Another NFL in L.A. article but...

[PromoTheRobot]

Tams that could move.

 

For whatever the reason the Buffalo Bills are no longer leading the parade of teams rumored to be bound for L.A. Jax, Minny, SD, Oakland, St. Louis, but not Buffalo.

 

PTR

[dayman]

Those are the same teams always mentioned Buffalo is still in them as long as Ralph is old and won't say what happens when he dies.

[Zulu Cthulhu]

RW has said what happens when he dies. Repeatedly

[bkc]

S.d makes the most sense . I heard Oakland may have right of first refusal . Minny Probable get outdoor staduim now.

 

St louis is a mess and Jacksonville is a joke

[C.Biscuit97]

This LA thing is a bunch of crap. They lost 2 teams and deserve to lose a 3rd? If any team besides the Jags move, it's a travesty.

[dayman]

This LA thing is a bunch of crap. They lost 2 teams and deserve to lose a 3rd? If any team besides the Jags move, it's a travesty.

 

Disagree. First off there are many teams worse than the Jags in terms of interest (or at least on par with them) despite popular belief.

 

NO WAY Cali should get 4 teams. Move SD or Oakland to LA if they want a team.

Edited December 23, 2010 by dayman

[CosmicBills]

Now that I live out in La-La land, I hear LOTS of rumors on Sports Talk radio every day about the city getting an NFL team. I'm by no means an expert, but here's the bullet points of what I keep hearing from the local talk shows.

 

1. A stadium IS going to be built. They just had a meeting about it last week. There are two conflicting plans. One calls for a new "event" center in downtown LA where they will build a NFL stadium that can also host a BSC bowl game, Final Fours and potentially a World Cup down the line. It's a huge complex like Indy's new one. There is also an NFL stadium being built outside of the city in the hopes of luring a team, but I haven't heard much about that in a few months.

 

2. The vast majority of local sports guys and journalists believe that the NFL has already agreed to put a team in LA within 2 years. Hence all the urgency to build a stadium. There's nothing to substantiate these claims though. Just "inside reports".

 

3. No one believes the Bills are the target. The most likely teams (again, according to the LA Sports scene) are the Chargers and the Jags. The other day on the program I listen to the most, they were saying that their sources inside the league offices are reporting the NFL doesn't want a repeat of the Cleveland disaster or any backlash from fans -- especially when it will come (most likely) off the heels of a massive labor stoppage and possible lost 2011 season. That being the case, they want to move San Diego to Orange County (half way between LA and SD) and treat the Chargers like the Angles. The Los Angeles Chargers of San Diego. If that fails, the Jags are the backup choice since there's no real history there with the fans. Bottom line, they believe that the NFL won't uproot a team like the Vikings or Bills because of the history. I tend to agree.

 

Take it for what it's worth. Which isn't much ... but that's the LA side of things.

[THE GUY YELLING BEHIND YOU]

Now that I live out in La-La land, I hear LOTS of rumors on Sports Talk radio every day about the city getting an NFL team. I'm by no means an expert, but here's the bullet points of what I keep hearing from the local talk shows.

 

1. A stadium IS going to be built. They just had a meeting about it last week. There are two conflicting plans. One calls for a new "event" center in downtown LA where they will build a NFL stadium that can also host a BSC bowl game, Final Fours and potentially a World Cup down the line. It's a huge complex like Indy's new one. There is also an NFL stadium being built outside of the city in the hopes of luring a team, but I haven't heard much about that in a few months.

 

2. The vast majority of local sports guys and journalists believe that the NFL has already agreed to put a team in LA within 2 years. Hence all the urgency to build a stadium. There's nothing to substantiate these claims though. Just "inside reports".

 

3. No one believes the Bills are the target. The most likely teams (again, according to the LA Sports scene) are the Chargers and the Jags. The other day on the program I listen to the most, they were saying that their sources inside the league offices are reporting the NFL doesn't want a repeat of the Cleveland disaster or any backlash from fans -- especially when it will come (most likely) off the heels of a massive labor stoppage and possible lost 2011 season. That being the case, they want to move San Diego to Orange County (half way between LA and SD) and treat the Chargers like the Angles. The Los Angeles Chargers of San Diego. If that fails, the Jags are the backup choice since there's no real history there with the fans. Bottom line, they believe that the NFL won't uproot a team like the Vikings or Bills because of the history. I tend to agree.

 

Take it for what it's worth. Which isn't much ... but that's the LA side of things.

 

This reasoning/set of circumstances are the best use of logic since I was old enough to really comprehend the paranoia of the Buffalo fanbase about the Bills moving. And I have maintained, even come to blows with my own brother, that Bills are far from the first team to move. It simply doesn't make sense for the current or future ownership group.

