July 19, 2000

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE, WILLIE LANIER, JOHN MACKEY and DAN FOUTS
Pro Football Hall of Fame Conference Call

JOE BROWNE: The offseason is behind us. Camps are open. We in this office at least are ready for the season to begin the weekend after next with the Canton Monday night game on July 31 between the 49ers and the Patriots on ABC being the culmination of that first weekend of play. It's going to be a very special season for the NFL's 31 teams as we kickoff a new century, as we're using in a lot of our materials, kicking off a new century of NFL football. All this season, starting in Canton, all this season we're going to take the opportunity as a league to look back at the first eight decades, the first 80 years, and recognize the players and the coaches who were in the league during that time, especially the Hall of Famers.

At the same time, we're in a very exciting period for the NFL, and we also plan to publicize to an even greater extent today's great players and take a look ahead at what the league will be and what it will look like in future years.

For example, starting in 2002, when Houston comes in, we go to eight divisions of four, possibly more playoff teams, and so on. So it's going to be a blend this season of acknowledging both the old, the first 80 years, as well as the new and what's current in the league right now.

Getting back to the Canton weekend, we're calling it modestly Pro Football's Greatest Reunion. I think it's going to be just that. We're going to have four TV specials produced during the Canton weekend that will show on prime time on the ABC network in August that will highlight the activities of this upcoming Canton weekend.

Jim Steeg, who has been coordinating out of our office with Joe Horrigan at the Hall of Fame, Jim tells me we're up to 111 of the 126 living Hall of Famers, so it's going to be 111 right now, plus the five men who are being inducted later this month, Montana, Lott, Dave Wilcox, Howie Long, and of course, Dan Rooney.

During the Canton weekend, we're going to have a special private Saturday night gala on the field at the new Cleveland Browns stadium on that Saturday night for the Hall of Famers and their guests, as well as our owners who will be in attendance. We're going to have a special golf tournament at Firestone for the Hall of Famers on Sunday during the weekend. These activities are all in addition to the regular events that the Hall of Fame has every year.

For those of you who are going to be covering the Hall of Fame weekend, Dan Masonson and Mike Signora from our staff are going to be out there to help Joe Horrigan and his people, to work with you, coordinate with you, give you as much access to the returning Hall of Famers as possible, with the understanding of course that because of time factors, not everyone's going to be able to have a one-on-one with Joe Montana.

But we are going to be there, we are going to work with you. We're inviting you to come out and cover this weekend. We want to get as much publicity as possible so we are going to work with you.

On the format for today, we're going to the Commissioner say a few words about the Hall of Fame weekend. It was his idea to do this, to bring all the players back to Canton. Then we've asked three of the great Hall of Famers who will be there, Willie Lanier, John Mackey, and Dan Fouts will be there in dual role. I'm going to ask them to give their thoughts on the Hall of Fame and what it means to come back and be part of pro football's greatest reunion.

Then after we've had the Hall of Famers speak, we'll come back and see if you guys have any questions about the Hall of Fame weekend. Then finally, after we're finished with that phase of it, it's only fair, since the Commissioner is here, to open it up to any questions that you might have that are current right now. We'll do this as long as time permits.

With that, I'd like the Commissioner to say a few words about the Canton weekend and Pro Football' Greatest Reunion, and then we'll hear from Willie Lanier, John Mackey and Dan Fouts.

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Good morning. Thanks for being with us. Thanks particularly to Willie Lanier and Dan Fouts and John Mackey. I think in a nutshell this weekend at the Hall is sort of a threefold focus: First, to celebrate the past great players and their teams, the great games that they played, the great seasons that they had.

Second, to anticipate the excitement and the promise of future great players and their teams. And I think thirdly, to recognize the tradition and the linkage between the past and the present, particularly in the extraordinary competition that continues to be the hallmark of NFL football as we enter our ninth decade.

Let me just say a little bit about the background of the weekend. We were flying back from Canton last year, caught up in the emotion, the nostalgia of the weekend. As most of you have been there know it's contagious during Hall of Fame weekend. There were perhaps 40 or 50 Hall of Famers, at the luncheon, and then the ceremony, including the induction ceremony.

