The Jacksonville Jaguars

[Tacachale]

I think by and large most fans are behind this. They see the benefits and appreciate the positive international press about the team.

As far as "no other team doing this", that's really overstating the case. Various teams have done this for years, this just happens to be the first time the league has tweaked the project so the Brits can see the same team more than once. And the Jags only got this particular opportunity because St. Louis backed out from their standing multi-year deal to focus on their stadium issues.

For me, the true downside is losing a big day downtown and a use of our taxpayer-funded stadium. This can be partially mitigated if the Jags open up the stadium on London game day to let people watch down there.

[Adam W]

I think by and large most fans are behind this. They see the benefits and appreciate the positive international press about the team.

As far as "no other team doing this", that's really overstating the case. Various teams have done this for years, this just happens to be the first time the league has tweaked the project so the Brits can see the same team more than once. And the Jags only got this particular opportunity because St. Louis backed out from their standing multi-year deal to focus on their stadium issues.

For me, the true downside is losing a big day downtown and a use of our taxpayer-funded stadium. This can be partially mitigated if the Jags open up the stadium on London game day to let people watch down there.

And if it does anything for tourism, then that would be a pretty decent side effect. While I don't see Jacksonville competing with Orlando or Miami for foreign tourists, I can imagine the name recognition making a difference - maybe somebody might actually make the short drive up from Orlando to visit our beaches or maybe catch a Jaguars game in Jacksonville.

It can't hurt.

[BridgeTroll]

http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2012-08-22/story/tick-tick-tick-guess-wholl-be-60-minutes

Tick, tick, tick: Guess who'll be on '60 Minutes?'

Posted: August 22, 2012 - 12:12am  |  Updated: August 22, 2012 - 6:26am

By Vito Stellino

Shad Khan’s life has changed a lot since he bought the Jaguars last November.

Even though he is a billionaire, Khan said Tuesday, “I had a pretty low-profile life. It worked out great.”

That’s why when “60 Minutes” contacted Khan about profiling him, he said, “My reaction was, ‘Why do it?’ ”

After much thought, Khan agreed to it, which is why the television crew is following him on his trips around the world. The crew was also at the news conference Tuesday in Jacksonville when the announcement was made that the Jaguars will play four games in London over the next four years.

“I hope one person gets an inspiration or aspiration out of it. More important, I think it’s great exposure for Jacksonville and the Jaguars,” Khan said of the “60 Minutes” profile. “The more I thought about it, I thought it was something we should do.”

Of his more high-profile life as an NFL owner, Khan said, “The power of the NFL, it’s amazing, the interest and the visibility. So I had to do some major soul searching about whether it’s something worth doing.”

The “60 Minutes” segment is expected to air sometime this fall.

vito.stellino@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4279


Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2012-08-22/story/tick-tick-tick-guess-wholl-be-60-minutes#ixzz24HZflxSD

[duvaldude08]

Still don't get how national medias think that us Jags fans are nervous about Jaguars playing 1 game in London. They said if London show better support than Jacksonville, The Jaguars will move to London....If Khan really want to move the team, he doesn't need to spent all that money to upgrade the stadium. I know that its not a lot but why waste the money tho..

Go read the Jaguars message board and there you'll find your answer. It's not just one game its 1 for the next 4 years I think. No other team has done that. So it doesn't take much to get a paranoid fan base more paranoid.

The Rams were locked in for 2012, 2013 and 2014 before they backed out. Thats actually the only reason we got moved up. Were not the only ones doing. Sad to say some of our fans are parinod and misinformed.

[KenFSU]

And if it does anything for tourism, then that would be a pretty decent side effect. While I don't see Jacksonville competing with Orlando or Miami for foreign tourists, I can imagine the name recognition making a difference - maybe somebody might actually make the short drive up from Orlando to visit our beaches or maybe catch a Jaguars game in Jacksonville.

Or maybe we'll get some Londoners making the trip over to Jacksonville for a game or two each year.

[Adam W]

And if it does anything for tourism, then that would be a pretty decent side effect. While I don't see Jacksonville competing with Orlando or Miami for foreign tourists, I can imagine the name recognition making a difference - maybe somebody might actually make the short drive up from Orlando to visit our beaches or maybe catch a Jaguars game in Jacksonville.

