Roundup

Giants make little progress on stadium issue

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Giants and officials of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority made little progress Wednesday toward an agreement that would give the NFL team management control over the stadium.

The Giants want to renovate the stadium -- at their expense -- in order to make it eligible to be the site of the Super Bowl in 2008. The main obstacle to the deal is the price the Giants would have to pay to the sports authority to run the facility.

"Nothing was agreed to. I don't know if there was any significant progress but it is good news that we are having meetings," John K. Mara, general counsel for the team, said. "If we are having discussions we have to be optimistic that at some point we can reach an agreement."

The Giants would finance the $250 million-$275 million project that will bring the 27-year-old stadium up to the standards of the modern facilities around the league, according to the New York Times on Wednesday. The team plans to tear out 68 older luxury boxes and build 80 new ones; and add more club seats, six rows to the upper deck, additional bathrooms, concession stands and sound and lighting systems.

The team is signed to play at Giants Stadium through 2026, but the lease requires the Sports Authority to keep the arena "state of the art," and the Giants have been pushing for the modernization long before the NFL began to consider the stadium for the Super Bowl.

Lions re-sign defensive end James Hall

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions re-signed defensive end James Hall on Wednesday.

Hall, a restricted free agent, made a career-high 72 tackles in 14 starts last season to lead Detroit's defensive linemen. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The former Michigan standout played in 15 games and made 44 tackles, including 3 1/2 sacks, in 2001. As a rookie in 2000, he made two tackles, including one sack, in five games.

Steelers sign draft picks Taylor, Wall

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday signed two of their five draft picks, cornerback Ike Taylor and fullback J.T. Wall.

Taylor, a fourth-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette, and Wall, a seventh rounder from Georgia, both signed three-year deals.

Taylor was drafted in part to help shore up an aging secondary that slipped to 20th in the NFL in pass defense last season. Wall, a walk-on in college, started two seasons at Southwest Baptist before transferring to Georgia, where he became a starter only last season.

 

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