It occurred to me as we concluded the century and kicked off the 21st century, we should really have all of the Hall of Famers back. Some of them are getting quite elderly now. The last couple of years we lost a couple, including people like Sid Luckman and Marian Motley. So I suggested that we talk with the Hall and invite every Hall of Famer back as a guest of the League to recognize in a special way the tremendous impact these men made on our game over the decades.

One of the last times I spoke with Walter Payton before his death, I discussed the reunion with him. I remember him saying he thought it would be a tremendous thing, and that he would be there. He looked forward to it. Unfortunately, it's probably the only thing that Walter didn't live up to, was showing up for this greatest reunion of all time.

But his memory will be there. The memory of the deceased Hall of Famers will be there. But more importantly, more than 100 living Hall of Famers will be in one place at one time celebrating the history and the greatness of the game.

Beyond the Hall of Fame weekend, we're looking at this first season of the new century as a way of linking the NFL fraternity of players past and present. Obviously, the many active players who are likely to be in the Hall down the road, from young players such as Peyton Manning, to Terrell Davis and Troy Aikman, who is now up there as veteran. These players, as I said earlier, are going to have great, great games down the road in the same tradition as the pioneers and the Hall of Famers are going to be here in Canton.

This is in a sense a celebration of the past. It's also a bridge between the past and the future. We can talk a little bit more about that after Willie and Dan and John share their thoughts with you.

JOE BROWN: I know that Willie Lanier was having a hard time making the phone connection earlier. Willie, did you make it on?

WILLIE LANIER: Yes.

JOE BROWNE: The great linebacker of the Chiefs, one of those players who normally makes it his business to return to Canton each year. Willie, could you just say a few words about what this weekend annually means to you and why you do go back.

WILLIE LANIER: I know we had talked about the reunion coming up, having opportunity for so many of the living Hall of Famers to be in one place at one time. It just allowed me to reflect on the opportunity I had to be one of the fortunate few, to have a chance to ascend the steps and make your acceptance speech. But then to recognize if you look at the 80 years of the National Football League, the over 17,000 players who have played the game, to realize that you have performed at a high enough level to be one of the few that could be considered for induction in itself is such a tremendous joy and one that calls you to really reflect heavily on it. I know fortunately I played in Kansas City. The first time at the Hall was 1972 when Lamar Hunt was inducted. That gave a chance to have the flavor of what professional football was all about, what it was about in terms of the men who had crafted the game itself and given their lives and dedication to it. And then to have players that I played with, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Len Dawson, Jan Stenerud, also become members of that Hall. Then I went in with Paul Hornung, Fran Tarkenton, Doak Walker and Ken Houston. And that becomes your class, that last class, I guess the final class that you really feel a part of.

So having a chance to talk to the class of 2000 earlier on this year in Hawaii, I had a chance to make a point to them that regardless what team you played for, the Raiders, the 49ers, the Chiefs, it doesn't really matter, because once you become a Hall of Famer, what you do is then sign your autograph, your name, but your Hall of Fame class.

I think it really struck a chord because many times you think you'll recognize what the event will be about. Many of us had achieved high status in the way we played. Many of us had been accorded a certain acknowledgment throughout the years. But going to Canton, Ohio, with the level of events that are there, the kind of dedication that the city has to the players who come and the kind of event that it is, the number of times through Saturday prior to your having the chance to be presented, and then as Paul was speaking about, the special nature of what would occur at Brookside on Friday where only the current players, the Hall of Famers, Commissioner, team owners would be part of that, board of directors from the Hall of Fame itself, to see what the essence of that group actually is, the feeling of what the game is about, not just the playing of it, but the involvement of everyone who has a part, touch and feel, to be a part of it.

So it becomes a special weekend, a special joy and a special way to recognize not only the fact that you have the advantage of being there, but also then realize that there are so many people in your life who has a chance to be part of it. One last point I'd make this with, this weekend I was over to visit one of my very first coaches, Russell Williams in Richmond, Virginia. He's probably in his last days, but I was able to reflect on the fact with his being one of the first people in my life to be of a sports-oriented foundation piece, he had the chance to be in Canton, Ohio, on that Saturday, August 2nd, 1986. And I didn't know he was there, but I saw him standing with a smile, with the joy, because one of those that he had been involved with had been able to go forward.

