NFL postseason expansion plan shelved

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The idea of expanding the NFL playoffs fizzled Wednesday after Kansas City withdrew the proposal because it lacked enough support.

The league's competition committee unanimously rejected the plan to add two more wild-card teams this year, and commissioner Paul Tagliabue also opposed it.

SI.com's Don Banks No repairs needed PHILADELPHIA -- In the final analysis, two extra months didn't change a thing regarding the debate over whether to add two extra teams to the NFL's playoff field. FULL STORY  Edwards' plea PHILADELPHIA -- New York Jets head coach Herman Edwards -- one of the NFL's three black head coaches -- delivered a challenge of sorts to the league's assistant coaching ranks on Wednesday. Speaking at the annual coaching symposium that is conducted concurrent with the league's two-day spring owners meeting, Edwards made the case that every assistant coach who is invited to interview for a head coaching job should do so, no matter who is considered the front-runner for the vacancy. FULL STORY

The Chiefs, who made the suggestion along with the New England Patriots, pulled the proposal before team owners even voted on it. New England was not at the owners' final general session.

"We are the best sport, so why should we follow other sports?" Steelers owner Dan Rooney said. "Every game in an NFL season is important."

Rooney added he hoped the issue would not come up again, but that is unlikely. Patriots owner Robert Kraft indicated Tuesday he was setting his sights on a vote in 2004 to expand the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams.

Tagliabue said there is not enough information available after one year of the eight-division, 32-team format and revised schedule.

"We needed an additional season under our belt before we make any definitive decisions," he said. "It may take two, three, four, five years -- who knows? There is no urgency to try to fix something that is not broken and also is the best in pro sports."

The owners, league executives and coaches spent much of Wednesday discussing diversity hiring, although the Detroit Lions' hiring of head coach Steve Mariucci earlier this year was not discussed directly. The Lions chose Mariucci after he was fired by San Francisco, but did not meet the NFL's new guidelines of interviewing at least one minority candidate. Several minority coaches turned down interviews, believing the Lions' decision already was made.

Rooney, chairman of the league's diversity committee, said a decision "would be coming very soon" on whether to discipline the Lions.

During the morning symposium, New York Jets head coach Herman Edwards, one of three black head coaches in the league, urged all assistants to go through the interviewing process.

"If you get your day in court, that's what you've practiced for," Edwards said. "That goes for all coaches. If you do not do that, if you turn down the interview, you say the battle already is over before the fight. The great part about the interview is that you can change somebody's mind."

Edwards joined fellow head coaches Bill Cowher of Pittsburgh and John Fox of Carolina on the panel, which also included Rooney, Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent, Steelers tight end Mark Bruener and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome.

NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw praised Edwards' advice and also took it a step further, applying it to any jobs in the sport.

"Finish the process," Upshaw said. "At the end of the day, we want the best people, be it men, women, minorities."