The Jacksonville Jaguars

[I-10east]

^^^Nope! I can make a strong statement and say that there is no evidence that the Jags are gonna move to London, atleast in the foreseeable future. I'm not gonna play the 'muddying the waters' game, giving conspiracy theorists any credence. These conspiracy theorists had Jax a former NFL city more than a decade ago. The move-a-phobia people get no credibility from me.

[Adam White]

^^^Nope! I can make a strong statement and say that there is no evidence that the Jags are gonna move to London, atleast in the foreseeable future. I'm not gonna play the 'muddying the waters' game, giving conspiracy theorists any credence. These conspiracy theorists had Jax a former NFL city more than a decade ago. The move-a-phobia people get no credibility from me.

There is a difference between saying there is no evidence Khan is planning to move the team and saying he definitely won't. That was my point. Sorry it wasn't clearer. Also, I wasn't necessarily responding to your prior post - in that particular post you didn't say he definitively wasn't moving the team and I would agree with the 'jumping the shark' comment.

[pierre]

The main reasons sports teams, including the teams you're referring to, move is down to stadium issues. Khan doesn't have that here; the city has worked with him on everything he's wanted. He's also got a lot of money invested here that essentially gets set on fire if he leaves. And finally, it's unclear whether a team could make a profit long term in London, whereas a team virtually anywhere in the US prints its own money. Doesn't mean it won't happen, but it's definitely not evidence that this guy's on to something.

I agree. And that is also why the city has about 10 years to figure out what the future of the Jaguars will be.

They are in a lease for the next decade, and are not going anywhere.

But once the lease it up, it's anybody's guess.

I think what you will see is a proposed major renovation to the current stadium. Something similar to Miami, which cost around half a billion dollar. Is that something the city will be willing to commit to? If not...bye bye Jaguars.

[Lostwave]

Bogus claim by someone who wants to be in the paper...

Jim Woodcock, spokesman for Khan, said, "This is nothing more than the same ongoing nonsense and bogus claims made by a former employee who left the club in 2017. Nothing here merits a further response."

[Snufflee]

The main reasons sports teams, including the teams you're referring to, move is down to stadium issues. Khan doesn't have that here; the city has worked with him on everything he's wanted. He's also got a lot of money invested here that essentially gets set on fire if he leaves. And finally, it's unclear whether a team could make a profit long term in London, whereas a team virtually anywhere in the US prints its own money. Doesn't mean it won't happen, but it's definitely not evidence that this guy's on to something.

I agree. And that is also why the city has about 10 years to figure out what the future of the Jaguars will be.

They are in a lease for the next decade, and are not going anywhere.

But once the lease it up, it's anybody's guess.

I think what you will see is a proposed major renovation to the current stadium. Something similar to Miami, which cost around half a billion dollar. Is that something the city will be willing to commit to? If not...bye bye Jaguars.

Lease aside, I would say its closer to 15 years vice 10. I lived in San Diego for 17 years and as glad as I was to see the tax payers refuse to get fleeced by the Spanos family, San Diego was able to keep the Chargers for a few extra years with good faith negotiating tactics.

[BridgeTroll]

Lol... That stadium was a dump. Where are the Chargers now? 

[Tacachale]

Lol... That stadium was a dump. Where are the Chargers now?

Serving as living proof that stadium issues, not attendance, drive relocation decisions. Otherwise they never would have left San Diego for a 27,000-seat soccer stadium they can't fill.

[Adam White]

Lol... That stadium was a dump. Where are the Chargers now?

Serving as living proof that stadium issues, not attendance, drive relocation decisions. Otherwise they never would have left San Diego for a 27,000-seat soccer stadium they can't fill.

Are they struggling to fill that place? That's terrible.

[BridgeTroll]

Lol... That stadium was a dump. Where are the Chargers now?

Serving as living proof that stadium issues, not attendance, drive relocation decisions. Otherwise they never would have left San Diego for a 27,000-seat soccer stadium they can't fill.

