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

[riverside_mail]

Akron Jaguars has a certain ring.

Funny that you mention Akron. In fact, the Akron Pros were the first NFL champions back in 1920.
Just thought I'd throw that little bit of NFL history out there.

[ac]

Another pair of solid posts from esteemed Jags MB poster BJORN TOURAQUE:

This was supposed to be a town that was insane for football. This was the town losing it's mind for an NFL franchise from LA or Houston or Baltimore. It was always based on fan support. The Biggest Cocktail Party in the South, home of the Sharks, home of the Bulls and all of that garbage.

Oh, wait:



Sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it?

Ironically, there's always that big talk about how great football ratings are on television here.

No one ever said that Jacksonville was a great football town, but only if they had a proven winner. I never heard talk of Jacksonville getting a team because of possible corporate dollars. It has always been built on this myth of rabid NFL fans.

What we're seeing is that Jacksonville in anything but a great football town. In fact, it's pretty close to being an awful football town. Everyone who was at the Gator Bowl screaming for Bob Irsay should slapped in the mouth for being a liar. We had 25,000 people in the stadium celebrating getting a team and only had 38,000 for the season opener? Seriously? And it's not the fans fault?

And the fact that near everyone in this town and on this board seems to think that there is a magical clause that will keep this team here against it's will is in the same delusion that this is a great football town.

Anyone remember how wonderful the economy was doing in 87-91? You know, at the same time as Jacksonville promising to buy tickets in droves? You can all keep the economy excuses too, because that's crap. No one said that Jacksonville wouldn't buy tickets in a bad economy, the whole push for a NFL team started in the middle of the worst economy the country had seen since the Depression at that time.

I'm absolutely tired of the people in this town finding every reason under the sun to not support this franchise that they begged for, and then finding any reason that can to shift blame from themselves.

At least when LA lost their teams they had the stones to give them the finger on the way out the door instead of complaining about why it's not their fault they left.

[ac]

And the second:

For me, this is personal.

I'm one of those people that the city of Jacksonville was looking to attract and get here to grow this town. I bought into the Bold New City of the South and came here. I had several friends from Southern California that moved there(sic) businesses here and sold me on this place too.

I was told that this was 1960's Los Angeles. There was rampant growth, property was cheap, the women were easy and there was no traffic. I was told that, as I knew, I wouldn't make anything out of life in California and that I should come here and stake my claim. Guess what the tipping factor was for me?

Jacksonville had an NFL team.

I bought into the fantasy. I moved here after college. I started my business. I bought my house. I got a wife. And I'm raising a child. I've committed to my community and my city. I'm rehabbing a house in an 'up and coming' neighborhood. I put in the work.

I'm doing this because I want to grow my family corporation. I want to fulfill my dreams. I want to expand. That's what you're supposed to do in life, right? Never be satisfied, always go outward and upward, right?

Well, by this city sitting it's arse on the couch, they're telling me that everything I bought into was just a bill of goods. A sham. A temporary blip in this otherwise black hole of the world. If this city lets this team go away because they refuse to back a team that doesn't PROMISE them a win, then I have to realize that I bought into and spent the last 12 years working on a lie. And that makes me stupid for believing it. It tells me that I've been waiting for a payout that's never coming.

If all of these backward hicks in this town that I've been defending for the past 12 years let this go, then I am truly the stupid one.

Do you know the number one question I get asked when people find out I'm not a native?

"Why?"

Why am I here.

And I'm starting to understand why no one in this town can understand why I'm here. Because they just don't get it. They just don't understand what is happening. They can't fathom that things don't have to be the way they are. You can strive for better. If you can't make it here, where can you make it?

Do you know that most of the people I know with season tickets are not Jacksonville natives? Of the people I work with I can count only 3 of us that have season tickets. That's California, New Jersey and Chicago. One of them even takes their severely handicapped child to the game. They wouldn't miss one. How's that for an excuse not to go? Having a child that is severely mentally and physically handicapped and in a wheelchair for life. They are still there, and the locals can't be bothered to go? The same ones that demanded to be heard nationally? Filled the Gator Bowl cheering for one? Bold New City of the South?

