Brian in Boston Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 The current issue of "Business Week" features the National Football League as its cover story. One of the sidebar columns accompanying the main NFL story deals with the issue of the NFL re-establishing a presence in Los Angeles. Within this sidebar, Commissioner Tagliabue is quoted as saying that NFL owners would not be against expanding the league to 33 franchises... as long as the new team were in Los Angeles. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time (since Houston brought the league to a nice, round 32 teams) that Tagliabue has not publicly dismissed the idea of future NFL expansion outright. What's more, if memory serves me, it is certainly the first time (again, since the Houston expansion) that "Tags" has seemingly committed the owners to supporting an LA EXPANSION - as opposed to relocation - plan.This is the sort of public pronouncement that could certainly take an option off the table for the Chargers... or Colts... or Cardinals... or Vikings... or ?????Brian in Boston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC97 Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 Oh poo! Why can't Toronto get a team already? Starting to get a little rediculous. Everyone knows NFL doesn't work in LA :angry: :angry: :angry: The NFL is huge here in Toronto... at least we're getting American Bowl games again soon. --- Chris Creamer Founder/Editor, SportsLogos.Net "The Mothership" • News • Facebook • X/Twitter • Instagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puckguy14 Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 If the league is doing fine without Los Angeles for almost 10 years, then don't fix it. All it is for "Tags" is that he wants the money from the 2nd largest media market in the US. Unfortunately, the NFL would look within the states first unless a group of owners representing Canada could make a reasonable proposal, but then the league would want a new football only stadium (even though SkyDome is perfect.) 2004 San Jose Sharks 7th Man Fan of the Year San Jose Gold Miners - 4x Lombardi Cup Champions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobRoberts Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 I see I was beaten to the punch, but I wanted to add that I recall hearing the Comissioner make a similar statement last summer about a franchise in Toronto.I think a franchise in Toronto would have a lot of trouble due to the stadium, the weak Canadian dollar, the troubles the Blue Jays and Argos are having at the box office, and the fact that the CFL has a franchise in Toronto, and the NFL has previously expressed an interest in staying out of markets the CFL is in.RobWho knows though. If the Cardinals moved to LA or Toronto, honestly, would anyone even notice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC97 Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 ... the NFL has previously expressed an interest in staying out of markets the CFL is in.It didnt stop the NFL from killing the Balitmore Stallions, the CFL's most successful U.S. Franchise, and one of the league's top draws. --- Chris Creamer Founder/Editor, SportsLogos.Net "The Mothership" • News • Facebook • X/Twitter • Instagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puckguy14 Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 Good point Chris. The CFL Colts/CFLers/Stallions were the ONLY CFL American team that was anywhere near successful on and off the field. I think the NFL noticed that and Tags didn't mind the tradition of the Cleveland Browns move to Baltimore, thus to push the Stallions to move to Montreal. 2004 San Jose Sharks 7th Man Fan of the Year San Jose Gold Miners - 4x Lombardi Cup Champions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL FANATIC Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 Part of the thing of stopping at 32 was an even number right? Tornoto and LA for 34. JUSTIN STRIEBEL | PORTFOLIO | RESUME | CONTACT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobRoberts Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 The CFL left Baltimore because the CFL was failing miserably in the US as a whole. What were they going to do? Leave one team in the US and pull the plug on the rest? That MIGHT have worked if the one team was in a city close to Canada, but the CFL Colts could not have stood alone, and could not keep on supporting/justifying the rest of the CFL in the US...Fact of the matter is that the CFL put US teams in places that couldn't support teams.Additionally, once the NFL bought interest in the Arena Football League, the NFL mandated that the Phantoms leave Toronto because they were an unnecessary draw against the Argos. This interest was learned during a very informative tour of the Air Canada Centre this past summer.Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samifumi Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 Relocation is a much better idea. LA people wouldnt initially support an expansion franchise, and it would have to be competitive very quickly for Tags and the NFL to bank on the LA market like they think they would. Relocation provides a more competitive team from the get go, unless you relocate the Bengals or Lions.Also suppose tommorrow LA was awarded an NFL franchise for next season. How many Los Angeles football fans would show allegiance to the new team over the Raiders, especially now. I doubt many LA fans will stop being Raiders fans, especially since its one of the more successful franchises in NFL history. Houston was lucky that its inception came at the high point of frustration in the Jerry Jones regime, and the fact there was only 1 NFL team in Texas helped tremendously. There are already 3 in California. The NFL is cashing in on the LA market just about as much as they possibly could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowcap30 Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 why would the nfl expand ANOTHER team so soon. i say wait AT LEAST 5 years b4 ne thing. IMO, in 5 years the CFL will fold and merge with the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 IMO, in 5 years the CFL will fold and merge with the NFL.I don't think that's a topic you want to touch.Especially if you don't state your reasoning.The CFL is growing, not collapsing. TV ratings are higher than ever, Ottawa is back, expansion into Halifax is unlikely but not an unheard of concept, and teams losing money (BC, Toronto) are big city teams. CFL players are getting more and more NFL attention, and at this rate, the CFL will be around a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowcap30 Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 true. i dont really know much about the cfl so it wasnt my judgement to say ne thing. most organizations just fold or merge (eg xfl) i was gunna say the arena league but then i realized that its been around for 18 years and already has a sub league goining (afl2)2 ques- wut year did the cfl start and have there been ne nfl teams in canada? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobRoberts Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 Isn't the CFL the oldest league in North America? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC97 Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 Additionally, once the NFL bought interest in the Arena Football League, the NFL mandated that the Phantoms leave Toronto because they were an unnecessary draw against the Argos. This interest was learned during a very informative tour of the Air Canada Centre this past summer.RobI doubt that statement is true. Why would the Phantoms then leave before the season that the schedule was moved and there would be no interference with the CFL schedule?The Phantoms had no chance of surviving here, they drew 7,500 per game and 4,000 of those were free tickets almost every night.The owners of the Phantoms are also the owners of the Blue Jays and they were losing enough from the ballclub that they had to cut the Arena Team.This is coming from an employee of both organizations. --- Chris Creamer Founder/Editor, SportsLogos.Net "The Mothership" • News • Facebook • X/Twitter • Instagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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