So I think that becomes my view of what it means to be in the Hall, what it means to be a part of it, and of course that calls to me to want to come back each year to be able to acknowledge those men that will then ascend those steps.

JOE BROWNE: Thank you, Willie. We appreciate that. John Mackey, great tight end of the Baltimore Colts, spent a year in the San Diego Chargers, a member of two Super Bowl teams with the Colts. John, it took awhile for you to get into the Hall, but nonetheless you're a member now of a very, very exclusive group, having been inducted in 1992. But would you just say a few words about what the Hall of Fame means to you.

JOHN MACKEY: Yes, I'm looking forward to returning to Canton. I haven't been there in many years. You know, I especially to thank Commissioner Tagliabue for putting together this reunion and for making this weekend possible. Yes, I was inducted in 1992, the same year John Riggins was enshrined, and I remember Commissioner Tagliabue making the formal presentation of Riggins. I was impressed. So I asked John how he selected the football Commissioner to be his presenter. He told me that Madonna was his first choice, but she was so busy, he went to Plan B. I corrected him and said, "No, if you got the Commissioner, it's Plan A." Seriously, I play at many golf tournaments throughout the year and see many of the Hall of Famers. But this upcoming weekend in Canton has been the subject of much conversation at the 19th hole ever since the invitation arrived a few months ago. I sat on the sidelines for many years after I retired in 1972, hoping to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. To be exact, it was 20 years. Being passed over for all those years really didn't bother me, because deep down I knew what type of player I was, also that I had given 100% effort exactly 100% of the time. We won one Super Bowl that we should have won and we lost one that we should have won, too.

Yeah, that being said, I was overjoyed when I got the phone call in 1992 telling me that I had finally made it. The Hall of Fame in Canton is the most exclusive club in sports and I'm proud to be a part of it. I can tell you I'm looking forward to being in Canton with my Baltimore teammates like Lenny Moore, Gino Marchetti, Raymond Berry, as well as some of the players who tried to tackle me during my years in the National Football League. I'll be there and I'm ready to go deep.

JOE BROWNE: John Mackey, Dan Fouts, of course, was the quarterback of Don Coryell's Chargers in the '70s and '80s and was inducted in 1993. He's going back not only as an enshrinee, inductee, but also to be on the ABC TV crew, the new crew that will be broadcasting its first game as a group from Canton July 31. We move that time up to 7 p.m. East Coast time. Dan, I saw Don Ohlmeyer, the producer of Monday Night Football, say this morning that we're going to see a side of Dan Fouts that we've never seen before. I don't know if that's good news or bad news.

DAN FOUTS: I'll be standing on my head, Joe. It will be definitely a different side. That's the side that Willie Lanier is used to seeing me after he would drill me. What a thrill to be on for phone call with John Mackey and Willie. I want to express my thanks to the Commissioner on behalf of all the Hall of Famers to make it so easy for us to get to Canton and to make sure that it's a special weekend. It means a great deal to all the members of the Hall of Fame to be able to partake in this weekend. It's the greatest weekend that you could possibly imagine. Only a Hall of Famer can tell you just what it means to him. Like Willie said, you are in a different class now, you're on a different team. You are on the ultimate team of all time. And to realize that there are only 131 living members of this great team, the one word that comes to mind for Dan Fouts is the word humility. I'm not sure that I am worthy to be in this Hall of Fame, but I am. I'm proud of my class of 1993 that includes Walter Peyton, coaches Bill Walsh and Chuck Noll and the great offensive guard for the Dolphins, Larry Little. We all think our classes are the best. That's an argument that we like to have at that great luncheon at Brookside. As far as the Monday night program is concerned, we anticipate a great year for the NFL and for ABC. 1999 was definitely the year of the unexpected when you had two teams such as the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans represent the League in the Super Bowl - not only represent the League, but give us our most exciting Super Bowl of all time.

