Rams Relocate to LA; Chargers Have 1st Option to Also Move

[billsfan_34]

The talent pool is already diluted to the point where the on field product is inferior. There are a few GREAT teams, and everyone else kinda sucks.

The NFL CAN'T expand W/O further diminishing the quality of the game. Personally, I think that's why we see such f'd up officiating nowadays throughout the league.

Refs throw flags to keep games competitive more often, than not.

It is going to get diluted even further as their is less kids playing football these days.

[Alphadawg7]

I love the Rams coming here and the Raiders not, for the time being. I live just 10 min away from there in a little beach community and will be awesome to be able to just catch an Uber and go to the games...but even better is that I can actually go to the games now since its NOT the Raiders...at least for now as I know there are still possibilities over the next year they can come and bring their a-hole fans. Going to a Raider game sucks...fans are terrible, seen them even attack their own fans for simply not having silver and black on at a game. So glad those idiots are not coming here...and by idiots, I mean Raider fans.

 

Best part is the Bills play at the Rams this year, meaning game for me in LA to see the Bills next year...so excited about that. Plus, I used to like the Rams as a kid before the Bills, so always liked to see them do well. I look forward to being able to get behind them again as a second team as well...Bills will be my first love always though, I must like the pain lol.

[26CornerBlitz]

No doubt they'll have to be winners or LA fans will find something else to entertain them.

 

@CharleyCasserly

With move to LA #Rams need to make major push to get QB in Draft. The thrill of a new team will wear off fast if they are not a winner

L.A. mayor: Los Angeles wants Super Bowl 55

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti joined the NFL NOW set to chat about what the Rams moving to L.A. means for the city and his desire to lure Super Bowl 55 to the planned stadium in Inglewood.

 

Melvin Ingram on Rivers and Chargers' relocation

San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram discusses practicing with Philip Rivers, the team's relocation possibility and the trending topic of hard defensive hits.

 

[yungmack]

 

Didn't the Dodgers just trade for 2 billion dollars? Thousands of empty seats ever home game. Is LA not a Dodgers town?

 

Comparing the NFL 25 years ago in LA or any where else really, may not be relevant.

Thousands of empty seats? Are you daft? Dodger attendance from 2010 thru 2014 was 17 million plus. The only team with more was the Yankees, by about 300,000. In 2015, it was just shy of 3.8 million. The Dodgers have led MLB attendance in 8 out of the last 12 seasons. On top of that, everything about a Dodgers game is highly expensive, from parking, to tickets, to concessions. It will cost you at least as much as a Bills game.

 

Here's a link on MLB attendance: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/attendance.htm

Edited January 14, 2016 by yungmack

[yungmack]

 

They don't go to USC and UCLA games?

Out of the 12 million people in the metro LA area, I'd guess that half are immigrants from places like China, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, India, Armenia, Korea, Russia, Israel, in addition to the Latin American countries, plus from just about every other country in the world. There is little to no interest in "American" pastimes among most of these groups, save the Latin Americans, who are wild sports fans.

 

So right off the top, you have to eliminate about 6 million people from your potential base. Then out of the remaining 6 million, eliminate children, the elderly, the too-poor-for-those-kinda- prices (we have plenty of them), the disinterested, those who can't hack the horrendous driving conditions, those who will be too timid to attend an event in a "minority" location, and so on. That leaves you with a potential customer base of, what?, two million, maybe three? And out of that base, a ton of them are loyal to other teams not named the Rams, including this Bills fan.

 

And if the Raiders -- who have their own large fan base here -- move to LA too, things are back to where they were in the 80s and 90s, with paying customers split between both franchises to the detriment of both, which was the main reason, along with the move to Anaheim, for the drop off in Rams attendance during those years. As for the Chargers, they seem to have very few fans here. I think they'd struggle mightily to get a following and would, in a few years, either move back to San Diego or maybe off to a place like San Antonio.

[Alphadawg7]

No doubt they'll have to be winners or LA fans will find something else to entertain them.