So, yeah. I'm mad. I'm mad at every last "fan" that grew up in this armpit that won't go and support the one thing that they have. The only thing that they have. They can't understand how this team impacts their lives everyday. I'm mad that their apathy is going to effect me. I know it, I can see it. But they are all completely unaware of what happens to this jerkwater town with the Jaguars leave. Everyone here has forgotten what has changed in this town in the past 15 years.

And all they have to do is go enjoy a game of football 8 times a year?

I guess it's back to Auto Pawn shops and praying that 38 Special will do a reunion tour.


Idiots.

[guesswhoissmarterthanyou]

Another pair of solid posts from esteemed Jags MB poster BJORN TOURAQUE:

So, you couldn't be bothered to give us your own thoughts. You had to take them from someone else. Good job smart one.

[ac]

I shared my own thoughts, several posts before.  Am I now allowed to quote someone if they said it better? Pretty please? Way to read only the last 2 posts in the thread, troll.

[guesswhoissmarterthanyou]

I shared my own thoughts, several posts before.  Am I now allowed to quote someone if they said it better? Pretty please? Way to read only the last 2 posts in the thread, troll.

You posted quotes from a message board full of prissy little boys who know little about football and a great deal about losing. Good work.

[BridgeTroll]

Welcome guesswho!  It is considered bad form on Metrojax... especially on your very first post... to personally criticize other posters.  Please feel free to add to the discussion... in a positive manner.

[copperfiend]

Don't hold your breath.

[ac]

Sorry for inadvertently luring the troll over here, BT.

[Captain Zissou]

Hahaha, "guesswhoissmarterthanyou".  Good luck on here with a name like that.

[buckethead]

I shared my own thoughts, several posts before.  Am I now allowed to quote someone if they said it better? Pretty please? Way to read only the last 2 posts in the thread, troll.

For the record: BJORN TOURAQUE is perhaps the best MB poster I have encountered. Funny, Knowledgable of many subjects, and a great writer.

I really should invite him over here, but I don't know if he would have an interest.

BJORN TOURAQUE is KARL TORP!

[copperfiend]

BJORN is a legend.

[ac]

I don't know much about the guy, but I get the feeling that much of this is up his alley.

[Ocklawaha]

Tebow is a Jacksonville native, and STILL attends church at FBC downtown. He was in my daughters Sunday school class one day when she was visiting.

Wouldn't surprise me if HE didn't drop the JAGUAR word himself. Trilby, (Ocks younger daughter) came away saying things like, "Dad your crazy because this whole city is full of crazys... Tim actually LOVES IT HERE!, He doesn't want to leave, EVER!

Whats this about LA's new stadium being in COI? (city of industry?) Last I heard it was to be built between two hills (natural stands that don't fall in earthquakes) out EAST of town. In fact one of the websites puts it just off Metro-Link rail, and near Light Rail. For certain if trhey go through with this, with East Los Angeles, COI, and Pomona all filling that pass, Jacksonville will no longer be considered America's crime center! 

OCKLAWAHA

[buckethead]

Tebow is a Jacksonville native, and STILL attends church at FBC downtown. He was in my daughters Sunday school class one day when she was visiting.

Wouldn't surprise me if HE didn't drop the JAGUAR word himself. Trilby, (Ocks younger daughter) came away saying things like, "Dad your crazy because this whole city is full of crazys... Tim actually LOVES IT HERE!, He doesn't want to leave, EVER!

Whats this about LA's new stadium being in COI? (city of industry?) Last I heard it was to be built between two hills (natural stands that don't fall in earthquakes) out EAST of town. In fact one of the websites puts it just off Metro-Link rail, and near Light Rail. For certain if trhey go through with this, with East Los Angeles, COI, and Pomona all filling that pass, Jacksonville will no longer be considered America's crime center! 

OCKLAWAHAIn o5 I went to the playoof game in Foxboro MA. Stayed in Boston. Road the metro to the game. Convenient. It's almost like it was planned.