Caution: LA is coming to steal your NFL team in 2011

[David]

Some small-market NFL fans will soon be severely disappointed when their team is moved to the new Los Angeles stadium.

http://www.playerpress.com/articles/caution-la-is-coming-to-steal-your-nfl-team-in-2011

...Unfortunately for some fans of the game, LA’s gain will be your loss.  The NFL has no plans to expand in the near future and LA’s stadium is expected to be ready for the 2011 season.  So, fans of small-market teams should beware, particularly if your city is not willing to pay the ransoms necessary to keep your NFL franchise.  I’ve heard chatter about Buffalo and Jacksonville.  I’m sure there are other cities not willing or able to pay to bring their venues up to the likes of the new Dallas stadium or Houston’s Reliant.  While others have experienced the pain of losing a beloved team to another town, I can only imagine the horror and severity of the suffering.  In advance of this pending “crime,” I give you my sympathies and regards.  All you small-market NFL faithfuls out there, take heed:  Los Angeles is coming to steal someone’s team in 2011.

I doubt they could finish the stadium by 2011 as it still hasn't been approved yet, but it looks like it's not far off:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stadium-team-semcken-2573936-nfl-roski

"We're going to be done by the end of September, one way or another, with approval for the stadium," Semcken said, saying he was confident the state Senate would approve environmental waivers on the project if there isn't a settlement with litigants by Sept. 29. "Then it's a matter of which (existing NFL) team is going to come.

Neither Semcken, nor Roski, would name which teams are on their list of possible tenants, but various published reports have included the Chargers, Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and â€" uh-oh â€" St. Louis Rams as those possibly interested in relocating.

www.losangelesfootballstadium.com

I call not it for the Jags. NOT IT.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Not talking about you David, but someone is really bored.

[David]

haha yeah, that guy is a bit out there,  thought I'd throw those articles out there so that our fellow MJ'ers can disect it.

I haven't been paying attention to the L.A. NFL drama before, so it's hard for me to tell if they're really serious about this or if this is something that comes up regularly. Even if their new stadium does get built, I'd like to think Mr. Weaver will stick by his word to stay committed to Jax.

[BridgeTroll]

I'd like to think Mr. Weaver will stick by his word to stay committed to Jax.

The real question is... Will Jax stay committed to the Jags?  The NFL wants a franchise in L.A. and they will help and promote any effort to get one there.  If they build a stadium... it will be fairly easy to find an owner or group to purchase and move a team.  The good news is there is a list of at least 5 other teams that look to be contenders for the move.  Unfortunately... the Vikings look to be a good team for a few more years... the Bills are up and coming... San Diego's main issue is a new stadium.  I think the possible movers are Raiders, Rams, Jags.

[David]

Good point Mr. Troll.

I'm going to attend the home games just as soon as I get caught up on other things. I sat through most of last season's home games in the stands,  and that wasn't easy. But at the very least tail-gating and cheering when we did something right was enjoyable.

The city really does need to learn how to support them even when they're not at their best. This season will be the test of fan support for sure. I just hope this past Sunday didn't set the tone for the rest of the year....

[Ron Mexico]

I think this guy spent some money on a website to get people excited.  From the reports I have read, none of the local people in and around City of Industry want the stadium and all that in brings.  Also, the economic impact estimate is grossly over-estimated (see our own SuperBowl estimates) and frankly, I know where they want to put that stadium and no-one, and I mean no-one in LA is going to spend that time in traffic to go there.

This is similar to a "If you build it they will come" strategy.  If you want to know how that works, as the Rays and the Dolphins.

[copperfiend]

The good news is there is a list of at least 5 other teams that look to be contenders for the move.  Unfortunately... the Vikings look to be a good team for a few more years... the Bills are up and coming... San Diego's main issue is a new stadium.  I think the possible movers are Raiders, Rams, Jags.

Go back and look at every team that has moved. The Oilers, Rams, Raiders, Browns. All moved because of stadium issues. The Bucs almost moved to Baltimore in 1994 because of a stadium issue. The Seahawks flirted with LA in the late 90s until they got a new stadium. The Saints were considered a candidate to move until they got a new stadium deal. To say the Chargers main issue is a stadium is to name them as the most likely team to move.

[David]

Check out the slew of bad press slamming Jacksonville as a NFL town, all written in the last 24 hours :

NFL has no business being in Jacksonville

Blackouts, History May Ultimately Lead the Jaguars to Los Angeles

It's like these sportswriters want us to fail. A lot of them have always had it out for Jacksonville...

[copperfiend]

If LA wants a team, why haven't they bought the Rams?

[BridgeTroll]

The Wetzel article makes some great points... though his conclusion is premature.

[reednavy]

Hmm, Los Angeles has had 2 teams before, and both left. IMO, they don't deserve another chance, they had them and blew it. The Chargers palyed one season there before they moved to San Diego, so I guess that can count as a 3rd team. Houston, which lost the Oilers when they moved to Tennessee, still got a new team before Los Angeles did. This shows something, and that is that the NFL is not willing to expand back into the L.A. market when it has a record of losing the teams. The only way, IF, BIG IF, the stadium gets built, which I doubt.

L.A. is a basketball town, not a football town, except for USC.

I really enjoy these slaps at our city's NFL team, as if these writers have nothing else better to do.

[jeh1980]

I am a faithful Jaguars supporter. I always support them win or lose. That's what this town needs to be. The Jaguars would mean so much good for the economy. Come on Jacksonville! Support your Jaguars. It's the only major league type team we have!

[Shwaz]

I guarantee there will be a team in L.A. in the next 5 years. There are 8 million t.v.'s in that market and that means lot's of revenue. The NFL knows it's the second largest t.v. market in the U.S. and they're chomping at the bit to get a team there.

Right now Goddell is looking at Jacksonville under a microscope. After the blackouts each week he's looking for an increase in ticket sales. He's diagnosing the fan base and he can't hear all the cheap excuses. If the ticket's don't sell and the game isn't on t.v. the team does not belong here.

If California wasn't in financial ruin I'm sure a stadium would already be under way and after this season lost revenue here I'm sure a deal would be in the works.

They may have lost 2 teams... but it was because of piss-poor stadium in a down-n-out neighborhood. If they can build something like Dallas, AZ or Indy they'll be successful... and we'll be SOL.

[copperfiend]

Why would the Jaguars move and not the Chargers (stadium issues) or the Rams (blackouts and seeking new owner)?

[BridgeTroll]

Because Wayne Weaver comes to the conclusion that Jax is not a viable market for an NFL franchise...