Columnist Ron Kantowski: Schedule debate makes owners look selfish

Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2001 | 9:38 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's notes column appears Tuesday. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or 259-4088.

If it wasn't understood before, I think we all can agree following the events of last week that who wins or loses a football game is pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

That said, why are the NFL movers and shakers having such a hard time deciding whether to play 15 games or 16 games? Or at least being so public about it.

"The league is sharply divided," Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell said. "There are teams that feel they can't qualify (for the playoffs) as a division winner, and they want that wild card out there. I can't really blame them, because we were a wild card last year. There is something to said for that point of view."

I, too, believe there is something to be said for that point of view: Who cares?

"On the other hand, with 16 (regular-season) games, there's no erosion of revenues, the players get paid in full," Modell was quoted in Monday's Sports Business Journal online newsletter. "The economic factors would favor it. It's not worth it for the whole league to surrender close to $7 million a team by shortening the season. We could take the hit, some others may not be able to."

Listen to yourself, Art. You're already talking like a selfish, self-absorbed owner when the rubble at the World Trade Center continues to smolder. And you should think twice before using cliches such as "take the hit."

I hate to be so harsh during a time that calls for patience and compassion. But if the games didn't matter last weekend, why do they suddenly matter so much today?

To some (most?), they don't. At least Ravens coach Brian Billick seemed to have his priorities in order when he has asked to comment on the same issue.

"I'm not hell-bent on either one right now," Billick said understandably.

The popular Zanardi, who won back-to-back CART driving titles in 1997-98 and is the man responsible for crowd-pleasing victory "donuts" that have been emulated by winning drivers in other series, lost both of his legs and nearly his life when his car was T-boned by the one driven by Las Vegan Alex Tagliani during the closing laps Saturday.

But that night, a TV spot in which Michael Andretti locks Zanardi in a trackside port-a-potty continued to air, at least on the "E!" channel.

Kiper's new top 25 list includes just two quarterbacks -- David Carr of media darling Fresno State at No. 6 and Illinois' Kurt Kittner at No. 22. The consensus is that Thomas will need several more outings such as his career-high 304-yard passing effort in a 37-28 loss to Northwestern to polish his tarnished reputation with scouts.