 

Just think, while places like Detroit, Arizona, and probably Minnesota build sardeen can sized stadiums, we still have one of the smallest markets, but consistently fill the Ralph. Even in a bad year, we sell out a 72,000 seat stadium. I believe Detroit and Arizona are approximately 66,000. You can look no further than the Sabres situation. "OH MY GOD...the Regis' are frauds, the team is bankrupt, we're losing the team." In walks Tom Galisano, buys the team, turns it around...ready to sell it to a gazillionaire and the team may be in an even better position in terms of cash flow. 88 Million to Penn St kinda shows dedication. Whether it's Tom Galisano, Jeremy Jacobs, Bob Rich, or a combination....this team moves no where.

 

One of the best posts I've ever seen on here was one of you guys put up a photos-shop picture of the Ralph expanded and remodeled with an AFL museum. I seriously want you to post that again, whomever you are, so I can save the pict and make it my desktop screen. I can totally see something like that happen. Because again, $300 million a lot easier to finance that $800-900 million. And people would eat up the history like a drunk at Jim's Steak Out after a 8 hour bender on Chippewa.

 

Write it down, make it bible...done deal.

[The Dean]

Disagree. First off there are many teams worse than the Jags in terms of interest (or at least on par with them) despite popular belief.

 

 

Honestly, I can't think of one. Jags fans are a joke.

 

Now that I live out in La-La land, I hear LOTS of rumors on Sports Talk radio every day about the city getting an NFL team. I'm by no means an expert, but here's the bullet points of what I keep hearing from the local talk shows.

 

1. A stadium IS going to be built. They just had a meeting about it last week.

 

 

Very good synopsis.

 

But for the record, point #1 has been true for the past ten years or so.

[Mr. WEO]

Now that I live out in La-La land, I hear LOTS of rumors on Sports Talk radio every day about the city getting an NFL team. I'm by no means an expert, but here's the bullet points of what I keep hearing from the local talk shows.

 

1. A stadium IS going to be built. They just had a meeting about it last week. There are two conflicting plans. One calls for a new "event" center in downtown LA where they will build a NFL stadium that can also host a BSC bowl game, Final Fours and potentially a World Cup down the line. It's a huge complex like Indy's new one. There is also an NFL stadium being built outside of the city in the hopes of luring a team, but I haven't heard much about that in a few months.

 

 

No there isn't.

 

Unless a current owner who is looking to move is willing to give up a large ownership chunk to a stadium builder, this will never happen. A stadium builder can't drop $1 billion and expect to cover his monthly nut renting the space out to the NFL 8 times a year, maybe a BCS bowl game every few years or a "World Cup" every 50 years or so (the NCAA doesn't play men's basketball in outdoor football stadiums).

 

Two entities build stadiums: the ownership or the public (sometimes a combo). There's no financial incentive for anyone else to build.

[mattsox]

So sick of hearing about this. LA doesn't give a damn about the NFL. No NFL team should be there. That being said. I wish the NFL Would cut 2 teams, go back to 30, then back down to 28. I'd say Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston and Carolina should be gone. Get rid of these stinky south teams. Have a retraction draft and let the teams with worst records pick from those teams players. I think this would make the NFL more competitive then watered down. There too many teams man. Waaay too many.

[Red]

S.d makes the most sense . I heard Oakland may have right of first refusal . Minny Probable get outdoor staduim now.

 

St louis is a mess and Jacksonville is a joke

 

Jacksonville actually makes the most sense, then St. Louis.

 

What makes you think that a team that moves has to be one of the more successful franchises? The way that teams can hold an entire city and region hostage until it gets its new stadium should open your eyes that when it comes to getting a trough at the NFL fountain, cities will clamor towards anything they can get.

 

And winning teams don't usually move, bud.

 

Again, Jacksonville has to block out entire sections of their stadium EVERY Sunday for it to be considered a "sell out" and not be blacked out in FL. Hardly making the case of fan hunger for a team. And their record is not that bad.

 

I'd say that St. Louis would be most likely after Jacksonville because 1.) the Rams moved FROM L.A., and 2.) the team, though now seeming to be on the rise, has been a perennial loser since The Greatest Show On Turf left.

 

San Diego makes a respectable 3rd prospect, IMO.

 

And the Bills are NOT moving. IF they do, it would probably be as the first Canadian team in the NFL. Toronto is a pretty sizable market in North America, and it would cost a lot less to relocate 1 hour north than a 5 day drive west.

