THE WEEK THAT WAS : NO IDLE WEEK FOR THE NFL.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

For the first time since August, there was no pro football this past week. But that didn't stop the media-savvy NFL from keeping itself in the news - in fact, putting itself on the front page of many newspapers in the country.

It did this with the announcement of an eight-year, $17.6 billion television package that will continue to make financial winners out of the league's on-the-field losers for the next several years. And every player agent in the land is licking his chops wondering how much this windfall will raise the salary cap.

The loser in the deal turned out to be NBC, which was outbid by CBS for the rights to televise AFC games. NBC, of course, said it was strictly a matter of being fiscally responsible, claiming it was folly to pay that much money ($4 billion) to televise the games of a conference that hasn't produced a Super Bowl winner since 1984.

But CBS chairman Michael Jordan (pictured, left) and CBS Sports president Sean McManus (right) didn't see it that way. The network, which lost the NFC to Fox four years ago, was thrilled to be back in the NFL business, once again able to run football games right into its prime-time schedule on Sunday nights.

Other changes: ``Monday Night Football'' games will start at 5:15 p.m. Pacific and Frank Gifford's night shift will end at approximately the same time after he's through with his work on a new pregame show. He's been replaced on the game telecasts by Boomer Esiason, who gave up a chance to be the Cincinnati Bengals' No. 1 quarterback to take the job. One of the true winners in this deal is Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake, who is apparently back at the front of the line after losing his job to Esiason at midseason.

Baseball takes another hit

Many people have been saying it for years, but Angels president Tony Tavares put it in blunt terms this week: Baseball will limp along as a sport without direction until it finds a new commissioner. Among other things, Tavares blasted the game's leaders for ``bargaining away its rights to the players' association.''

He also said baseball's requirement for a three-fourths majority on many matters makes it impossible for anyone to lead.

``If I find three other morons in my league, if it's a good idea for the league or if it's not, I can block something,'' he said.

Walking a fine line

Casey Martin, who is suing the PGA Tour for the right to use a cart because he suffers from a congenital leg disability, missed the cut at the Nike Tour's South Florida Classic. The week before, he won Nike's first tournament of the year.

Martin, allowed to use a cart on the Nike Tour, gains an unfair advantage over his opponents by not having to walk the court, contend PGA officials. Big names such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have come out against Martin and even Tiger Woods, a former Stanford teammate of Martin's, agrees he could enjoy a sizable advantage once the weather warms up and those walks seem longer and longer.

The trial is expected to begin in February in Oregon.

Etc.

The tumor in the brain of former Kansas City Royals reliever Dan Quisenberry was found to be cancerous. . . . The Dodgers signed second baseman Eric Young to a four-year, $18 million deal and also gave minor-league deals to pitcher Mark Gubicza, a Northridge resident, and outfielder Mike Devereaux. . . . The Chicago Cubs signed former Giant Rod Beck, a Grant High grad, to be their closer. . . .

The Harlem Globetrotters played in their 20,000th game, in Wolcott, Ind. . . . Quarterback Doug Flutie, 35, left the Canadian Football League to sign with the Buffalo Bills. . . . American Jenny Thompson finished with four gold medals at the World Swimming Championships in Perth, Australia. . . . Sisters Venus and Serena Williams both advanced to the final four of the Sydney International tennis tournament. . . . USC football coach Paul Hackett hired former Oklahoma assistant Bill Young as his defensive coordinator.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

PHOTO (1) no caption (CBS TV executives)

(2) Casey Martin

(3) Dan Quisenberry