Or maybe we'll get some Londoners making the trip over to Jacksonville for a game or two each year.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Londoners love Orlando. And lots of them seem to love the NFL - so why not take a trip up to Jax to catch a Jags game when you're over to see Disney World anyway? I can see this being a pretty decent tourism draw, especially once the Jags have played a few times in London.

[urbanlibertarian]

I don't think it's aimed at tourism as much as getting corporate HQ's or branches located here and getting more business for local firms.

[downtownjag]

And if it does anything for tourism, then that would be a pretty decent side effect. While I don't see Jacksonville competing with Orlando or Miami for foreign tourists, I can imagine the name recognition making a difference - maybe somebody might actually make the short drive up from Orlando to visit our beaches or maybe catch a Jaguars game in Jacksonville.

Let's not forget about our beaches they can visit

Or maybe we'll get some Londoners making the trip over to Jacksonville for a game or two each year.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Londoners love Orlando. And lots of them seem to love the NFL - so why not take a trip up to Jax to catch a Jags game when you're over to see Disney World anyway? I can see this being a pretty decent tourism draw, especially once the Jags have played a few times in London.

[duvaldude08]

HBO really missed out on us this year! We have more Drama than you can shake a stick at this off season. This would have made a heck of a Hard Knock Episode. Winning preseason (so far), jones drew holdout: told to get on train, playing in London, improving Gabbert, improving offense.

[Rynjny]

And if it does anything for tourism, then that would be a pretty decent side effect. While I don't see Jacksonville competing with Orlando or Miami for foreign tourists, I can imagine the name recognition making a difference - maybe somebody might actually make the short drive up from Orlando to visit our beaches or maybe catch a Jaguars game in Jacksonville.

Or maybe we'll get some Londoners making the trip over to Jacksonville for a game or two each year.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Londoners love Orlando. And lots of them seem to love the NFL - so why not take a trip up to Jax to catch a Jags game when you're over to see Disney World anyway? I can see this being a pretty decent tourism draw, especially once the Jags have played a few times in London.

It might even get the high speed rail built from jax-orlando...I see a lot of upside in this..

[Gators312]

I totally agree that the upside of this far outweighs any argument I have heard against it.

Good for the NFL, Good for the Jaguars, Good for Jacksonville!

[wsansewjs]

I totally agree that the upside of this far outweighs any argument I have heard against it.

Good for the NFL, Good for the Jaguars, Good for Jacksonville!

Good for the NFL, Better for the Jaguars, Excellent for Jacksonville!

-Josh

[duvaldude08]

This is the realist article I read today!!

Jacksonville Jaguars   
  Maurice Jones-Drew should take Shad Khan, Jaguars seriouslyBy Jeff Darlington
Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network
Published: Aug. 22, 2012 at 02:32 p.m. Updated: Aug. 22, 2012 at 03:07 p.m. 0 Likes  |  7 Comments Email Like
Print Read Discuss     Friend(s) Email  Your Email Send Email By Jeff Darlington Time to stop playing gamesNever on the same pageMore Columns >
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Standing on the 27th floor with his back to a wall-spanning window overlooking the St. Johns River and downtown Jacksonville on Tuesday, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan delivered to reporters what he viewed as the day's big news.

His team will begin playing one game per season in London, starting in 2013, in a partnership with the NFL that should expand the organization's profile while helping the league boost its international presence.

But as Khan is surely learning in the infancy of his NFL ownership, few are willing to squint too far into the long-term future when there's a short-term subject to pay attention to -- which is precisely why the topic quickly shifted on Tuesday toward the tenuous status of running back Maurice Jones-Drew.


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That's when a funny thing happened. Khan turned the tables. As it turns out, we're the ones learning more about him. It's time for us (Jones-Drew included) to take note.

In fact, after what we've seen over the past 24 hours, it's time for Jones-Drew to do more than that. It's time for him to show up for training camp.