Well, if 1999 was a year of the unexpected, I think that the year 2000 could be the year of the unpredictable. I've gone out and bought a dictionary and thesaurus so I can figure out what the heck Dennis Miller is talking about and put on the rewind button and see if I can have a comment or maybe just tell people what I think he means by some of the big words that he uses.

We have been working extremely hard in Los Angeles preparing for the season. I just got back last night from two days in the studio with Al Michael, Dennis Miller, Melissa Stark and Eric Dickerson. We promise you we will give it our best. It's great to have a Hall of Famer like Eric Dickerson on the sidelines and gives us his unique perspective.

Of course when you have people like Al Michaels and Melissa Stark, to go with a real wildcard in Dennis Miller, a guy that respects the game, he grew up as a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, so we'll forgive him for that, but we think that he has a lot to offer from a fan standpoint and from a guy that's kind of a football junky, has a really fan's knowledge of the game. We're looking forward to getting off to a great start with the 49ers and New England on Monday night in Canton. One of the great things about Canton, besides all the great activities, the luncheon of course is a highlight, I just can't wait to see how long that parade is going to be when you've got 111 fellows in the cars. I'm really looking forward to a great weekend.

JOE BROWNE: Thanks, Dan. Just a couple logistics, then we'll open it up for questions on the Hall of Fame first. As I said earlier, Dan Masonson and Mike Signora will be out there to help Joe Horrigan up interviews. All the players are going to be staying at the Hilton in downtown Canton. After the parade on Saturday morning, the Hall of Famers come off, the five inductees come off one by one, and they'll be available for interviews at the Hall of Fame Saturday morning. But what I would encourage you to do between now and the time you leave for Canton is to call Horrigan or call Masonson or senior at our office and just give us an idea of who you're thinking about, if you want to do a special feature on one or more of the guys, let us know who you're thinking of and we'll try to do some pre-planning. Let's open it up to the operator and see if you have any questions first of Lanier, Mackey or Dan Fouts or the Commissioner on the Hall of Fame, and then after that the Commissioner has some remarks in general about the season and we'll take some more general questions.

Q. In this anniversary season when we're looking back, trying to make this linkage to the present, my question for the players is, are players getting into more off-the-field trouble these days or is this simply an indication of increased media scrutiny or some other factor?

WILLIE LANIER: I would think it's a combination of all of the above. With the greater media scrutiny, if that's the case, from the time I started playing, if it were ESPN, there wasn't a need for product is what I would call it. With anything that is obviously in the public domain, it's going to be recognized, it's going to be addressed. What the actual statistics are, as would indicate numbers, from one period to the other, I'm not really sure whether it's more or less or the same, but I do think that the recognition that comes from the attention is one that would cause whatever occurs to be in the public domain much more quickly than it was.

JOE BROWNE: Dan or John, anything quick to add to that? Let's go on to a second question.

Q: Willie, you mentioned before some of the Kansas City teammates who are in the Hall. Are you a little surprised that a couple more aren't in the Hall of Fame yet?

JOHN MACKEY: I think that's a question at different times. But all of us realize it's a great challenge and a great opportunity to be inducted. The individuals have the responsibility and you have to have 82% of that vote. Every year they struggle with the decision. They make the decision. That's who ends up being there. I don't really try to define who is not there. That decision is always made by the selectors. I think they do a great job of that.

JOE BROWNE: Next question.

Q. Commissioner, concerning Dan Rooney's induction into the Hall, could you talk briefly about Mr. Rooney's impact, his significance on the League even dating back to the '87 players strike and maybe more recently concerning his role in expansion, realignment that you spoke about briefly?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: When I think of Dan as a Hall of Famer, a come couple of things come to mind first: passion, roots, tradition going back to his father The Chief.

I think what you touched on in terms of the players strike back in '87 maybe is a symbol of what Dan Rooney is. He's a healer, he's a consensus builder, he's a voice of reason. He's been at the forefront of the labor piece that we've had here in the '90s working with another Hall of Famer, Gene Upshaw. He's made a great contribution in the NFL as well as to the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think he's a consensus Hall of Famer.

JOE BROWNE: Next question.

Q. For Paul and Joe, each of the 111 guys that are coming are all special and great in their own way. I'm wondering of that 111, who are a couple of guys who you're really excited about coming who have not been to the Hall in re cent years?

