N.F.L. games played

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 60

N.F.L. games played

NZPA-Reuter New York A full schedule of National Football League games were played primarily by non-union replacement players on Sunday while striking athletes picketed without incident outside nearly empty stadiums.

This was the second week-end of the strike which began on September 21, but the first time that owners have carried out their threat to field so-called replacement squads.

Striking players picketed, signed autographs and talked with nonattending fans outside all 13 stadiums where games were being played, but there were no reports of violence between strikers and substitute players. In order to avoid confrontations, Chicago Bears substitutes and those who would wear Eagles uniforms entered Veterans Stadium in traditionally labour strong Philadelphia before dawn — several hours before they would normally arrive. Later, an estimated 1200 members of local unions joined striking players on picket lines while sympathetic teamsters blocked parking entrances by circling the stadium in trucks. Attendance around the league was way off as sparse crowds dotted traditionally filled stadiums. Mile High Stadium in Denver was not sold out for the first time in 127 regular season games.