 

@CharleyCasserly

With move to LA #Rams need to make major push to get QB in Draft. The thrill of a new team will wear off fast if they are not a winner

 

 

Um, the fact that this is being applied to the LA teams only is ridiculous because most teams have trouble filling stadium when the team isn't good. Winning sells tickets, always has, always will

[billsfan_34]

Out of the 12 million people in the metro LA area, I'd guess that half are immigrants from places like China, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, India, Armenia, Korea, Russia, Israel, in addition to the Latin American countries, plus from just about every other country in the world. There is little to no interest in "American" pastimes among most of these groups, save the Latin Americans, who are wild sports fans.

 

So right off the top, you have to eliminate about 6 million people from your potential base. Then out of the remaining 6 million, eliminate children, the elderly, the too-poor-for-those-kinda- prices (we have plenty of them), the disinterested, those who can't hack the horrendous driving conditions, those who will be too timid to attend an event in a "minority" location, and so on. That leaves you with a potential customer base of, what?, two million, maybe three? And out of that base, a ton of them are loyal to other teams not named the Rams, including this Bills fan.

 

And if the Raiders -- who have their own large fan base here -- move to LA too, things are back to where they were in the 80s and 90s, with paying customers split between both franchises to the detriment of both, which was the main reason, along with the move to Anaheim, for the drop off in Rams attendance during those years. As for the Chargers, they seem to have very few fans here. I think they'd struggle mightily to get a following and would, in a few years, either move back to San Diego or maybe off to a place like San Antonio.

The sad reality is this- the NFL doesnt care that half the population wont support the Rams. It is all about the TV contract.

[yungmack]

The sad reality is this- the NFL doesnt care that half the population wont support the Rams. It is all about the TV contract.

You are correct. I was only dealing with the actual living and breathing fans who figure less and less in the NFL's computations, and why USC and UCLA can draw big crowds decade after decade while the Rams might struggle.

[Kelly the Dog]

The sad reality is this- the NFL doesnt care that half the population wont support the Rams. It is all about the TV contract.

The TV contract is not going to get any bigger because of a team or teams in LA. The networks pay as much as they possibly can now anyway. If it made any difference whatsoever there would have been a team in LA 20 years ago.

[Utah John]

What's surprising to me is that the NFL is giving up its leverage card. For years they've coerced cities around the country to pony up a billion or so for a new stadium that will generate huge new revenue streams for the owners and the league, without much direct benefit to the community. And they've used the LA bogeyman to scare them into going along. What will they do now? Threaten to move a team to London? That's just crazy.

[KD in CA]

What's surprising to me is that the NFL is giving up its leverage card. For years they've coerced cities around the country to pony up a billion or so for a new stadium that will generate huge new revenue streams for the owners and the league, without much direct benefit to the community. And they've used the LA bogeyman to scare them into going along. What will they do now? Threaten to move a team to London? That's just crazy.

 

Naah....that's already been promised to Jacksonville.

[billsfan_34]

The TV contract is not going to get any bigger because of a team or teams in LA. The networks pay as much as they possibly can now anyway. If it made any difference whatsoever there would have been a team in LA 20 years ago.

I will get back to you on that with some of the contract information. I believe, and I am using believe loosely, that the more people within an NFL city the more the NFL will receive from the networks- the networks are getting more dinero from advertisements during the games therefore more money is kicked up to the NFL. I am not an expert however it seems kinda common sense to me. There is a reason the NFL has been itching to get back into the LA market and its not just a robust fanbase, IMO.

You are correct. I was only dealing with the actual living and breathing fans who figure less and less in the NFL's computations, and why USC and UCLA can draw big crowds decade after decade while the Rams might struggle.

Time will tell right? It would be nice to see them supported, but I dont see that happening. LA is a baseball/college football town.

[Kelly the Dog]

I will get back to you on that with some of the contract information. I believe, and I am using believe loosely, that the more people within an NFL city the more the NFL will receive from the networks- the networks are getting more dinero from advertisements during the games therefore more money is kicked up to the NFL. I am not an expert however it seems kinda common sense to me. There is a reason the NFL has been itching to get back into the LA market and its not just a robust fanbase, IMO.

