DOES NFL'S RETURN TO L.A. HAVE PRICE TAG? COMMISSIONER'S RETIREMENT MIGHT SPEED UP THE PROCESS, OR HOLD IT UP.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

For those in Anaheim and at the Coliseum who have been working to bring pro football back to Los Angeles, the announcement that NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue will retire in July presents the equivalent of a fork in the road.

It could send the process down the fast track, spurring permits to be whisked through City Hall and final deal points to be nailed down. Or, as so often has happened in the three-year-long process, the commissioner's departure could be another curve that requires time to navigate.

Tagliabue said the timing for his departure is right with recent agreements on labor and TV deals in place. He added that, in the cases of the New Orleans Saints and returning the NFL to Los Angeles, his departure shouldn't create any instability.

``I don't think that my personal situation will have any impact one way or the other,'' he said of Los Angeles in a conference call. ``I know from an owners' standpoint that we have had discussions within the past week that moving forward on Los Angeles is a key priority.''

An owners committee on Los Angeles, which is chaired by Tagliabue, will convene Thursday by phone, and all 32 owners will receive a progress report on Los Angeles at next week's owners' meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Tagliabue said he plans to visit Los Angeles next month and probably in May in the hopes of reaching a decision on where to build a $500 million stadium. While the NFL staff has continued to meet with Coliseum and Anaheim officials, owners have been focused for more than a year on the negotiations for TV contracts and a collective bargaining agreement, the latter of which was reached two weeks ago.

``With television behind us and the CBA behind us, getting a team or teams back into the Los Angeles area rises right to the top of the list,'' Tagliabue said.

Still, there is some concern that the search for Tagliabue's successor could push Los Angeles to the back burner. And if the deal isn't done before Tagliabue departs, it could set the process back, depending on his successor's agenda.

While one of his hallmarks as a commissioner is as a behind-the-scenes consensus-builder, the last time owners chose a commissioner it turned into a drawn-out battle.

This time, there appear to be three in-house candidates: league executive Roger Goodell, Falcons president Rich McKay and Ravens president Dick Cass. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has mused about wanting the job someday, but it is not known if she would be a serious candidate.

Tagliabue did say that, while the search process will be defined next week, it will be in step with the league's policy on minority hiring. Teams are required to interview a minority candidate for head coaching positions.

``It's too early to tell,'' said one NFL source. ``The commissioner is setting it up so everything doesn't come to a standstill, whether it's L.A. or any other business.''

Coliseum officials were scurrying Monday to use the announcement as a tool to create a sense of urgency among public officials, who have become blase about the NFL's 11-year-long discussions about returning to L.A.

``I'm going to take it as a great challenge to get this done before he leaves,'' Coliseum general manager Pat Lynch said. ``He's clearly knowledgeable about the whole situation. He's an advocate of getting it down. Any successor who comes in is going to have their priorities and a learning curve. It just makes sense for us to all tackle it now.''

Anaheim spokesman John Nicoletti said city officials would speak with the NFL today to see how Tagliabue's retirement may impact the process.

In New York to view the city's school system, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Monday afternoon that he hoped to talk with Tagliabue about the the same thing.

``Ultimately, I don't think it impacts the NFL's decision,'' Villaraigosa said. ``But that's what we have to find out.''

Staff Writer Rick Orlov contributed to this story.

Billy Witz, [phone]

billy.witz(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's pending retirement may put L.A.'s quest for NFL team on a fast track - or the back burner.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press