NFL Merry-Go-Round: Relocation Roundelay

[FiddySicks]

hell, 3 in the same general area will be supported, no matter the size of the metro area.

If three in the same general area will all be supported, then the area should have three.

Ok yeah that's great, but again, what I'm trying to say is that I don't think Southern California will support three teams. As in WILL NOT support three teams.

[Gothamite]

hell, 3 in the same general area will be supported, no matter the size of the metro area.

If three in the same general area will all be supported, then the area should have three.

Ok yeah that's great, but again, what I'm trying to say is that I don't think Southern California will support three teams. As in WILL NOT support three teams.

Sorry, that wasn't clear at all in your previous post.

We'll see. Two teams is inevitable, and the only thing that would prevent Southern California from having three in five years' time would be the Chargers moving a couple hours north.

[Brian in Boston]

... I don't think Southern California will support three teams. As in WILL NOT support three teams.

Southern California wouldn't have to support three teams, because it is a virtual certainty that one of LA's franchises would be the relocated Chargers.

Much is made of Tim Leiweke's statement that AEG owner Philip Anschutz is "prepared" to acquire a majority stake in a team that would call the proposed Farmers Field home. Being "prepared" to acquire a majority stake in a team is quite different than insisting on doing so. While Anschutz is prepared to acquire a majority stake in an NFL team if he absolutely has to in order to secure a tenant for Farmers Field, he will. If he doesn't need to do so, he won't.

This being the case, the Spanos Family's desire to maintain majority control of the Chargers does not rule-out a relocation to Los Angeles/Farmers Field.

I see Los Angeles becoming home to either a Chargers/Rams combo, or a Chargers/Jaguars pairing (with the Jags swapping conferences with a current NFC franchise).

[Gothamite]

You could be right about the Chargers, especially if Anschutz already has a stake in the Los Angeles Rams.

Personally, I don't see the Jaguars getting their act together quickly enough to get into Los Angeles. I just don't see how they beat the Rams, who have similar market problems but also have an upcoming lease escape clause.

[McCall]

You could be right about the Chargers, especially if Anschutz already has a stake in the Los Angeles Rams.

Personally, I don't see the Jaguars getting their act together quickly enough to get into Los Angeles. I just don't see how they beat the Rams, who have similar market problems but also have an upcoming lease escape clause.

Yeah, an escape that doesn't happen for 4 years.

[bosrs1]

... I don't think Southern California will support three teams. As in WILL NOT support three teams.

Southern California wouldn't have to support three teams, because it is a virtual certainty that one of LA's franchises would be the relocated Chargers.

Much is made of Tim Leiweke's statement that AEG owner Philip Anschutz is "prepared" to acquire a majority stake in a team that would call the proposed Farmers Field home. Being "prepared" to acquire a majority stake in a team is quite different than insisting on doing so. While Anschutz is prepared to acquire a majority stake in an NFL team if he absolutely has to in order to secure a tenant for Farmers Field, he will. If he doesn't need to do so, he won't.

This being the case, the Spanos Family's desire to maintain majority control of the Chargers does not rule-out a relocation to Los Angeles/Farmers Field.

I see Los Angeles becoming home to either a Chargers/Rams combo, or a Chargers/Jaguars pairing (with the Jags swapping conferences with a current NFC franchise).

Well unfortunately for the Chargers (and indeed all 4 teams in California searching for new homes), the state seems poised to send two assembly bills to the governor that would end redevelopment in the state. This would effectively kill the San Diego Stadium project, the A's ballpark in Oakland (possibly the San Jose one as well), the 49ers's stadium would be put in jeopardy, and the only plan the Raiders have even started hinting at in Oakland would be DOA.

[rams80]

You could be right about the Chargers, especially if Anschutz already has a stake in the Los Angeles Rams.

Personally, I don't see the Jaguars getting their act together quickly enough to get into Los Angeles. I just don't see how they beat the Rams, who have similar market problems but also have an upcoming lease escape clause.

Yeah, an escape that doesn't happen for 4 years.

Leases can always be bought out.

[The_Admiral]

No, that's crazy. Sports teams have never broken leases. St. Louis will hold bad football hostage for four years and nobody could ever begin to think of doing anything about it.

[Gothamite]

I seem to recall that the Rams bought out the remainder of their Anaheim lease to move to St. Louis.

[Eye]

I seem to recall that the Rams bought out the remainder of their Anaheim lease to move to St. Louis.

His joke.

Your head.

[Gothamite]

No, I got it.

I was responding to McCall. And I just like the irony.

[STL FANATIC]

For the first time I'm actually a little worried about the Rams leaving. I trust Stan Kroenke to keep them in St. Louis, EXCEPT if he could do the thing that NFL Network is reporting he might be willing to do.

Trade the Rams for the Broncos.

In that scenario, Kroenke would own the Broncos in Denver (and avoid having to remove the Nuggets and Avs from his name), and Bowlen would sell the Rams to the LA investors. STL would be left high and dry.

Trading franchises has been done before (the Rams were in fact once traded for the Colts. Carrol Rosenbloom traded his Colts for Jim Irsay's Rams.

Scary thought. But I'm still trusting in Stan for the time being. He's a VERY smart businessman, and he'll do whatever he can to get leverage. I'll only judge him on his final move, whatever it may be.

