NFL Merry-Go-Round: Relocation Roundelay

[DarkJourney]

Oakland ain't got a lot of CA$H and neither does Mark Davis.

....and Mark Davis looks like a creepier version of Moe Howard.

Be glad you've never met him in person. Nice guy but dude shouldn't own an NFL team. A Peet's Coffee maybe.

[STL FANATIC]

Even though I'm as open to the Rams leaving as I've ever been, I'm starting to think all of the smoke we're seeing is the Rams and the NFL going all-in on a leverage ploy right now.

That doesn't mean they won't ultimately move, but this feels like they're drumming up leaks in an effort to press St. Louis and Missouri into action.

That said, I hope they don't cave. If a man that's going to have to spend $2-2.5 billion to move his team to LA isn't willing to spend $1 billion to stay, let him go. That sport, league, and organization do not deserve any more charity from St. Louis.

[The_Admiral]

I definitely think they're trying to push the governments to the brink, but I'm not sure whether they can pay up. Strangely enough, I'm confident that the Chargers aren't really going anywhere. I'm more confident in them staying than I am the Raiders, which is why I'm Carlton-Fisking them in vain in the direction of Oakland.

[Gothamite]

Missouri itself certainly can't "pay up", with their ludicrously irresponsible fiscal policies. St. Louis itself is in the red as well, looking to cut services. It's a hard sell to furlough city workers on one hand while doling out public dollars to sports billionaires on the other.

That's one of the reasons I've long felt they're the ideal candidate to move; the Rams are in the strongest position and the municipalities the weakest.

As for the Chargers, I agree. But that just might be because they're the only ones not making any moves to relocate. The Rams are obviously playing hardball and the Raiders are publicly exploring options, albeit ineptly.

[STL FANATIC]

Not sure where you're getting St. Louis being in the red. I'm not refuting it, but the city of St. Louis itself is pretty fiscally responsible. The suburbs—as we've seen played out nationally—operate very differently from one to another, some with large financial problems, some without. I just know the city does a good job maintaining their budget, and they will have some pension issues to address, but nothing along the lines of what we've seen in other cities and states.

No question in my mind that St. Louis can afford to finance a new stadium without bankrupting anything. It's just not the wise decision. It isn't for any city, frankly, but certainly not so for one that does have other issues that need to be a higher priority.

[garydavison]

In an extremely unrealistic dream it would be cool to see a team in Anchorage, Alaska. Real ''cold weahter football'' would be played there! Could become a ''Green Bay of the North'' market but who the hell would pay for a stadium up there?

[Sport]

Anchorage. LOL

When I was a kid I had a pretend football league with 12 teams and histories dating back to 1970, hand drawn uniforms through the years, and made up players for every team. The Alaska Polar Bears were one of those teams. They played in Anchorage in a domed stadium called The Alaska Dome.

I was a weird kid.

[garydavison]

Anchorage. LOL

When I was a kid I had a pretend football league with 12 teams and histories dating back to 1970, hand drawn uniforms through the years, and made up players for every team. The Alaska Polar Bears were one of those teams. They played in Anchorage in a domed stadium called The Alaska Dome.

I was a weird kid.

That's actually pretty cool. I like the name Polar Bears. Or you could call them the Alaska Kodiaks. Won't ever happen but would've been cool.

[infrared41]

Anchorage. LOL

When I was a kid I had a pretend football league with 12 teams and histories dating back to 1970, hand drawn uniforms through the years, and made up players for every team. The Alaska Polar Bears were one of those teams. They played in Anchorage in a domed stadium called The Alaska Dome.

I was a weird kid.

Your Alaska Polar Bears would have been no match for my Mississippi 76ers*. The 76ers** played in a stadium right on the Mississippi River. You could watch the steamboats at halftime.

I was a weird kid too.

*I was 10 and I thought 76ers was a cool name.

**I added the 76ers and the Kentucky Hillbillies to the then 26 team NFL.

[pcgd]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

[Gothamite]

Not sure where you're getting St. Louis being in the red. I'm not refuting it, but the city of St. Louis itself is pretty fiscally responsible. The suburbs—as we've seen played out nationally—operate very differently from one to another, some with large financial problems, some without. I just know the city does a good job maintaining their budget, and they will have some pension issues to address, but nothing along the lines of what we've seen in other cities and states.

