Ueberroth Disagrees With Rozelle Before a Senate Committee

Because they operate under different sets of rules, baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle disagreed Monday on whether legislation is needed to give leagues more power to control franchise shifts.

Ueberroth told the Senate Commerce Committee that baseball has done a good job of controlling team moves and did not need additional authority.

But Rozelle, who has been unable to prevent the shifts of the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Colts to Los Angeles and Indianapolis, respectively, said legislation was needed to clarify the NFL’s status under antitrust laws.

Baseball is exempt from antitrust law under a 60-year-old Supreme Court ruling that it is a sport and not a business, but football and other professional sports are subject to antitrust laws.

Refering to a bill that would give the NFL more authority to stop franchise moves, Rozelle said: “It authorizes professional sports leagues to keep well supported teams in their existing home territories.”

He said he opposed another bill that would require the NFL to add four teams, including ones in Baltimore and Oakland.

Ueberroth said that baseball hopes to add as many as six teams in the next several years, expanding from 26 to 32 teams. Among the cities seeking major-league teams are Denver, Tampa-St. Petersburg, New Orleans and Washington.

Harry Usher, new head of the United States Football League, argued that although franchise relocation is a concern, the bill ignored the overall problem in pro football, which he said was an NFL monopoly on fall television coverage.

Usher argued that if USFL teams were given equal exposure, there would be fewer cities trying to lure away NFL teams.

Also testifying in favor of the proposed legislation were commissioners from the NBA, NHL and the Major Indoor Soccer League.

The bill is sponsored by Republican Sen. John Danforth and Democrat Sen. Thomas Eagleton--both from Missouri, where the St. Louis Cardinals football team and the Kansas City Kings basketball club are considering moves.

Jimmy Raye, who lost his title as offensive coordinator of the Rams after last season, resigned to become offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Raye could have stayed on with the Rams but not as offensive coordinator. Coach John Robinson said he plans to take charge of the offense himself next season.

With the Rams, Raye stood next to Robinson on game days and called the plays, often after brief consultation with Robinson, who will call the plays himself next season. Raye will call them for Tampa Bay.

Harry Gamble, a former coach with a pair of business degrees, took over as general manager of the financially troubled Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles haven’t had a general manager since the end of the 1982 season, when Jim Murray was fired and his duties taken over by owner Leonard Tose’s daughter, Susan Fletcher.

Gamble will be for the first Eagles’ general manager with football coaching experience in 14 years.

The Los Angeles Express of the USFL released tight end Darren Long, a part-time starter last year. Also released were defensive back David Rackley, wide receiver Jeff Keller, guard Chuck Page, linebacker Kevin Junior, running back Jason Jacobs and quarterback Eric Thompson.

British horse racing officials may look into allegations that top jockey Lester Piggott has received secret cash payments arranged by a leading trainer.

Under horse racing rules, trainers must register the amount they pay their jockeys. A report in the tabloid Sunday People suggested the 49-year-old Piggott received unregistered bonuses besides a retainer he received from trainer Henry Cecil.