The Jacksonville Jaguars

[mtraininjax]

The things that baffles me is that Khan and the team president knew more about the contract the the city attorney and the mayor did, and they just got here! What does that REALLY say about out city???

+1, the buck stops with the mayor, not the general counsel. Mr. Mayor, get control of your people. The courthouse is also a nightmare. Get control!

[WmNussbaum]

Who pays the management firm? The City? Then why does anyone other than the City get to decide how the firm is chosen? Sure, the Jags are an important asset to the City, but I'm not keen on any private enterprise telling "me" how my tax dollars get spent. It's as simple as "if you want to order the meal, you pick up the check." Jags or not, otherwise STFU.

I'll say it again: The Jags are a huge asset to the City. But they are not the end all and be all, and I ain't crazy about any Jag owner holding the City hostage to his/her/its profit motive. Profit is all that counts in the NFL or any other league. Have we not noticed that for all the good he did for the City, Weaver and partners made about a half billion dollars on the sale of the franchise?

[Rynjny]

Who pays the management firm? The City? Then why does anyone other than the City get to decide how the firm is chosen? Sure, the Jags are an important asset to the City, but I'm not keen on any private enterprise telling "me" how my tax dollars get spent. It's as simple as "if you want to order the meal, you pick up the check." Jags or not, otherwise STFU.

I'll say it again: The Jags are a huge asset to the City. But they are not the end all and be all, and I ain't crazy about any Jag owner holding the City hostage to his/her/its profit motive. Profit is all that counts in the NFL or any other league. Have we not noticed that for all the good he did for the City, Weaver and partners made about a half billion dollars on the sale of the franchise?

Really?? you must be one of those commentator from the Times Union website huh?

[mtraininjax]

from Twitter:

@MayorAlvinBrown told @reportertim (Timothy Gibbons) he knew about default letter to Jags before it was sent but didn't expect the strong response from team.

Nice!

[Tacachale]

from Twitter:

@MayorAlvinBrown told @reportertim (Timothy Gibbons) he knew about default letter to Jags before it was sent but didn't expect the strong response from team.

Nice!

Great...

[futurejax]

If this lady retains her job she's got some interesting pictures stashed and ready to spring at an opportune time.  To be that brain-dead dumb is indefensible.  Pick up the phone and call someone moron!  Who do you think you are Elliot Spitzer?  While the Jags are not the city,  they do represent the city in some regard to much of the country and outside world whereas if the team wasn't here would have little idea about anything regarding Jax as as a city.  They are free publicity and marketing for the city 16 weeks a year and do a host of charitable and works all year long not to mention their direct and indirect economic impact on a yearly basis.  To treat them in such a cavalier fashion is so asinine one has to seriously wonder if this woman would want the team to leave town if she had her druthers.  I know some people could care less about the team and the NFL.  But on a big picture macro-level their ultimate importance to the city has very little to do with football.  This shouldn't need to be explained.

[WmNussbaum]

RNYJNY:

Instead of ad homonyms, why not just point out where my reasoning is flawed. Do you think the Jags should get to tell us who we pay for to manage the complexes? How about EverBank? Does it, too, get to dictate on whom we spend tax dollars? And what about CSX, Winn-Dixie, and LPS/Fidelity, all big assets for the City. Do they also get to dictate to us? Are you so
"Jaguar whipped" you think the team should have the right to spend our money for us?

And, no, I don't comment on the T-U website.

[Rynjny]

RNYJNY:

Instead of ad homonyms, why not just point out where my reasoning is flawed. Do you think the Jags should get to tell us who we pay for to manage the complexes? How about EverBank? Does it, too, get to dictate on whom we spend tax dollars? And what about CSX, Winn-Dixie, and LPS/Fidelity, all big assets for the City. Do they also get to dictate to us? Are you so
"Jaguar whipped" you think the team should have the right to spend our money for us?

And, no, I don't comment on the T-U website.

Convince me that Jacksonville would be a better city without the Jaguars.

[duvaldude08]

RNYJNY:

Instead of ad homonyms, why not just point out where my reasoning is flawed. Do you think the Jags should get to tell us who we pay for to manage the complexes? How about EverBank? Does it, too, get to dictate on whom we spend tax dollars? And what about CSX, Winn-Dixie, and LPS/Fidelity, all big assets for the City. Do they also get to dictate to us? Are you so
"Jaguar whipped" you think the team should have the right to spend our money for us?

And, no, I don't comment on the T-U website.

The city and team agree to that contract. It is a bit odd, but that's what they agreed to. Its not shot at the franchise, the contract is what it is. And I hate to tell, but ANY professional sports franchise costs money no matter what city its in. Having professional sports costs. Its pretty much a "if you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" type thing, and that is how business works. You do this for me, and I do this for you. Just the stadium alone benefits the city beyond the  Jaguars. Without the Jags we would still have an updated rinky dink Gator Bowl and wouldn't be able to attract half the venues we do. Its a win-win for everyone in the end. And trust me, Jacksonville would not be what is today without the inception of the Jaguars. You are definitely fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

[Tacachale]

^No private entity, no matter how important to the city and region, should have a carte blanche funded by your tax dollars and mine. There are very legitimate reasons for civic-minded people to criticise major league sports and to give serious consideration to the tax-funded expenditures associated with them.

That says, that's simply not what's happening here. The more that comes out about this, the more it's apparent this is a Cool Hand Luke-level failure to communicate within City Hall. Eventually it will be smoothed over.

[duvaldude08]

In other news, I watched some clips of Andre Branch and he will compliment Jeremy Mincey extremely well. He has a very high motor and even if he doesnt get the sack, he sure makes the QB worry.

[downtownjag]

RNYJNY:

Instead of ad homonyms, why not just point out where my reasoning is flawed. Do you think the Jags should get to tell us who we pay for to manage the complexes? How about EverBank? Does it, too, get to dictate on whom we spend tax dollars? And what about CSX, Winn-Dixie, and LPS/Fidelity, all big assets for the City. Do they also get to dictate to us? Are you so
"Jaguar whipped" you think the team should have the right to spend our money for us?

And, no, I don't comment on the T-U website.

Which of the above companies did not/do not dictate their desired incentives or throw around the "we'll leave" card???  Because Winn-Dixie/Bi-Lo just did it.  The Jags are far from being the only company in the town that play the card you're referring to.

[JeffreyS]

According to the TU today the Mayor knew about the letter. As much as I support most of what the Mayor has been doing give me the Tea Party loon over the guy that runs off the Jags. This is strike one on this administration don't send them a default letter even if you catch them dumping toxic waste at EverBank field. You call and politely work out any issues with the team.

We can't get another NFL team but plenty of people are willing to be Mayor.

[mtraininjax]

Because Winn-Dixie/Bi-Lo just did it.  The Jags are far from being the only company in the town that play the card you're referring to.

Absolutely, and there will be others who play the same card, its all about business for them, and leveraging what they have now against what they can get somewhere else. It's business, not personal. But the City was wrong to tell the Jags that they were in default on their contract, without sitting down and discussing in private first.

[JeffreyS]

Because Winn-Dixie/Bi-Lo just did it.  The Jags are far from being the only company in the town that play the card you're referring to.

Absolutely, and there will be others who play the same card, its all about business for them, and leveraging what they have now against what they can get somewhere else. It's business, not personal. But the City was wrong to tell the Jags that they were in default on their contract, without sitting down and discussing in private first.

+1000