No worries... I'm sure San Diego will do just fine without a football team... just ask St Louis... Oakland... Cleveland... Houston... Baltimore... L.A.

[pierre]

Lol... That stadium was a dump. Where are the Chargers now?

Serving as living proof that stadium issues, not attendance, drive relocation decisions. Otherwise they never would have left San Diego for a 27,000-seat soccer stadium they can't fill.

Are they struggling to fill that place? That's terrible.

It depends who they play.

When they played the Chiefs in week 1, it seemed to be 90% Kansas City fans.

I don't believe they have any semblance of a fan base in Los Angeles.

I wonder what will happen when they move to the new stadium.

[KenFSU]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If Shad Khan has a villainous master plan to move the Jags to London, he's literally the world's worst supervillian. The only way to get out of the lease early is to show several consecutive years of financial losses. You don't do that by actively adding new revenue streams in Jacksonville, bringing back Tom Coughlin, opening up more seats, expanding your regional marketing efforts, refreshing your branding and uniforms, and aggressively pursuing free agents.

Khan clearly wants to make Jacksonville work. Even though we still haven't seen movement on the Shipyards (I blame the city as much as the Jags), the fact that the Jags have been aggressive in coming up with an alternative development for Lot J while inserting themselves into the convention center discussion demonstrates a long-term vested interest in the city.

Further, from the time that he purchased the franchise from Wayne Weaver to present day, Khan has been both a straight shooter and a man of integrity. We saw this in particular during the whole anthem controversy. I'd also suggest that he's proven himself as a man of loyalty as well, sticking with people like Gus Bradley, Dave Caldwell, Doug Marrone, and Blake Bortles LONG after most people were calling for the team to move on.

That said, he's also a shrewd businessman.

And when he was asked on his yacht a year or two back if the team would ever move to London, his answer was basically, "you never know what the future holds."

What makes the situation really interesting and unique is that it's not as binary as any other potential relocation in sports history. With Los Angeles, for example, an NFL team either relocated there, or they didn't. With London, where the Jags have a long-term agreement to play one game a year there in a stadium that Khan may soon own, it's more of a trojan horse situation where Khan could gradually transition more and more games to London.

I don't believe for a second that Khan has a master plan to move the team to London.

But I fully believe he's hedging his bets.

The city doesn't play nice on the convention center? Maybe the Jags move a second home game a year to London.

The city turns down the proposed redevelopment agreement for Lot J, doesn't tear down the Hart bridge ramps soon enough, or refuses to foot the cleanup bill for the Shipyards? Maybe a third game in London.

And, to Pierre's point, 2028 will be the true year of reckoning when the stadium lease comes up.

I actually think we'll see a major stadium ask come down within the next three years in the form of the sun-shade/roof concept that was floated a few years ago. September games are BRUTAL in the stadium, to the point that it probably keeps people away.

[Adam White]

Maybe he should not bother wasting his money buying Wembley stadium and use it instead to finance a stadium in Jacksonville that meets his discriminating needs.

[Snufflee]

Maybe he should not bother wasting his money buying Wembley stadium and use it instead to finance a stadium in Jacksonville that meets his discriminating needs.

I think you forgot the sarcasm tag. Why do that when you can hold a gun to the taxpayers head for the remainder of the lease.

[Adam White]

Maybe he should not bother wasting his money buying Wembley stadium and use it instead to finance a stadium in Jacksonville that meets his discriminating needs.

I think you forgot the sarcasm tag. Why do that when you can hold a gun to the taxpayers head for the remainder of the lease.

True.

I find it interesting (for lack of a better word) that the guy is happy to pay £600 million to purchase a stadium in London. Why not buy the Gator Bowl outright? He clearly can afford to and apparently has no problem doing so when that is the only option.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Is the stadium for sale? You can't buy something unless it's for sale!