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

[blizz01]

Yeah - they might have even had to put back in their starting quarterback!

[Wacca Pilatka]

I actually thought something must be wrong with Warner; as badly as the Jaguars were playing, it was inviting disaster to put in the backup with the score 31-10 and still in the third.  Vic was all over the Cards for that one.  At least someone got all over them...

[David]

I think the sports section on Jacksonville.com says it all at the moment

http://www.jacksonville.com/sports

The gators having the sniffles dominates the page, while the Jags news is lumped in with golf and nascar.

nice!

[NotNow]

So, would it be a bad thing if the Jaguars went out west?  Jacksonville seems to be fairly fond of Football, but LA seems like it would be even fonder.

having the team shut down the core city every time they play here, and cutting off all traffic in and out of the neighborhoods isnt really helping downtown much.

Do people really like the Jaguars here anyways?

The team is the only thing going on downtown on Sunday besides FBC.

thats because the cops completely shut downtown down and force everyone to drive out of it without stopping.

And your traffic plan is what...to steer all 70,000 to the landing?  99.9% are headed for the Interstate or a bridge.  The traffic plan fits the market.

[Keith-N-Jax]

You mean 38,000

[NotNow]

Fl -GA is coming up...that's when we try to fit 38,000 into the landing. 

[stjr]

Mmmm... I wonder if LA is the only city looking for a team.  How many of the top MSA's above Jacksonville (#58) are missing teams?  Any of these would be clear candidates IN ADDITION to LA.  Las Vegas is frequently mentioned.  There is also Orlando, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Portland.  Even San Jose, CA, if you could get all those Silicon Valley nerds away from their computers.    The point is there is probably enough opportunities for more than one team to be in play at the same time.

The 100 Largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and Their Populations
Based on Year 2000 Census Data