[Gothamite]

Wow. That's interesting. Hadn't thought about that, but what a potential blockbuster deal.

Kroenke gets a high-profile franchise in the same town as all his other US interests, and Bowlen gets a huge payout (and still keeps a piece of the very lucrative new LA team).

I still think any possible Rams move would have to be tied in with the ability of St. Louis to build them a new stadium. If they somehow can pony up, I see the Rams staying. If they can't, then it really doesn't matter if Kroenke or Bowlen owns them, they're gone.

[STL FANATIC]

Wow. That's interesting. Hadn't thought about that, but what a potential blockbuster deal.

Kroenke gets a high-profile franchise in the same town as all his other US interests, and Bowlen gets a huge payout (and still keeps a piece of the very lucrative new LA team).

I still think any possible Rams move would have to be tied in with the ability of St. Louis to build them a new stadium. If they somehow can pony up, I see the Rams staying. If they can't, then it really doesn't matter if Kroenke or Bowlen owns them, they're gone.

Maybe.

I do believe (short of that Denver dream deal), Kroenke's intentions are to keep the team in St. Louis. And I don't just mean he's pandering. His roots are there, he did tons to bring the team there, I trust that's his main desire.

St. Louis isn't just going to build a new stadium for anybody in the next 5-10 years, probably. Not many municipalities will be. (I don't say that to defend STL in this instance, as that wouldn't be a good excuse if there's an available stadium in LA. I say it to illustrate the changing landscape in stadium building.)

If the Rams demand a new stadium (as they could by their lease) in 2015, they're gone. If they're willing to re-work the lease and give all parties time to figure out what to do with a new stadium (and I think this is most likely), they'll stay at least for a while.

I think what will ultimately happen is the above and then Kroenke will build a new stadium around 2020, but he'll be given lots and lots and lots of incentives in by the city.

I won't deny I'm taking the optimistic view, but I think a lot of people on the outside are making it to be much, much, much more likely that the Rams will move than it really is. They're one of a handful of reasonable candidates, but the odds are still pretty low.

[McCall]

I still say the old Chrysler plant is the best location for a new stadium. Now funding is another story. If Kroenke could get ahold of some of his wife's Walmart money, that'd help. I still think even the current lease favors the Rams staying, simply because of how long until the out and whether or not LA will wait that long to get a team in there. This "trade" would be the only way I'd see Kroenke trying to get out of the lease earlier than 2015. If he does intend to stay, I can see him giving the city a few years extension to try and work something out and if not, then all options are open. LA would probably more than likely be filled by that time however, so this whole situation is really based on a bunch of if's and wait's.

[The_Admiral]

I do believe (short of that Denver dream deal), Kroenke's intentions are to keep the team in St. Louis. And I don't just mean he's pandering. His roots are there, he did tons to bring the team there, I trust that's his main desire.

That may be so (though I was under the impression that he was from Columbia and kind of a recluse, not exactly a city father), but then again, Stan is now involved in the exciting and dynamic world of Losing All Your Money In English Soccer. Seriously, if you think our sports leagues are running on untenable economies so divorced from reality as to make your head spin like a motorized bowtie, check out Europe, where exorbitant amounts of money are frittered away with absolutely no care or foresight. That could affect his desire to stay in the NFL without the proverbial license to print.

[FiddySicks]

For the first time I'm actually a little worried about the Rams leaving. I trust Stan Kroenke to keep them in St. Louis, EXCEPT if he could do the thing that NFL Network is reporting he might be willing to do.

Trade the Rams for the Broncos.

In that scenario, I only have one question. How long untill Pat Bowlen mysteriously drowns in the Mississippi River while swimming and his wife moves the team to LA?

[The_Admiral]

Pat Bowlen has some pretty serious early-onset Alzheimer's, if reports are to believed, so maybe sooner than you think if someone doesn't keep an eye on him.

[DustDevil61]

For the first time I'm actually a little worried about the Rams leaving. I trust Stan Kroenke to keep them in St. Louis, EXCEPT if he could do the thing that NFL Network is reporting he might be willing to do.

Trade the Rams for the Broncos.

In that scenario, I only have one question. How long untill Pat Bowlen mysteriously drowns in the Mississippi River while swimming and his wife moves the team to LA?

Oh, I don't think we'll need Bowlen to drown mysteriously for the Rams to move back to Los Angeles...

[STL FANATIC]

I do believe (short of that Denver dream deal), Kroenke's intentions are to keep the team in St. Louis. And I don't just mean he's pandering. His roots are there, he did tons to bring the team there, I trust that's his main desire.

That may be so (though I was under the impression that he was from Columbia and kind of a recluse, not exactly a city father), but then again, Stan is now involved in the exciting and dynamic world of Losing All Your Money In English Soccer. Seriously, if you think our sports leagues are running on untenable economies so divorced from reality as to make your head spin like a motorized bowtie, check out Europe, where exorbitant amounts of money are frittered away with absolutely no care or foresight. That could affect his desire to stay in the NFL without the proverbial license to print.

He's personally from Columbia, but he still traces roots to St. Louis. He's not a city-father because you're right, he's reclusive. But he does care about the city and about the Rams remaining there--or that's the overwhelming impression he's given.