Instant replay, that annual rite of the NFL owners' meeting, is back on the agenda.
It probably won't be back this year, but after four seasons without replay, even the most adamant opponents agree it should be discussed."It's time to revisit it," said the New York Giants' George Young, chairman of the league's competition committee and a longtime opponent of the system.
But whatever system comes back into use, it will be more limited than the one used between 1986 and 1991. And it's unlikely to be approved this year, in part because the league needs time to test new technology, but mostly because it probably doesn't have the 23 votes needed.
The instant replay discussion is one of the few football issues to come up this week at the meetings, which are being dominated by franchise moves.
Tagliabue and the combined finance and stadium committees gave final approval on Monday to the deal that allows Art Modell to move his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore, while the Browns name, colors and records remain in Cleveland for a new team in a new stadium in 1999.
The owners also heard from both the city of Houston and the Oilers on the team's proposed move to Nashville. Owners will vote on the move later his week and will probably approve it.
But there's still a question whether the Oilers will play next season in Houston and Tennessee.
Houston mayor Bob Lanier told the owners that if they don't guarantee him a franchise for the future - as was done for Cleveland - he will hold the Oilers to their lease at the Astrodome, which runs through the 1997 season.
In Nashville, residents unhappy with a water works surplus being used as part of the city's stadium financing package, are trying to force a referendum. Such a vote could nullify the city council's approval of Nashville's share of the stadium costs.
Still to be considered is Seattle's proposed move to southern California - one with considerable opposition in the league. And Tampa Bay, seeking a new stadium, is a year away from going elsewhere.
For one day at least, instant replay was the major topic.
It most likely would be a system that would allow the referee on the field to make the final decision and would be limited only to scoring, change of possession and out of bounds plays. That would eliminate such items in the old rule as possession on a pass play.
The coaches are for it - 26 of the 30 voted for some new system.
But the competition committee voted against it 4-3 - with Young, Jerry Jones of Dallas, Mike Brown of Cincinnati and Rich McKay of Tampa Bay voting against. At least two owners with no ties to the committee are also against it - Ralph Wilson of Buffalo and Denver's Patrick Bowlen and teams such as the Cardinals and Jets have opposed it in the past.
That leaves little room for error - eight "no" votes can kill any proposal. In the past, there have been enough swing votes to make it difficult if not impossible to put it through.
But Young said he had no idea how others would vote.
"It's like the abortion issue," Young said. "I don't ask anyone how they stand on abortion and I don't ask anyone how they stand on replay."
Tagliabue, meanwhile, was concerned about the bigger picture.
In his speech to the owners, he suggested that the game had never been stronger - witness television ratings this season that were far higher than every other sport.
But he also said the game could lose credibility quickly if franchises keep moving or attempting to move. There have been five actual or proposed moves since these meetings a year ago.