1. Los Angelesâ€"Long Beach, CA 9,519,338
2. New York, NY 9,314,235
3. Chicago, IL PMSA 8,272,768
4. Philadelphia, PAâ€"NJ 5,100,931
5. Washington, DCâ€"MDâ€"VAâ€"WV 4,923,153
6. Detroit, MI 4,441,551
7. Houston, TX 4,177,646
8. Atlanta, GA 4,112,198
9. Dallas, TX 3,519,176
10. Boston, MAâ€"NH 3,406,829
11. Riversideâ€"San Bernardino, CA 3,254,821
12. Phoenixâ€"Mesa, AZ 3,251,876
13. Minneapolisâ€"St. Paul, MNâ€"WI 2,968,806
14. Orange County, CA 2,846,289
15. San Diego, CA 2,813,833
16. Nassauâ€"Suffolk, NY 2,753,913
17. St. Louis, MOâ€"IL 2,603,607
18. Baltimore, MD 2,552,994
19. Seattleâ€"Bellevueâ€"Everett, WA 2,414,616
20. Tampaâ€"St. Petersburgâ€"Clearwater, FL 2,395,997
21. Oakland, CA 2,392,557
22. Pittsburgh, PA 2,358,695
23. Miami, FL 2,253,362
24. Clevelandâ€"Lorainâ€"Elyria, OH 2,250,871
25. Denver, CO 2,109,282
26. Newark, NJ 2,032,989
27. San Juanâ€"Bayamon, PR 1,967,627
28. Portlandâ€"Vancouver, ORâ€"WA 1,918,009
29. Kansas City, MOâ€"KS 1,776,062
30. San Francisco, CA 1,731,183
31. Fort Worthâ€"Arlington, TX 1,702,625
32. San Jose, CA 1,682,585
33. Cincinnati, OHâ€"KYâ€"IN 1,646,395
34. Orlando, FL 1,644,561
35. Sacramento, CA 1,628,197
36. Fort Lauderdale, FL 1,623,018
37. Indianapolis, IN 1,607,486
38. San Antonio, TX 1,592,383
39. Norfolkâ€"Virginia Beachâ€"Newport News, VAâ€"NC 1,569,541
40. Las Vegas, NVâ€"AZ 1,563,282
41. Columbus, OH 1,540,157
42. Milwaukeeâ€"Waukesha, WI 1,500,741
43. Charlotteâ€"Gastoniaâ€"Rock Hill, NCâ€"SC 1,499,293
44. Bergenâ€"Passaic, NJ 1,373,167
45. New Orleans, LA 1,337,726
46. Salt Lake Cityâ€"Ogden, UT 1,333,914
47. Greensboroâ€"Winston-Salemâ€"High Point, NC 1,251,509
48. Austinâ€"San Marcos, TX 1,249,763
49. Nashville, TN 1,231,311
50. Providenceâ€"Fall Riverâ€"Warwick, RIâ€"MA 1,188,613
51. Raleighâ€"Durhamâ€"Chapel Hill, NC 1,187,941
52. Hartford, CT 1,183,110
53. Buffaloâ€"Niagara Falls, NY 1,170,111
54. Middlesexâ€"Somersetâ€"Hunterdon, NJ 1,169,641
55. Memphis, TNâ€"ARâ€"MS 1,135,614
56. West Palm Beachâ€"Boca Raton, FL 1,131,184
57. Monmouthâ€"Ocean, NJ 1,126,217
58. Jacksonville, FL 1,100,491
59. Rochester, NY 1,098,201
60. Grand Rapidsâ€"Muskegonâ€"Holland, MI 1,088,514
61. Oklahoma City, OK 1,083,346
62. Louisville, KYâ€"IN 1,025,598
63. Richmondâ€"Petersburg, VA 996,512
64. Greenvilleâ€"Spartanburgâ€"Anderson, SC 962,441
65. Daytonâ€"Springfield, OH 950,558
66. Fresno, CA 922,516
67. Birmingham, AL 921,106
68. Honolulu, HI 876,156
69. Albanyâ€"Schenectadyâ€"Troy, NY 875,583
70. Tucson, AZ 843,746
71. Tulsa, OK 803,235
72. Ventura, CA 753,197
73. Syracuse, NY 732,117
74. Omaha, NEâ€"IA 716,998
75. Albuquerque, NM 712,738
76. Tacoma, WA 700,820
77. Akron, OH 694,960
78. Knoxville, TN 687,249
79. El Paso, TX 679,622
80. Bakersfield, CA 661,645
81. Allentownâ€"Bethlehemâ€"Easton, PA 637,958
82. Gary, IN 631,362
83. Harrisburgâ€"Lebanonâ€"Carlisle, PA 629,401
84. Scrantonâ€"Wilkes-Barreâ€"Hazleton, PA 624,776
85. Toledo, OH 618,203
86. Jersey City, NJ 608,975
87. Baton Rouge, LA 602,894
88. Youngstownâ€"Warren, OH 594,746
89. Springfield, MA 591,932
90. Sarasotaâ€"Bradenton, FL 589,959
91. Wilmingtonâ€"Newark, DEâ€"MD 586,216
92. Little Rockâ€"North Little Rock, AR 583,845
93. Ann Arbor, MI 578,736
94. McAllenâ€"Edinburgâ€"Mission, TX 569,463
95. Stocktonâ€"Lodi, CA 563,598
96. Charlestonâ€"North Charleston, SC 549,033
97. Wichita, KS 545,220
98. New Havenâ€"Meriden, CT 542,149
99. Mobile, AL 540,258
100. Columbia, SC 536,691

[DavidWilliams]

Akron Jaguars has a certain ring.

[ac]

I'll c/p a post I made concerning this subject on the Jags' MB, with a couple edits:

I'm a native. I love this city, despite the flaws, and despite how mind-numbingly asinine people can be.

That said, I've finally decided I'm out if or when those moving trucks leave the lot at the stadium.

I spent 2 weeks in CA at the beginning of this month. Stayed in SD, SB, Fresno (OK, it's a hole), and San Jose visiting family and friends of the wife. She's from there (UCSB alum). I don't need to tell you how nice it can be in some spots over there.

Wife kept hinting that she'd like to move back someday. I'm thinking to myself the whole time, "why do we stay in JAX?" September 13 rolls around and I don't have access to the game. I'm fiending; and I remember, "oh, yeah, this is why; the Jaguars." Without them, I'd be gone in a flash.

