Goodell: The NFL would probably expand to 34 if LA gets team

[duvaldude08]

As I figured, NOBODY is interested in moving their team. This should offically kill all LA rumors.

Goodell: NFL would probably expand to 34 if L.A. gets new team
Associated Press
Published: Feb. 2, 2012 at 11:55 p.m. Updated: Feb. 3, 2012 at 12:08 a.m.
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Commissioner Roger Goodell says if the NFL puts a team in Los Angeles, it is probable the league would expand to 34 franchises.

Appearing Thursday night on "Costas Live" on NBC Sports Network, Goodell said the league "doesn't want to move any of our teams." He said if a suitable stadium is built in the Los Angeles area, "we probably don't want to go to 33" teams by adding just one new club. Instead, the league would consider adding two. An odd number of teams would pose scheduling problems.


There has been speculation that an L.A. stadium could house two NFL franchises, although Goodell did not address that.

Goodell says there are several issues that must be solved in L.A., particularly which of two current stadium proposals is best. He didn't suggest any timetable for the league returning to Southern California.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

[I-10east]

The NFL welcomes the 'Los Angeles Tar Pits' and the 'San Antonio Saguaros' as the 33rd and 34th franchises....

[duvaldude08]

The NFL welcomes the 'Los Angeles Tar Pits' and the 'San Antonio Saguaros' as the 33rd and 34th franchises....

Now Now I-10 be nice. 

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

The NFL welcomes the 'Los Angeles Tar Pits' and the 'San Antonio Saguaros' as the 33rd and 34th franchises....

So we'll have 16 AFC teams, 16 NFC teams and 2 MFC teams.  Ole!

[fsujax]

I have heard people saying London would be the other team. I just dont know how that would work logistically. How many trips would they have to make across the Atlantic, sounds rough.

[Wacca Pilatka]

The NFL welcomes the 'Los Angeles Tar Pits' and the 'San Antonio Saguaros' as the 33rd and 34th franchises....

Now Now I-10 be nice. 

Yeah, that's not very considerate to tar pits at all, linking them to Los Angeles like that.

[copperfiend]

Goodell is a smart guy. He knows he does not want to lose a market like Jacksonville, St Louis or Minnesota. The NFL is the only league that could support expansion. L.A. is a given but I have never been keen on London. FSUJAX makes the point about logistics and it would be a nightmare for the players on their team.

Oklahoma City has to be considered a serious candidate. Jerry Jones would fight like hell to keep a team out of San Antonio. And the Alamodone is too outdated for a team anyway.

[cline]

I really don't think that having two teams in LA is the way to go.  I know the market has enough people to theoretically support two teams but in reality, I don't think both teams would get support.  Its not like there hasn't been teams in LA before. 

As for London, I'm with fsujax, I don't think it is good to require teams to do that amount of travel.  Plus, they already had NFL Europe and it didn't last for various reasons.

I'm just glad that they're talking about expanding rather than moving teams.  That bodes well for the future of the Jags.

[I-10east]

I agree with yall that London shouldn't get a NFL team. There is some talk about LA getting both of the expansion teams; I hope that doesn't happen, that would be way too much newness for one city; Regardless of how big LA is, let them prove that they can hang on to one team, and give another market a shot.

[KenFSU]

I have heard people saying London would be the other team. I just dont know how that would work logistically. How many trips would they have to make across the Atlantic, sounds rough.

The time differences alone would present a major problem.

Our traditional 1:00 Sunday game would take place at 6:00 PM in London, the 4:30 game would take place at 9:30, and it would be practically impossible for a prime time game to ever be played in London because kickoff wouldn't be until 2:00 AM their time.

For Team 34, I actually really like Portland.

They've been huge supporters of their NBA and MLS teams, and I think the NFL would be a good fit there.

Vancouver would be a decent option as well.

Overall though, I just really hopes this ends -- once and for all -- the LA black cloud that has hung over the franchise for the last few years.

[I-10east]

Cline, you beat me by seconds on that 'two teams in LA' thing, I totally agree that shouldn't happen.

I'm just glad that they're talking about expanding rather than moving teams.  That bodes well for the future of the Jags.

I'm not gonna lie and say, 'I never bought into the Jags moving to LA' thing because it was scary in 09' when Weaver complained about the ticket sales (One of the few things that I really disagreed with Weaver about esp with a 5-11 team in a bad economy) and Goodell addressed Jax's blackouts etc, but lately (2010 on, with sellouts and all) I didn't buy into that Jags to LA crap. That news definitely bodes well for my blood pressure, with all of that incessant never ending 'move-a-phobia' as Shad Khan put it.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Expansion's not just demographics, it's about who has a stadium and the capacity to build one.  Portland and Oklahoma City would need to build stadia in order to have a chance of attracting a team.  I'm not sure OKC could support a second pro franchise, though they get secondary market support for the Thunder from Tulsa, and I say that as a fan of Oklahoma and Oklahomans.  I don't think the Sooners' stadium is NFL-caliber.  The Cowboys have an established hold on Oklahoman fans as well; OKC is only three hours from Dallas.  Portland is something of a secondary market for the Seahawks and while I'm sure the city could support another pro franchise, I doubt that an NFL stadium is something Portland would want to spend on.

I really don't think a San Antonio team would fly.  The vast majority of Texas is deeply in love with the Cowboys, San Antonio is not that rich of a market and already has a pro team, and I don't think Austin would necessarily support a San Antonio pro franchise when it may have its own aspirations for one.  And the Alamodome, while not much older than EverBank and many other NFL stadia, is probably below NFL standards in terms of amenities.  I know that in the 1993 expansion race, San Antonio was one of the cities that didn't make the final cut because the NFL didn't believe it could sell out the Alamodome consistently.  I think to make it work you might have to build a whole new stadium somewhere halfway between San Antonio and Austin, like San Marcos, and give Austin some sense of the team being its team too.

[Doctor_K]

What about Salt Lake City?

[Wacca Pilatka]

What about Salt Lake City?

Good economic demographics but no NFL-grade stadium, and from my one visit there it seems to be loaded with people who are already loyal to either the 49ers or the Broncos.

I'd say Birmingham could work if Legion Field didn't have the remaining structural rigidity of a Tinkertoy set.

[KenFSU]

From a local media standpoint, it seems like ticket sales and blackout speculation has been the major story about the Jags for the last three seasons. I really hope Goodell's statement swings the media focus back onto what actually happens on the field. I also think that if citizens believe the team is staying put, attendance and support should increase as well.

Really missing Jags football already.

Gonna be a long 6 months.