CHICAGO -- Plenty of NFL owners and officials from the commissioners' office were greeted with good news as they prepared for three days of owners meetings that begin Tuesday at the Chicago Airport Hyatt.
|  | | NFL spokesman Joe Browne, left, and attorney Gregg H. Levy speak to the media after the verdict was returned Monday. |
"From what I gather, there was plenty of champagne popped," one NFL staffer said.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie joked that it was "California champagne."
Rightfully so, because the jury verdict Monday in Los Angeles that went completely against the Raiders was a huge victory for 31 current NFL owners and commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
The fact that the Raiders were shut out of any of their claims in their $1.2 billion lawsuit seemed on the surface to be a complete victory for the NFL. Because of the cost and how decisive the defeat, it might be hard for the Raiders to appeal.
Court costs owed by the Raiders easily will soar into the tens of millions of dollars. Considering that they couldn't convince nine of 12 jurors to rule in their favor, the Raiders might have a tough time trying another round.
"We're disappointed," Raiders executive Bruce Allen said. "Still, it's hard to believe that this case is over."
Raiders attorney Joe Alioto still argued afterward that the evidence was very strong in the Raiders' favor, and said the Raiders' contention that the NFL was requiring two teams to play in the same stadium when a new Los Angeles stadium was built was obvious bad faith discrimination against the Raiders.
The Raiders say they surrendered $46 million to own the Los Angeles market.
Attorneys for the Raiders will review the findings before determining whether or not to file an appeal. The Raiders have to focus their lawyers for their lawsuit this fall against the city of Oakland, which the Raiders claim didn't live up to the promises that enticed them to move from Los Angeles. That case is scheduled for sometime around November.
Reaction at the owners meeting was by word of month because most of those attending where in flight when the verdict was rendered. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was surprised when he learned that the NFL's victory was so complete.
Kraft, one of the league's newer owners, doesn't have the background of the history between Raiders owner Al Davis and the league. He appeared puzzled at what Davis was seeking.
Paul Brown, vice-president of the Cincinnati Bengals, arrived at the meeting with fishing pole in hand having just come off a weekend fishing trip. The news stunned him.
"This is great news," Brown said. "I had not heard."
This also could be good news for future football in Los Angeles. The victory puts the league back in control of the Los Angeles market with the Raiders losing their claim to the region. A franchise might be able to move there without paying a rights fee to the Raiders.
The Raiders, meanwhile, have a lease in Oakland that runs through 2011. Winning the case Monday would have funded a possible buyout of that Oakland lease if they wish. What the verdict does, though, is put pressure on the franchise to prove that the City of Oakland failed to live up to its promises.
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