Rams : Robinson Passes Up Summit Talks

John Robinson retired from summit diplomacy Monday to concentrate on coaching the Rams, with a parting message to both sides in the Eric Dickerson dispute: Knock off the nonsense.

“We’re here doing our job,” Robinson said. “I think it’s important that Eric be here doing his job, also.”

There was a meeting Monday, but Robinson said during his weekly press luncheon at Rams Park: “I’m not attending, obviously, because I feel I have a primary responsibility with our team. I don’t know exactly where it’s being held or at what time, but I’m hoping it will produce positive results.”

Today is the 44th day of Dickerson’s holdout for a guaranteed contract extension. Still under contract through 1986, he returned from his home in Sealy, Tex., Sunday while the Rams were opening the National Football League season with a 20-16 victory over the Denver Broncos at Anaheim.

His return followed Robinson’s first direct involvement in the situation last week. The coach talked to Dickerson and his adviser, Jack Rodri, then held a press conference to say that the Rams had offered Dickerson a $1 million disability insurance policy for the next two seasons and would negotiate a contract extension, but only if Dickerson rejoined the team first.

Robinson described his role as that of a catalyst.

Otherwise, he said, “I didn’t think it was proper for me to be distracted at this point. It’s important that our team doesn’t see me at Pico at 1 o’clock in the afternoon.”

His references were to the Rams’ executive offices in West Los Angeles and to the team’s normal practice time.

Dickerson’s return was based on Rodri’s proposal, endorsed by Robinson, that Dickerson meet with owner Georgia Frontiere without their negotiators present. However, indications Monday were that Rodri and Ram vice president John Shaw also met.