After Khan sent a message to Jones-Drew through the media -- "the train is leaving the station, run, get on" -- Jones-Drew's agent, Adisa Bakari, began telling reporters that Jones-Drew was upset Khan had taken a public approach to the situation. The folks in Jones-Drew's camp then spread the word that the running back was "open to a trade," because the Jaguars clearly didn't value him. Soon after, Jones-Drew's position, again communicated through intermediaries, changed one more time: He's open to getting this relationship worked out.

Now, somebody needs to send the following message back to Jones-Drew:

Nobody is upset but him. The relationship needs to be thawed only because he put it in the freezer.

Don't hold breath on MJD trade
Maurice Jones-Drew has hinted to being open to a trade out of Jacksonville, but Gregg Rosenthal says don't expect the RB to be heading anywhere. More ...
Do you see any sweat beading on Khan's forehead? Do you see him twisting his mustache in angst?

No, you don't. You see a man who is far more concerned about bettering an organization and a city -- a man who recognizes the issues surrounding ticket sales are far broader than one star running back who is trying to convince ownership he can fill the seats like nobody else.

On Tuesday, while Jones-Drew was attempting to make the Jaguars nervous, Khan was meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell about his willingness to move one game per season to a stadium on the other side of the ocean.

Khan is willing to take what would literally be 1/8 of his team's home games away from its fan base, believing it will ultimately be best for the Jaguars and Jacksonville. Do you think he's going to cave to a running back's desires just to make a short-term fix at one position on a rebuilding team? Please.

"If Maurice Jones-Drew thinks anything is going to change, he clearly doesn't know (Khan)," one team source said Tuesday.

That's not to say Khan is some hard-nosed tough guy who wants to throw his weight around. He is, though, a man who is not going to let irrational perspective or public pressure alter his plans.


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The source was right: Clearly, Jones-Drew doesn't know who he's dealing with. He is acting like the Jaguars owe him something, like he deserves greater loyalty after six years of service to a different coach and a different owner. True, Jones-Drew is an outstanding player worthy of elite money. But he's already on the second contract of his career (with the same organization, mind you). So where's the leverage?

Where's the rational explanation as to why the Jaguars should pay him?

Khan recognizes this organization needs fixing. By committing to play one game per year in London -- and helping the NFL with its international agenda -- he might get proper help from the league to promote and market his brand in a way that will increase exposure domestically and overseas.

The NFL now has a vested interest in seeing the Jaguars succeed as a marketable team. Maybe that means more Monday Night Football appearances. Maybe it means more visible use of the team's brand in league-wide marketing campaigns. Who knows? But however it works out, Khan recognizes the NFL can help him.

Sacrificing a home game at a stadium that struggles to fill itself up no matter who is running the ball is risky but potentially rewarding business.

So how does this end? Well, Jones-Drew can continue to play these games, taking the chance that he'll miss one valuable year out of the two remaining on his current contract. Sources said at least one team has reached out to the Jaguars, expressing interest in a possible trade. Jones-Drew can hold out, hoping that team is willing to give up something like a second- and a fifth-round pick, like what the St. Louis Rams gave the Indianapolis Colts for Marshall Faulk in 1999. It seems reasonable that the Jaguars would listen then.

 


Of course, that team would also have to be willing to give Jones-Drew the contract he wants -- which is ultimately the issue at hand.

So hey, it's possible that Jones-Drew finds his way to more money. He's got a pretty slim shot, though, and it's likely to evaporate within the next few days as the Jaguars' conversations with any potential suitors run their course.

When that happens, Jones-Drew might be wise to make the only move he'll have left: Get on the train before it's too late.

[Tacachale]

The UNF Student Union is swamped today with students buying tickets for the Jags' student section. There were 400 tickets available when it started at 10 and the line is wrapping all around the plaza. I think they'll sell out today.

[I-10east]

Stephen A Smith on ESPN's First Take is an a-hole!! This SOB said the MJD should get traded to the Jets for Tebow, and that the Jags plays in 'a half empty stadium' anyway.  I never liked this prick anyway! I will never like or trust any of the national sports media, they all are two faced ignorant a-holes. SAS can take a leap off the Chrysler Building.