No question in my mind that St. Louis can afford to finance a new stadium without bankrupting anything. It's just not the wise decision. It isn't for any city, frankly, but certainly not so for one that does have other issues that need to be a higher priority.

You're right; I misspoke. St. Louis is not "in the red", as that implies deficits, and St. Louis is required to balance its budget every year. But there have been shortfalls going back years, and recent budgets have included service cuts in order to balance those budgets.

I'm getting it from local news reports, published as recently as this summer:

Aldermanic Budget Committee Looks to Close $10M Shortfall

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - It’s been a brutal winter, and sales tax revenue fell for the city of St. Louis.

That’s one reason why the city is facing a $10 million shortfall to fix for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Aldermanic Budget Committee Chairman Terry Kennedy says in budget hearings this week, they’re looking for ways to trim fat without too much pain.

“The first thing would be for each department to look at a small percentage cut in their budget, without that impacting the employees—doing furloughs, or releasing people, or cutting services,” he says.

This one is pretty complimentary, but lays out the financial challenges the city still faces:

St. Louis budget tops $1 billion for first time as city looks for more funding

(snip)

The budget for police, fire and other pensions is $86 million, about a $14 million drop from last year, when the obligation topped out at nearly $100 million.

Other Midwestern cities such as Chicago and Detroit have seen their credit ratings downgraded because of their failure to address skyrocketing pension obligations.

Still, the city finds itself grappling with an aging infrastructure and little money for major repairs and new equipment.

Lewis Reed, the president of the Board of Aldermen, said resident input on the budget centered mainly on public safety concerns and more money for neighborhood development.

St. Louis’ ordinances require a balanced budget, meaning income must equal spending. That has left the city little money to tackle big problems such as major street improvements, technology upgrades and other capital projects.

The budget does not call for a tax increase. However, city leaders are considering a bond proposal that would.

“It’s tough to do everything with what we have,” Reed said. “This bond initiative will give us a better opportunity to address people’s needs.”

The $199.5 million bond issue proposal could be placed before voters in November. Proceeds of the bond sales would go solely toward the city’s infrastructure needs.

The city’s Capital Committee has come up with recommendations for the bond issue, including new firetrucks, building demolitions, modernized police equipment and improvements to city buildings.

“In recent years, with operating budgets remaining tight, there has been little in the way of resources available for addressing the city’s numerous capital improvement and equipment needs,” the committee wrote. “... The sheer volume of need far outpaces the ability of either the operating budget or existing capital resources to sufficiently fund the many capital items that need to be addressed.”

So while I apologize for my poor word choice, this doesn't exactly sound like a city cash-rich and ready to cough up half a billion dollars. Now, maybe they can get creative with non-financial solutions, granting land in lieu of cash payments. They'll need to if they have any hope of keeping the Rams.

[leopard88]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

I had leagues, but didn't go as far as naming players. I saved the stadiums for baseball . . . because drawing assymetrical bandboxes was more fun than drawing football stadiums.

'red, your 76ers would have had to battle my Jackson Magnolias for the Mississippi market. The Polar Bears would have been fighting the mighty Anchorage Anchors, who were a dynasty back in the 70s.

[garydavison]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

I had leagues, but didn't go as far as naming players. I saved the stadiums for baseball . . . because drawing assymetrical bandboxes was more fun than drawing football stadiums.

'red, your 76ers would have had to battle my Jackson Magnolias for the Mississippi market. The Polar Bears would have been fighting the mighty Anchorage Anchors, who were a dynasty back in the 70s.

I read up alot on sports history as a kid and for some reason had a fascination for rebel leagues such as the WHA, WFL, USFL...etc. So I would create modern versions of these leagues. I did not draw uniforms or anything but I would keep yearly standing sheets and I would simulate games with dice.

Then as a teen I ended up creating some of these teams in pc games such as madden. I remember as a teen when the ''new WHA'' was announced. I was very excited. Too bad they never played a game.

So yeah I was a weird kid too I guess.

[yh]

I usually take leaks with a grain of salt.

That can't be good for your kidneys.

[infrared41]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

I had leagues, but didn't go as far as naming players. I saved the stadiums for baseball . . . because drawing assymetrical bandboxes was more fun than drawing football stadiums.

'red, your 76ers would have had to battle my Jackson Magnolias for the Mississippi market. The Polar Bears would have been fighting the mighty Anchorage Anchors, who were a dynasty back in the 70s.

