. Owners believe Raiders owner Mark Davis' heart is truly in Oakland, although according to a report in the Orange County (Calif.) Register, Davis has in recent days told league officials the city doesn't deserve an NFL team because of the repeated bad-faith actions of local politicians and officials.

Additionally, it would appear unlikely that Davis would walk away from Carson without gaining something significant from the NFL.

The league could agree to provide increased capital that would result in a new stadium in Oakland. Davis has expressed interest in San Antonio in the past and owns land there. Some believe, however, that Jones and Houston Texans owner Bob McNair would not be in favor of another team in Texas.

St. Louis also would be an option, although Davis previously said he is not interested in that market. However, St. Louis has a stadium plan ready, and it is a solid one despite claims to the contrary by the Rams in their relocation application.

One speculated outcome this week is that the Chargers will be announced as the one team approved for a move to Los Angeles, but without naming the specific venue, with the owners reconvening again as soon as next week to finalize the plan.

The only thing certain is that nothing is certain. Which, in retrospect, is what the last 21 years have been like in Los Angeles.