[Red]

So sick of hearing about this. LA doesn't give a damn about the NFL. No NFL team should be there. That being said. I wish the NFL Would cut 2 teams, go back to 30, then back down to 28. I'd say Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston and Carolina should be gone. Get rid of these stinky south teams. Have a retraction draft and let the teams with worst records pick from those teams players. I think this would make the NFL more competitive then watered down. There too many teams man. Waaay too many.

 

This is really the crux of the matter; and I think that it is the fundamental flaw in all of this.

 

Did I mention that I totally agree?

 

I lived in So Cal for 4 years. It is an area with tremendous distractions (not speaking solely of all the silicone). The weather is perfect 11 months out of the year; with January being rain season and all of the dry soil not able to absorb all of the rain and which causes the mudslides.

 

The beaches, the babes.

 

But so much of L.A. is a tourist trap. People are highly transient. And we all know the discussions on here about the attitude of So Cal QB's being laid-back. The whole attitude of L.A. is laid-back.

 

There is no NFL fan base in L.A. The Rams left Orange County and The Raiders left, returned, then left again. Granted, trying to fill a stadium with 100,000 seats for a so-so club like the Raiders were was an impossible task...but I digress.

 

There is no fan demand to warrant such a move. I've been to games in San Diego and San Fran whenever the Bills came out. Both cities fan bases are meager and mute. There is no rabid fan frenzy like in other cities like Buffalo, Green Bay, Dallas, KC...It's just not CA.

 

I went to a few LA Kings games, too. Lackluster attendance, and indifferent attitude. Reading the LA Times sports section (what a joke for a major city such as LA), you wouldn't even know that an NHL team resided there.

 

The only thing, the ONLY thing So Cal is crazy about are the Lakers. They run the town. The Dodgers to a much lesser degree. But nobody really cares about professional football.

 

If there was this tremendous fan outcry for a team, with the size and marketing scope that LA offers, they would have had a team a loooooong time ago.

 

Granted, LA offers a media and financial exposure boon to any team. But there is a reason why teams do not stay in LA once in this media capital of the world.

 

Nobody cares.

[BuffaloBill]

So sick of hearing about this. LA doesn't give a damn about the NFL. No NFL team should be there. That being said. I wish the NFL Would cut 2 teams, go back to 30, then back down to 28. I'd say Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston and Carolina should be gone. Get rid of these stinky south teams. Have a retraction draft and let the teams with worst records pick from those teams players. I think this would make the NFL more competitive then watered down. There too many teams man. Waaay too many.

 

 

This is a crazy idea

[Chimp]

Disagree. First off there are many teams worse than the Jags in terms of interest (or at least on par with them) despite popular belief.

Care to name them?

[Frostbelt City]

I hope to god St. louis doesn't lose their team - I absolutely love that city. Just visited 2 weeks ago.

[mattsox]

This is a crazy idea

 

I understand where you're coming from. It probably will never happen, but it sure needs too happen. There is not enough talent in the league to sustain 32 Teams...

[jack_spikes]

Isn't California broke?

[8-8 Forever?]

Tams that could move.

 

For whatever the reason the Buffalo Bills are no longer leading the parade of teams rumored to be bound for L.A. Jax, Minny, SD, Oakland, St. Louis, but not Buffalo.

 

PTR

I have come to the conclusion the Bills are not moving:

 

1) Ralph is going to live to be at least 95. Saw him in person a few years ago and he looks great for a guy so old.

2) When Ralph goes, the hurdles to buying the Bills at a premium price and moving them are probably too high; must build a $1B stadium as no municipality can afford to even if they wanted to , must get 3/4 of owners to approve a move; must attract a fan base to a perennial laughingstock (think LA Clippers) team and get them to pay $100 per seat \\ $15/beer to see them play in the new, very expensive stadium.

 

I think the bidding for the Bills post-Ralph will be low relative to what was paid for the Redskins, etc. Just too financially risky to (1) pay a premium price for the privilege to build a $1B stadium and hope to make it work financially and also too risky to (2) pay a premium price for the team and keep them in the Ralph, where ticket prices have to stay among the lowest in the league and the suite and merchandise revenue will stay by definition among the lowest in the league. I think the sale of the Bills will be to a local group at a relatively low price and that will be that. The other owners will have no choice but to approve the sale to a local group at a low-ish price as no credible "buy-and-move-the-team" bidder will likely appear.

[Erik]

I think the Bills to L.A. talk is just about dead and buried. They are planning on moving a team there in the next two years and unless someone can successfully predict one man's mortality then it won't be the Bills. If they do seriously think they can have a team in LA within two years the teams then they are going to have to start setting milestones in the very near future. You can't plan around bulding a team that is not for sale, which the Bills will not be until Ralph's death. I think people are starting to come to the realization of this and are starting to omit the Bills as a contender.