Newark Star-Ledger

Tagliabue enters talks on Giants-Jets stadium
BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN
Star-Ledger Staff

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has jumped into the negotiations for a shared stadium for the Jets and the Giants.

Five executives involved with the discussions said Tagliabue met with Giants Chief Operating Officer John Mara and Jets owner Woody Johnson yesterday to discuss the progress of the talks.

The teams have until Sept. 29 to work out a deal or the state has said it will terminate the agreement acting Gov. Richard Codey signed with the Giants in April to build a new stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league would not comment on the discussions, but Tagliabue has made no secret of his desire for the two sides to reach a deal so the NFL can have a premiere facility in the nation's largest market.

Tagliabue has pushed for a Super Bowl in Giants Stadium, and the league awarded the Jets the 2010 Super contingent on the team reaching a deal to build a stadium on the West Side of Manhattan. That deal collapsed in June.

Since then, the Jets have said they want to play in a shared stadium in New Jersey but have also held preliminary meetings with officials in Queens.

Negotiating a deal between the Jets and Giants will not be easy.

The two sides remain far apart on the design of the facility and 45 acres of surrounding development.

Carl Goldberg, chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the state agency that operates the Meadowlands Sports Complex, said he spoke with the Jets' Johnson on Sunday and Mara and Giants executive vice president Steve Tisch on Monday, but knew of little progress in the talks.

"Hopefully, we'll be getting a good report from them soon," Goldberg said.