NFL NOTEBOOK: SCHWARZENEGGER GIVES COLISEUM'S BID A BOOST.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

The Coliseum's bid to land a NFL team received a boost Thursday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that could spur development around the stadium.

``This is a major plus for economic development around the area,'' said Councilman Bernard Parks, who is president of the Coliseum Commission.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles), allows the increased tax revenue that would come from the proposed $500 million renovation of the Coliseum to be put into infrastructure and housing.

Such improvements to the area, dubbed the Hoover Redevelopment Zone - which includes USC, the Shrine Auditorium and Exposition Park - would be a selling point to the NFL, Coliseum general manager Pat Lynch said.

As the deadline of midnight Thursday to act on the bill approached, Coliseum officials grew anxious because Schwarzenegger had vetoed nearly 30 percent of the 636 bills he had acted on from the latest legislative session.

Also, AB 2805 was approved mostly along party lines and there was fear that Schwarzenegger would side with his fellow Republicans who said it would set a precedent for increasing the powers of redevelopment agencies. A provision of the bill reauthorizes the use of eminent domain.

``This special circumstance to attract an NFL franchise to California is extremely unique and important,'' Schwarzenegger said in a statement. ``I would not consider this expansion of redevelopment authority under any circumstance.''

In an unrelated matter, the Coliseum Commission met Thursday in a special closed session to clarify its negotiating stance before top NFL executives make another trip to Los Angeles early next week to continue negotiations on a term sheet.

The NFL also is expected to meet with officials at the other three sites the league is considering - the Rose Bowl, Carson and Anaheim.

- Billy Witz

--Parcells pulls no punches: Dallas coach Bill Parcells says in an interview with ``60 Minutes'' that will air Sunday that players have tried to hit him.

``We've had a few,'' Parcells said. ``That's OK. I think confrontation is healthy because it clears the air very quickly.''

In the interview with the CBS program, Parcells doesn't sound like someone planning to be with the Cowboys for the long haul.

``You know the end is near,'' he says. ``I really do know it, so I can enjoy it more. I am enjoying it a lot more than I did and I'm not beating myself up quite as much.''

--Redskins' Coles takes blame: Laveranues Coles dislocated his right middle finger trying to make a catch Monday night against Dallas, but the Washington wide receiver didn't tell anybody about it.

Coles popped it back in and kept playing. It was a gutsy move, but he he dropped two more passes in the first quarter of the Redskins' 21-18 loss.

``I feel personally like I let my team down,'' he said. ``I didn't play as well as I wanted to. The finger had nothing totally to do with it. You should never make excuses about nothing you do.''

--Plummer must remove decal: Denver quarterback Jake Plummer must remove the No. 40 decal he's worn on the back of his helmet since training camp that honors former Arizona teammate Pat Tillman.

The Cardinals are displaying Tillman's number on their helmets this season. All NFL players wear No. 40 decals on their helmets in Week 2.

--Winslow on injured reserve: Cleveland rookie tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. was placed on injured reserve with a broken right leg. The first-round draft pick is expected to need four to five months to recover after having a second operation on his leg to repair ligament damage.

--Date set for Smith's appeal: Onterrio Smith's agent said the NFL will hear the Minnesota running back's appeal of a pending four-game suspension on Wednesday. Smith, who leads the Vikings in both rushing and receiving yards, received the suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

--Former Steeler dies: Justin Strzelczyk, an offensive lineman who played with Pittsburgh from 1990-2000, died following a fiery head-on collision with a tanker truck after he led state troopers on a 40-mile highway chase during morning traffic in Herkimer, N.Y. He was 36.

--Coach leaves son's bedside: Washington receivers coach Stan Hixon has rejoined the team, 2 1/2 weeks after leaving to attend to his son, Tennessee Tech receiver Drew Hixon, who was injured in a helmet-to-helmet collision Sept. 11. Drew is in serious condition and unconscious in a Tampa, Fla., hospital.

--`He Hate Me' fined: Carolina refused to show ``He Hate Me'' any love, fining running back Rod Smart for missing practice Monday because he was stuck in Florida during Hurricane Jeanne. Smart went home during the bye week.

--Giants lose Williams: New York Giants safety Shaun Williams (UCLA) will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee, which he injured making an interception in practice last Friday.

--McNair held out of practice: Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair didn't practice again and remains questionable with a bruised sternum.

--Rattay expects to start: San Francisco quarterback Tim Rattay expects to start Sunday against St. Louis after being out two weeks with a separated right (passing) shoulder.

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BILL PARCELLS

Cowboys coach says he has had players take a swing at him, and he says there's nothing wrong with that.