JOE BROWNE: John Mackey, for one. Is Joe Horrigan on? Maybe Joe knows some of the guys who have not been back. Jim Brown I know is coming back. Jimmy Steeg, who has been doing all the logistics. We'll get back to you on that. One guy who is not coming back is Sammy Baugh, who if any of you have seen him in recent interviews, he's a kick. We've tried to get Sam back for Super Bowls. He always tells us, "I never go anywhere where I can't get back to my ranch by sundown." We couldn't promise that we could do that for him. He's one of the few guys that is not going to be able to make it. A couple of the other guys are not doing well, not feeling well. I'd say most of the able-bodied people, most are going to be there.

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Another thing about what this weekend really is, you get a lot of Hall of Famers come back, but they usually come back on the 5th anniversary of their induction. It's a five-year cycle, 15th reunion, so. As John Mackey said, this year you're going to have the energy that comes when you have teammates together who are inducted in different years, but who made up those great teams. He referred to Lenny Moore, Gino Marchetti, in the case of the Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor. When have you those teammates back, there's a specialness about the weekend. There's a feeling of camaraderie. There's a bond. I'm sure Willie feels that about his Hall of Famers with the Chiefs who were inducted in different years. I think that's going to be the specialness of this for the fans and for you all in the media, too, when you see the bonding that still exists today because people bonded on a football field.

Q: The question I had for Mackey when he was speaking, is he going to be prepared for this weekend to treat Shula as a Colt or does he still view him as a Dolphin?

JOHN MACKEY: He's always a Colt. Shula was the best. I've always been standing on his shoulders. Hey, he's always a Colt. The only problem I have is that when you come back, with all my teammates like that, I got Don Shula, when they played the national anthem, I got to make sure I prepare myself not to hit somebody.

JOE BROWNE: Next question.

Q. Paul and any of the players who have an opinion. One of your owners has suggested having satellite halls of fame around the country so more people could see the artifacts and things that are in Canton. What do you think of that? Do you think it would detract from Canton as a shrine?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Well, it's something that's been discussed many, many times over the decades. The way we've discussed it in recent years, to bring the Hall out to fans around the country, which is what part of what Al Davis was suggesting, we thought more in terms of a Hall of Heroes. Canton is unique. It's the birthplace of the game. It's the shrine for the men who excel and get there. So to leave that as that shrine, and then to think in terms of the Hall of Heroes, perhaps, or Hall of Great Teams, where you would accomplish some of the similar things of reaching out to the East Coast, to the West Coast, to the heartland. In fact, a lot of discussion is talked about perhaps having a Hall of Heroes in Chicago, given the history of the Bears, given that it's central to the whole nation. So I think there's a kernel of an idea there, but you need to balance, as you suggest, the purity and the sanctity of the Hall of Fame and the uniqueness of the Hall of Fame with the outreach to the fans.

JOE BROWNE: One more question on the Hall of Fame from one of the Hall of Famers or the Commissioner, and then I would just ask the Commissioner after that to say a few words about the start of the season, then we'll take some more general questions.

Is there one last Hall of Fame question?

Q. I guess this question is mostly for Willie, maybe John, if you'd like to talk about it. Willie, do you think as someone who comes back more often than just on anniversaries, do you think some of the guys who don't come back as often will get a spark to make this more of an annual trip for them or to see what they haven't been around for the last 10, 15 years?

WILLIE LANIER: I really think they will because, as I expressed, the great deal in coming to Canton, seeing that which is the foundation of pro football, the energy, the emotion, the feelings that really everyone has who have had a chance to participate in it.

For you to have been a Hall of Famer, for you to have played a game, and regardless of how long you live, it's a foundation piece. It's part of who you are. With that being the case, it gives you a chance to be a part of those -- that which you are and that which you will continue to be. Whatever reason that many might not have come over the years, I think this really gives them a chance to see it, to feel it, to touch it, be a part of it. I think, no doubt, it will continue to cause more to attend.