Time will tell right? It would be nice to see them supported, but I dont see that happening. LA is a baseball/college football town.

For 20 years? You don't think they would have put a team there immediately if it meant significantly more money? The Networks pay for the rights a set amount over several years. They are not affected by the ratings and the ratings are not going to go up a lot by having a team here anyway. The local network affiliates carrying the games will get decent money for local commercials but that won't help the NFL that much.

[billsfan_34]

For 20 years? You don't think they would have put a team there immediately if it meant significantly more money? The Networks pay for the rights a set amount over several years. They are not affected by the ratings and the ratings are not going to go up a lot by having a team here anyway. The local network affiliates carrying the games will get decent money for local commercials but that won't help the NFL that much.

I dont think the NFL TV contract is as simple as you think it may be and that isnt a dig at you, it has to be very complex. This is big big business my friend and much more complex than my brain can handle. I am not an expert in the matter I just know that there is alot of money to made off the TV contract in larger markets where population factors into revenue. I wish someone would chime in with detailed knowledge of the contract.

 

The 20 year deal is bizarre for sure, most large markets just dont lose their teams right? I know the other 2 teams that were there lacked support and it was before the TV contract had been changed/re-done, I think? I do know that LA/Orange County have been fighing over a new stadium for many years and finally they have the go ahead to build-3 years and it will be ready.

[aristocrat]

What's surprising to me is that the NFL is giving up its leverage card. For years they've coerced cities around the country to pony up a billion or so for a new stadium that will generate huge new revenue streams for the owners and the league, without much direct benefit to the community. And they've used the LA bogeyman to scare them into going along. What will they do now? Threaten to move a team to London? That's just crazy.

 

We have the oldest stadium and the pegs came in here to save the city from moving...they can't very well go back on their word so the state could say we aren't giving you a penny. Who else needs a stadium?

[YoloinOhio]

Now we know the real reason why the Pegs voted Yes

 

@thebillsblogger

Technically the LA Rams haven't made the playoffs since 1989 sooooo the Bills don't have the longest playoff drought¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #BillsMafia

[billsfan_34]

For 20 years? You don't think they would have put a team there immediately if it meant significantly more money? The Networks pay for the rights a set amount over several years. They are not affected by the ratings and the ratings are not going to go up a lot by having a team here anyway. The local network affiliates carrying the games will get decent money for local commercials but that won't help the NFL that much.

This article doesnt have alot of metrics in it but sheds a little light. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super/2014/01/30/super-bowl-nfl-revenue-denver-broncos-seattle-seahawks/5061197/

[Kelly the Dog]

This article doesnt have alot of metrics in it but sheds a little light. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super/2014/01/30/super-bowl-nfl-revenue-denver-broncos-seattle-seahawks/5061197/

If anything that article hurts your argument. It explains a lot about the networks big contracts paying the NFL billions and other revenues but little to nothing about ratings. Even in LA. The networks get all the money from commercials not the NFL. Thats why they pay billions to broadcast the games.

[Reed83HOF]

If anything that article hurts your argument. It explains a lot about the networks big contracts paying the NFL billions and other revenues but little to nothing about ratings. Even in LA. The networks get all the money from commercials not the NFL. Thats why they pay billions to broadcast the games.

 

TL;DR article, but it's not like the NFL isn't on TV in the LA market. Games are televised all season long (national games) and the major US advertisers still have market penetration. It seems like lost ad revenue is related to "local" type businesses...

 

I really don't think it makes that large of a difference in the TV contracts

[K-9]

For 20 years? You don't think they would have put a team there immediately if it meant significantly more money? The Networks pay for the rights a set amount over several years. They are not affected by the ratings and the ratings are not going to go up a lot by having a team here anyway. The local network affiliates carrying the games will get decent money for local commercials but that won't help the NFL that much.

Agreed. Teams based in LA won't budge the TV ratings needle at all. The LA market offers NO additional leverage in the NFL's negotiations with the networks.

 

GO BILLS!!!