Tagliabue Is Expected to Decide Today

While America mourned, Paul Tagliabue deliberated.

Although player representatives of all 31 teams unanimously opposed playing NFL games this weekend, Tagliabue, the league’s commissioner, remained undecided Wednesday.

Other major sports-from college football to baseball to boxing to golf-have postponed events following Tuesday’s terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

Tagliabue spent Wednesday talking to people around the league and, according to Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players’ Assn., hoping for direction from the White House.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said a decision is expected today.

If Tagliabue is looking for guidance, he need look no further than the players.

After polling all player representatives, Upshaw said he had not heard from one who wanted to play Sunday.

“I don’t understand why we’re here today,” said New York Jet quarterback Vinny Testaverde at the team’s training headquarters in Hempstead, N.Y. “I think all the games should be canceled this week.”

Cincinnati Bengal offensive lineman Willie Anderson said security should be considered.

“There’s a safety factor, whether it’s flying or security at the stadium,” Anderson said. “There’s a lot of risk for having NFL teams traveling this weekend ....To think about playing a game this weekend, that’s kind of hard.”

Oakland Raider defensive end Trace Armstrong, president of the players’ association, said he had been in contact with numerous player representatives as well as league officials.

“I am very concerned about playing a football game when we still have loved ones missing,” Armstrong said. “I’m leaning toward us not playing and doing what we can, even if it’s just a prayer, to help the people who are suffering.”

Without the cushion of an extra week this season between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, Tagliabue could decide to wipe this weekend off the schedule and go with a 15-game season.

But where would that leave the San Diego Chargers, who, because they have a bye this weekend, would be the only team to play 16 games? One possibility would be to use winning percentage to determine playoff spots.

“My primary concern is making a proper decision about whether or not to have a game,” Armstrong said. “And then we’ll decide about what to do with the rest of the season.”

If Tagliabue needed more input, he could listen to Atlanta Falcon Coach Dan Reeves.

“It’s tough to keep your mind on any kind of strategy as far as football is concerned,” said Reeves, who has a friend who worked in New York’s demolished World Trade Center and is among the missing. “Gosh, I’m 57 years old, and I’ve never come close to having anything like this happen. It’s just unheard of.

“It’s hard to think about football when you’ve got prayer thoughts, people that you love and care for, children, it’s tough.”

Finally, Tagliabue could look to the actions of his predecessor. In 1963, Pete Rozelle ordered NFL games to go on just two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Rozelle later said that decision was his biggest regret.

“I heard about what happened when JFK got shot and how the NFL continued to play,” Jacksonville Jaguar wide receiver Jimmy Smith said. “Just going by that, I would maybe cancel this week’s games and resume the following week, just out of respect for those who were hit by this.”

Testaverde, whose Jets are scheduled to play the Raiders Sunday at Oakland, had the most curious reason for postponing games.

“The last thing we want to do is get on a plane and go to California for a game when all four of those planes that were hijacked were going to California,” he said. “My suggestion is, if they want to play these games, each owner has to travel with his team to the game.

“Even if everything goes accordingly, by the time we get off the plane, we will all be shot from the stress and nerves of not knowing

Smith also expressed a fear of flying.

“I’m sure it will be in the back of all of our minds, even though the planes are chartered and the whole nine yards,” Smith said. “Still, just the fact of getting on a plane ... will be tough.”

If Tagliabue decides to go ahead with this weekend’s games, he has supporters.

“You almost feel that work’s the only thing to do, because you can’t do anything about everything else,” Raider offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy said.

“From a personal standpoint, not as a coach but as an American, we want to play,” said Baltimore Raven Coach Brian Billick. “I don’t want cowards to dictate what we do in this country. That’s where my anguish is.”