If this isn't a great start to a new Fantasy League, then I don't know what is.

[leopard88]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

I had leagues, but didn't go as far as naming players. I saved the stadiums for baseball . . . because drawing assymetrical bandboxes was more fun than drawing football stadiums.

'red, your 76ers would have had to battle my Jackson Magnolias for the Mississippi market. The Polar Bears would have been fighting the mighty Anchorage Anchors, who were a dynasty back in the 70s.

If this isn't a great start to a new Fantasy League, then I don't know what is.

[Sport]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

I had leagues, but didn't go as far as naming players. I saved the stadiums for baseball . . . because drawing assymetrical bandboxes was more fun than drawing football stadiums.

'red, your 76ers would have had to battle my Jackson Magnolias for the Mississippi market. The Polar Bears would have been fighting the mighty Anchorage Anchors, who were a dynasty back in the 70s.

I read up alot on sports history as a kid and for some reason had a fascination for rebel leagues such as the WHA, WFL, USFL...etc. So I would create modern versions of these leagues. I did not draw uniforms or anything but I would keep yearly standing sheets and I would simulate games with dice.

Then as a teen I ended up creating some of these teams in pc games such as madden. I remember as a teen when the ''new WHA'' was announced. I was very excited. Too bad they never played a game.

So yeah I was a weird kid too I guess.

Glad to hear I wasn't the only one doing this. The Polar Bears won the 1980, and 1981 league championships, but in the modern day have found it hard to attract players to Alaska and have been toying with moving for years.

My league's dominant team was the San Jose Pirates. They won three titles in the 70's, added two more in the 80's, and two more in the 90's. Their colors were plain black and white with the simplest uniforms you could think of. A few years ago I made a custom mini helmet for the Pirates.

It's been a solid decade since I visited my fake football league. Maybe I should update it.

[sc49erfan15]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

I had leagues, but didn't go as far as naming players. I saved the stadiums for baseball . . . because drawing assymetrical bandboxes was more fun than drawing football stadiums.

'red, your 76ers would have had to battle my Jackson Magnolias for the Mississippi market. The Polar Bears would have been fighting the mighty Anchorage Anchors, who were a dynasty back in the 70s.

Somehow I'm not surprised that multiple members of this board created imaginary football leagues as a kid, nor am I surprised that everyone's league contained a team in Alaska.

I went a slightly different direction - I didn't expand the NFL, but made a separate minor league for states that didn't have NFL teams. I remember having 50 total teams... but that wouldn't give every NFL-less state a team. Maybe I combined the Dakotas and some other states. I definitely didn't forget any - I was a huge geography dork even as a kid. Anyway, my league featured the Anchorage Admirals, Maine Lobsters, and the New Mexico Conquistadors.

/threadjack

[leopard88]

I used to do colleges more. Florida Tech Lightning and Vermont Maple Syrup Gathers. Pretty sure I stole Lightning from Tampa Bay, and Maple Syrup Gatherers was a joke I think i heard somewhere, but I did uniforms and everything.

You guys aren't alone.

I had leagues, but didn't go as far as naming players. I saved the stadiums for baseball . . . because drawing assymetrical bandboxes was more fun than drawing football stadiums.

'red, your 76ers would have had to battle my Jackson Magnolias for the Mississippi market. The Polar Bears would have been fighting the mighty Anchorage Anchors, who were a dynasty back in the 70s.

Somehow I'm not surprised that multiple members of this board created imaginary football leagues as a kid, nor am I surprised that everyone's league contained a team in Alaska.

I went a slightly different direction - I didn't expand the NFL, but made a separate minor league for states that didn't have NFL teams. My league featured the Anchorage Admirals, Maine Lobsters, and the New Mexico Conquistadors.

/threadjack

Mine was a rival league, which initially consisted only of teams in states beginning with M . . . because the idea hit me while I was perusing the "M" volume of the World Book Encyclopedia. That limitation lasted about 30 minutes once I realized that even the M states only got you so far. However, it does explain why there were teams in Jackson, MS and Lansing, MI (the Lancers, if you must know).

[ninersdd]

Next Monday Night it's 49ers vs Rams. I have a feeling that like last year in St. Louis and at Dallas this year, the crowd is gonna be very red.