JOE BROWNE: With that, I think I want to thank Willie and John and Dan for joining us this morning. We're going to go to more general questions. We appreciate you being with us today. We'll see you in Canton in about ten days. Thanks. Commissioner, do you have a couple of opening remarks about what you see as the season ahead, then we'll take some general questions as time permits. Also, Commissioner, before I turn it over to you, I want to remind everyone that we welcome our listeners on NFL.com today and also remind those listeners on NFL.com that we'll be providing wall-to-wall coverage of the Hall of Fame weekend and the reunion on NFL.com, and we think you for being with us today and we hope that you tune in, turn on during Hall of Fame weekend.

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Well, I'll just say a few words of the excitement is building now. I'll be heading out to some training camps soon. The Hall of Fame is the kickoff. We've been talking about that. To me the big question is, can the Rams and Titans repeat, and if not, who is going to be the next Rams and Titans of this season? The League has been extraordinarily competitive in recent years. Last year we saw that competition across the League. There's some intriguing questions this year. If you start with the Rams, can they repeat with a new coach obviously? They have 19 of 22 starters coming back, including the quarterback, Kurt Warner. Can Tennessee repeat? Will Tennessee repeat with Reggie White? I guess that becomes the speculator's question. They've got Eddie George back, tremendous success at home, 8-0 at home. Beyond that, I think some of the big questions are relative to some of the teams that suffered some injuries last year. The Broncos, the Jets, Terrell Davis is back, Vinny Testaverde is back. What is that going to mean? We'll find that out pretty quickly in the case of both teams. Denver plays St. Louis on the opening weekend. The Jets are pitted against the Patriots very early in the season. We'll start to get a notion of what of those teams who was so strong in the '99 season.

Some of the other questions I think are exciting. Starting in the nation's capital, going down to the Super Bowl city this year, Tampa Bay. Around the League, seven new head coaches. I think there's uncertainty, there's excitement, but most of all there's competition.

I'll be probably at three games. The Hall of Fame match-up between the 49ers and the Patriots, the two American Bowl games, one in Tokyo, Dallas against Atlanta, and then in Mexico City which pits the Steelers and the Colts. Those are just a few thoughts. Let me stop there and open it up for questioning.

JOE BROWNE: Before we take questions, I was just thinking that in addition to Tokyo, some of the other players the Commissioner mentioned, specifically on Hall of Fame weekend, we're going to have a press conference at the Cleveland stadium during the reception of that big gala. So the Commissioner will be available for questions at that point. And then also during that weekend, he's going to take the opportunity of the slow day on Sunday and go over to the Lions camp on Sunday night, over to the Bills camp on Monday morning before he returns to Canton for the game. For those of you media who are in those cities, Paul will be there to answer any questions and do any one-on-one's at that point. Why don't we take as many questions as we can in the remaining moments and see who has the first question.

Q. This is one remaining question about the Hall of Fame. Dan had talked about every class thinking they have the best class. Can you make some remarks about this class? It's certainly a high-profile group with Montana and Lott, also Dan Rooney. Can you talk about how this class shakes out and compares to some of the other classes over the years?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Well, I think one thing that in some ways makes this a high-profile class is they won a heck of a lot of Super Bowls. They're wearing a lot of Super Bowl rings. When you think about the 49ers, you think about the Raiders, with Howie Long, the Steelers, those teams are Super Bowl winners. That's one of the reasons I think it's so high profile. But you go back last year, you had players such as Lawrence Taylor, Ozzie Newsome, Eric Dickerson, it gets to be pretty subjective, and it also gets to be a question of who your favorite team is to assess these classes in the Hall of Fame. Every year it's tremendous, and this year maybe a little bit unique because there's so many Super Bowl winners up there on the dais.

Q. I'm in Washington, DC, where tomorrow the Redskins are going to be the first team to charge fans to see practice. Do you see this as the start of a coming trend?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: I've talked about this before. I think that the Redskins, under Dan Snyder, are really working hard to create value for their fans. The fans will determine what the values are. Obviously there's a tremendous amount of excitement about the team, looking forward to the regular season. Everyone watching wants to skip the pre-season. I think that excitement is going to be evident in the way the fans respond to this opportunity to watch practice. I think the cost is minimal compared to other things that people do, including going to the movies. In some ways the biggest issue is maybe that football issue, Sonny Jurgensen put his thumb on this week, do you lose something in terms of preparation, do you lose something in terms of the mental focus of the players when you practice close to home rather than in the rigors of a training camp which is in a more remote location such as western Maryland or Carlisle. To me the key issue is the football issue. I think the fans are going to be very positive about this practice including how they have to get there.

