NFL Meeting : Four on Commissioner List; Mulcahy Pulls Out

Los Angeles businessman Willie Davis and three others were nominated Saturday for commissioner of the National Football League.

But, surprisingly, a fifth candidate took himself out of the race.

He is Robert Mulcahy, the administrator of the Meadowlands complex in New Jersey, who had been approved as a finalist and warmly recommended by the search committee along with Davis, 55; New Orleans executive Jim Finks, 62; NFL lawyer Paul Tagliabue, 48, and New York politician Pat Barrett, 52.

Although Mulcahy could not be reached for comment, some NFL owners complained that the league’s research process-- as planned for this week’s league meeting in Dallas--is faulty.

“The (search) committee is bringing in all the candidates to be examined personally by all of us (Tuesday) for an hour apiece,” one owner said, asking that his name be withheld. “I think that’s a sophomoric way to do it.

“You aren’t going to get many smart, winner-type executives to compete in those circumstances. The NFL is a fish bowl. Do you think Mulcahy wants to go back to New Jersey branded as a loser? I wouldn’t stay in the race on (the committee’s) terms, either.”

The owners who would talk about Mulcahy declined to speak for attribution because “the other side is mad enough at us as it is.”

On “the other side” are the 11 mostly younger owners who abstained from supporting Finks in July, when he got 16 votes, three short of election.

“Mulcahy was one of my two choices until he pulled out,” the owner of an old-line NFL club said. “He was the most impressive candidate of all those we’ve interviewed--except for his lack of football background. I feel we need a football man.

“I’m still for Finks, but I think Mulcahy would still be in it if he didn’t have to go down to Dallas and audition for the job as if he were applying for sales manager somewhere. I’m sure that’s why he pulled out at the last minute after hearing the (committee’s) game plan. He’d stayed in the race for six months.”

Three of Saturday’s four nominees were on the list of finalists voted by the original search committee in July. The only new candidate turned up by the present committee, Barrett, is a Syracuse, N.Y., investment broker who formerly headed the Avis car rental concern and now heads the Republican Party in New York.

Presumably, he is the choice of many of the 11 dissidents. Most of the old, established clubs continue to favor Finks, general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

One owner suggested that Davis or Tagliabue could emerge as a compromise candidate.

Davis, a Hall of Fame football player from the 1960s Green Bay Packers, owns a group of radio stations in California, Wisconsin and elsewhere.

Tagliabue has been with the NFL’s law firm, Covington & Burling, since 1969.

Secret balloting on Pete Rozelle’s successor is expected to begin Wednesday. If no candidate receives 19 votes, the meeting will probably be adjourned for at least a week.

Members of the present search committee are Lamar Hunt of Kansas City, Wellington Mara of the New York Giants, Mike Lynn of Minnesota, John Cooke of Washington, Al Davis of the Raiders and Ken Behring of Seattle.

Hunt and Mara were also on the first search committee along with Art Modell of Cleveland, Ralph Wilson of Buffalo, Dan Rooney of Pittsburgh and Robert Parrins of Green Bay.