NFL MEETINGS Replay OK extended; Clarett delay sought

The OSU player's lawyer isn't concerned about the league's efforts to undermine his client's quest.
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Instant replay is in for five more years, and the NFL hopes Maurice Clarett will be out of next month's draft.
Hours after league owners approved a five-year extension of instant replay, adding a third coaches' challenge if the first two are successful, the NFL succeeded in a federal appeals court in New York. The court agreed to hear arguments days before the draft to overturn the lower court ruling allowing Ohio State sophomore Clarett and other underclassman and high schoolers into the draft.
NFL chief counsel Jeff Pash believes there's a strong chance the court will grant a stay of the lower court ruling before the April 24-25 draft. That means Clarett, Southern California sophomore Mike Williams and seven others would not be included in the draft.
League optimistic
"We are very optimistic. We think it is a positive indicator of the seriousness with which the court of appeals is taking the argument," Pash said. "Yes, I think there is a very substantial chance he will not be in the draft."
Should that happen and the NFL subsequently loses the appeal, a supplemental draft for those players would be held within 10 days of the court decision.
That, says Alan Milstein, Clarett's agent, would damage his client. Milstein said Clarett would lose leverage to negotiate a contract, as well as practice time and time to learn his new team's playbook, if he were not drafted in April.
"They did not issue a stay," Milstein told The Associated Press. "They set forth an expedited briefing schedule. Nothing happened today that was unexpected. The court is just doing what it needs to do to work hard and get Maurice in the draft -- and with plenty of time to do it."
Pash said the hearing will be April 19 or 20.
The vote on replay was 29-3, with Kansas City, Indianapolis and Cincinnati voting against. Arizona, for "the first time in recorded history," according to commissioner Paul Tagliabue, voted for the five-year extension -- with the additional challenge.
Permanency is concern
Twenty-four votes were needed from the 32 teams to keep replay. Tagliabue said some teams were reluctant to put it in permanently in fear it would be too difficult to remove.
"Some people were still concerned about replay," Tagliabue said. "And there were many, including myself, who felt that putting it in for five years rather than permanently would provide an incentive for the officiating department and the league office to continue to find ways to improve it."
In a key financial move, owners renewed for 15 years the NFL Trust, which provides $4 million per team in licensing revenue for merchandise with team logos. But there was enough sentiment from teams such as the Cowboys, Redskins and Dolphins to investigate modifying it, and Tagliabue will appoint a nine-member committee to look at all aspects of revenue sharing.