Q. (Inaudible)?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Well, I think you make a good point. I think players now know that even when you're in a situation which you think is sensible and secure, you're at risk. You don't control the chain reactions that can occur of when you're in a situation with a large number of people, call it a posse, call it whatever you want. I sense what you sense, that the players now know you have to be extra careful because the chain reaction can occur and you can be found an innocent party in the middle of something that puts you in the middle of trouble.

Q. Should parents and children be encouraged or discouraged to look at NFL players as role models or perhaps even heroes?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Well, I think that my advice to my kids has always been to start by looking within your own family, to your aunts, to your uncles, to your cousins, you know, your older siblings and your older family members. I think that's what a lot of kids do. I think in many families, if not most, you find role models there in all walks of life. Sometimes a policeman is a role model, sometimes it's an athlete. Doesn't have to be a professional athlete. Sometimes it's a schoolteacher or the person who has worked his or her way through med school. I start with families. Beyond that, I think you will find role models in your own community. Here I think a lot of role models are teachers and coaches. That's one of the reasons we've been putting so much emphasis on youth sports, youth football. What I here from the players in the NFL is usually once they get outside their family, their role models, their inspirations are teachers and coaches.

As for players as role models, we want our players to be excellent player/citizens. We want them to set high standards on the field as well as off the field. I think the reality that is they are role models, whether we like it or not, whether we encourage them to be role models or not, they are role models. That gives them some special obligations.

But to me, the best role models probably start within the family, then go into the school, then into the playing field, and then lastly into professional sports.

Q. I read your reaction to the gambling investigation involving Bryan Harlan of the Bears. Gambling has not been one of the several incidents by players, but how alarming is gambling by a long-time front office employee and why does the League have such a strict stance against gambling?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Well, just for those who don't live in Chicago, I guess the basic point here is one of the Bears employees, Bryan Harlan, acknowledged to our security department within the last couple weeks that he violated our League policies on gambling. As to why those policies are so important, obviously it's the integrity of the game. Sometimes when we have the kind of competition we do have and a track record of competition which is featured integrity, you take that for granted. We know from the example of college sports in recent years, athletes can be tempted in the wrong direction, officials around the game can be tempted in the wrong direction. So we enforce the policy strictly. In the case of Bryan, as I say, our security department became involved and we worked closely with the Bears, appropriate action was taken. I think the key thing here that is we have absolutely no indication that this issue extends to any players or coaches in any way, shape or form.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about why you didn't suspend Ray Lewis since he did appear to hinder a murder investigation. Are you still going to take any action against him or meet with him? Where does that stand? Are you just worried that these incidents keep coming?

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: On the first piece, on meeting with Ray Lewis, I did meet with him last week. He was in here a week ago Monday. We spent quite a bit of time together. On the decision not to suspend him but to consider other discipline, I explained to Ray and I explained to his attorneys that a number of factors came into play there. Number one, it's the courts, both civil and criminal, have the primary responsibility for dealing with matters outside of the immediate realm of football. Under our policies, we supplement the courts, but we're not a substitute for the courts. In that connection, the offense that he pled to was a misdemeanor. The court saw fit to give him a suspended sentence, probation. He's never had any problems before. The court treated him as a first offender. He's not violated any League policy. Just as important, I felt that he had suffered a lot and paid a high price both in terms of his own reputation, in terms of the financial cost he's incurred, the trauma that he's been through. I think those things, as much as anything, can serve to teach him and others a lesson and to give him the right incentives to be a good citizen in the future. As for where we go next, it's under review, and I'm certainly going to have a decision before we kickoff the regular season.

JOE BROWNE: Thanks, Ladies and Gentlemen, for joining us. For those of you who are going to be with us in Canton, we look forward to seeing you. Call us on anything we can help you with.

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE: Thank you.