Jacksonville believed to be most likely team to move to LA

[apuszczalowski]

New Orleans has been mentioned as well as a possible LA candidate.

 

I don't believe that is happening. Does anyone honestly believe that, post-Katrina and spending $180 million to refurbish the Superdome, that a team with excellent fan support is leaving its hometown of 40+ years? That would be a freaking public relations disaster for the NFL (for what it's worth, the Saints' lease is up after the 2010 season, and the team receives millions in subsidies from the state of Louisiana...at least $20 million per year).

 

If Katrina never happened, though, the Saints would move unless a (say it with me) new stadium was built.

 

But isn't the Superdome good enough for the NFL? The building has hosted six Super Bowls, more than any other stadium. More than even the Orange Bowl. I remember the Superdome was a world-class building from the late 70s at least into the 80s.

 

One thing I'm really getting tired of with the NFL is this move toward the moneyed people, which has been going on for at least a decade, and probably longer. Once upon a time, venerable stadiums such as the Orange Bowl, Tulane Stadium, the L.A. Coliseum, and Cleveland Municipal Stadium were good enough for the NFL. Now, if the venue doesn't have enough club seats or lounges where the snobs can eat their baby argula salads, ignoring the game while checking their stock options on their I-Phones, forget about keeping your team, or having one in the first place.

 

The NFL was built by regular people, the middle- and working-class fans. Today, it wants the Neiman Marcus and BMW crowd.

As much as it sucks, you have to remember that the NFL is a buisness, and like everything in life, its all about the $$$

 

They will do whatever they can to make more $$$, and yes it may alienate the average Joe hardcore fan, but they aren't the ones with bigger expendable income. Thats great, you have bought season tickets in a moderatly priced section, and pick up a few Beers every game along with a hot dog, some nacho's, and occasionally a Jersey. The guy in the Box has spent close to what you spent for the season, on just one game, as for weither he pays attention in there, or what goes on, who cares, he has paid his tab.

[VOR]

I agree with you completely, Buckeye about this "we must have a new stadium" crap. I was in town this past weekend and picked up a free local paper with Trent Edwards on the front. Inside was an article by Ed Kilgore (Jeesh, he was on channel 2 when I lived there 30 years ago!) Anyway, he writes that (paraphrasing), "Buffalo MUST have a waterfront stadium or it's bye-bye Bills". yes, he says, it will have fewer seats and the cost for the average fan will skyrocket but that is the ONLY way to keep the team.

 

Bull.

 

The Bills make money. Does anyone doubt that? Jim Kelly said, "Money is not the issue when Ralphie passes" if so, then what IS the issue? As to the new stadium crapola. how many cities are going to finance a new stadium these days? Name them, please. THEN we can talk about blackmailing Buffalonians to pay for one for the "poor, new Bills owner". The NFL is swimming in cash, the Bills are selling out and huge stadium at that. Plus, they get a 1/32nd cut of TV revenues plus ...what is it .... all proceeds from sales of jerseys, etc etc?

 

Look at it across the country: Jacksonville owner says, "No new stadium? Then I'm outta here!" (response, adios tonto). San Diego owner says, LA or new stadium!!, residents say, "There's the door". By the way, where exactly IS that new LA stadium? Not built yet? Whattayawaiting for? Oh, .....money

 

Now, it's Toronto who will build it and then they will come.

 

Leaving 72,000 fanny-in-the-seats fans to move north into Canada? What Billionaire would want to leave this gravy train behind for such an uncertain future?

 

-rgg

There's a difference between making $17M in profit on a $25K investment, versus an $800M investment. While I think that a new stadium isn't the answer, higher prices will inevitably have to be implemented across the board. And that might not sit well with the old faithful, but the alternative is the team leaving town.

[apuszczalowski]

I agree with you completely, Buckeye about this "we must have a new stadium" crap. I was in town this past weekend and picked up a free local paper with Trent Edwards on the front. Inside was an article by Ed Kilgore (Jeesh, he was on channel 2 when I lived there 30 years ago!) Anyway, he writes that (paraphrasing), "Buffalo MUST have a waterfront stadium or it's bye-bye Bills". yes, he says, it will have fewer seats and the cost for the average fan will skyrocket but that is the ONLY way to keep the team.

 

Bull.

 

The Bills make money. Does anyone doubt that? Jim Kelly said, "Money is not the issue when Ralphie passes" if so, then what IS the issue? As to the new stadium crapola. how many cities are going to finance a new stadium these days? Name them, please. THEN we can talk about blackmailing Buffalonians to pay for one for the "poor, new Bills owner". The NFL is swimming in cash, the Bills are selling out and huge stadium at that. Plus, they get a 1/32nd cut of TV revenues plus ...what is it .... all proceeds from sales of jerseys, etc etc?

 

Look at it across the country: Jacksonville owner says, "No new stadium? Then I'm outta here!" (response, adios tonto). San Diego owner says, LA or new stadium!!, residents say, "There's the door". By the way, where exactly IS that new LA stadium? Not built yet? Whattayawaiting for? Oh, .....money

 

Now, it's Toronto who will build it and then they will come.

 

Leaving 72,000 fanny-in-the-seats fans to move north into Canada? What Billionaire would want to leave this gravy train behind for such an uncertain future?

 

-rgg

I agree completly on your points about New orleans, they were prepared to move before Katrina anyway (remember the owner needing security to get around the stadium where they played until the Superdome was ready cause he was discussing moving them there permanantly?)

 

I do disagree with your assessment on the Bills and making money. Sure they aren't running the team in the red, but you are kidding yourself if you believe that they make enough money to compete with the other teams in the league, and turn a comparible profit. The problem is that they make enough money to compete every season in the black, but they don't bring in enough money that a buisness person with the kind of money they will need to purchase the team is going to be able to look at it as a good retrun on their investment compared to the rest of the league. The NFL is getting to the point where it is getting so big that it is out pricing itself from the small markets and making it more of a "big boys club" and something where only the wealthier will be able to attend and the average person will need to be happy with the TV/radio coverage, and maybe the occasional live game.

 

AS for your last line, are you seriously calling the Bills in Buffalo a Gravy Train? The key to a Toronto move is the corporate dollar that you can get in Toronto thats missing in Buffalo. Sure there might be less die hard fans at the games, and more suits, but as the way the NFL would look at it, a loss of a few average Joe fans to gain a corporate sponsor is a fair trade off. I really don't think Toronto will have a problem supporting a NFL team if they are successful. The Leafs sell out all the time, and the majority of their lower level is all corporate. The Jays average around the middle in attendance right now, and have not seen the playoffs since the mid 90's, and the Raptors have been selling out pretty good. AS long as the team stays competitive and spends money, the fans will support it.

[biglukes]

The NFL does not care about the average joe sitting in the upperdeck. They care about the box seats and the TV revenue. Case in point with the amount of commercial breaks there are during games. Advertising to the folks at home as much as possible while the 70+k in the seats freeze to death, so the league could whore as many products as possible.