(Sure, most of my family is in Nassau County, but that's what holidays and airfare are for.)

I've watched this city for as long as I've been conscious enough to pay attention. Watched them squander almost every opportunity for greatness handed to them. City blocks of historic building stock razed on slick promises we'd have steel-and-glass jewel boxes, only to lie empty as parking lots. A Downtown that used to be among the liveliest, busiest and most fashionable in the southeast--with all the arts, culture, and recreation you could want--reduced to a wasteland and holding area for every bum and professional panhandler the region can ship us, and home to three social services agencies within a square mile and a mega church who has the rest of the area on lockdown, hoarding millions in assets and real-estate, tax free.

Citizenry that places no stock in education post high-school; high dropout, illiteracy, and teen pregnancy rates. It's almost celebrated, the ignorance in this city.

What's saddest is that there's a small core of people who genuinely care about this city and want to make it a better place to live, but they get drowned out by the people who aren't happy enough to have the lowest taxes for a medium-size city in the region. They want to lower taxes and completely cripple the city government's ability to provide even basic services.

On top of all that much more important stuff, they want to run out of town one of the city's greatest benefactors, who has defended us at every turn and has done his best, although it hasn't worked out that way just yet, to win a championship for this city and give us something to be proud of.

If the people who want the team gone succeed, **** Jacksonville. I'll be done too.

[David]

Mmmm... I wonder if LA is the only city looking for a team.  How many of the top MSA's above Jacksonville (#58) are missing teams?

The newer population figures put the Jacksonville MSA closer to # 40

39 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI MSA Greater Milwaukee WI (2008) 1,549,308 (2000) 1,500,741 +3.24% Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI
40 Jacksonville, FL MSA First Coast FL (2008)1,313,228 (2000)1,122,750 +16.97%
41 Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA The Mid-South TN-MS-AR (2008)1,285,732(2000) 1,205,204 +6.68%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_United_States_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas

An increase of 18 notches in just under a decade, this is one of the reasons the NFL put a team here in the first place. Although our growth was slowed this year, it's going to pick up soon. At least that's in our favor, but the rest of it's up to fan support and the franchise itself.

[DavidWilliams]

Citizenry that places no stock in education post high-school; high dropout, illiteracy, and teen pregnancy rates. It's almost celebrated, the ignorance in this city.


[/quote]

Agree on many of your points, but the above is a bit of a generalization don't you think? My wife is from San Jose, CA. It has its problems as well.

[ac]

^

Yeah, it may be a bit over the top, but that's why I acknowledged

there's a small core of people who genuinely care about this city and want to make it a better place to live

I'm aware no city is perfect, but honestly-  outside of the denizens here, is anyone else fighting for this city to realize its potential?

[Ocklawaha]

You guys have it all wrong, either the Jags will move to a market that is more suitable for football, like, Chattanooga or Sweet Home, or else they will cut their losses and move to the municipal stadium in Daytona Beach.


Wow man, 10,000 seats and they even have club $$ seats indoors, just think, no more black outs...ever!

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

Now that I've made fun of Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium, let me say I have attended several college or minor league games there. This place SHOULD BE a required stop on every new urban planners college course plan. It is letter PERFECT and beautiful, both sides of the field are pretty much the same as you see in the photo. Parking, landscaping, concessions, restrooms, you name it, this place would be a star performer in a city like Jacksonville, that might be able to attract some other minor league teams, in other sports. It would certainly knock off the old demon of COSTS, and bring it down to size. If you EVER have a chance to see it, do so. You can exit at the LPGA interchange and head west, the stadium is a couple of miles on your left. Follow that road and it brings up up on US 92, which will take you back to I-95 (further south) or to I-4 westbound. Another idea of course, you could just stay on 92 South and follow it to Sanford, if you don't know what central florida commuter rail is all about!

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Its also isolated so maybe its for rural planners? (just joking)

Nevertheless, its nice for what it is.  I remember going to one of my friend's high school playoff games there in the mid 90s.  They played Daytona Seabreeze.  Seabreeze had a kicker with an unbelievable foot.  His name was Sebastian Janikowski who now plays for the Oakland Raiders.