NFL Merry-Go-Round: Relocation Roundelay

[Gothamite]

Yeah, but still it's bad optics.

What was the attendance today? I would hope that the local fans would take every opportunity to show the NFL that they're a good football market. LA fans, after all, came out by the thousands to watch a mere practice. This isn't a deciding factor, but a valuable opportunity to help shape the conversation.

[rams80]

Yeah, but still it's bad optics.

What was the attendance today? I would hope that the local fans would take every opportunity to show the NFL that they're a good football market. LA fans, after all, came out by the thousands to watch a mere practice. This isn't a deciding factor, but a valuable opportunity to help shape the conversation.

Seattle travels well, especially when tickets are cheap and plentiful. Attendance won't be bad.

[Rockstar Matt]

I saw tons of red seats though.

[colortv]

Spanos declined to comment on the record, but a clear picture of his position is emerging.

While there is appreciation for San Diego’s latest efforts to deliver a stadium plan, the environmental and legal delays and voter approval obstacles are so considerable, there is little hope of one emerging before the NFL decides on which team or teams to send to Los Angeles.

In other words, it’s full steam ahead to Los Angeles.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20150806/nfl-owner-dean-spanos-has-eye-on-los-angeles-as-chargers-open-training-camp

Apparently the position of the Chargers is that there is too much of a risk right now in waiting for the political, environmental, and legal factors to play themselves out.........anyone versed well enough in the San Diego situation to give us an overview?

[Gothamite]

Ironic, considering there are still significant environmental questions with his preferred site in LA.

[STL FANATIC]

I don't think attendance was very good today, Seattle fans in the building or not. The lower bowl didn't look terrible, but I think the upper bowl was probably pretty sparsely filled.

(We've already shared our opinions on whether the attendance likely will be a factor and whether it should be a factor, so I'll try to avoid re-hashing that.)

Given the result though, it would not shock me to see better attendance from here on out (and I don't just mean from traveling opposing fan bases). They finally (and narrowly) avoided starting the season off with massive disappointment after a few years of "we're finally good" hype. That will probably make it easier to overcome the lack of commitment to the fan base, and I think you'll see more people take their interest from the television to the stadium.

But, I'll stop short of assuming it will be a massive and immediate uptick. I doubt the next home game sees awesome attendance, but I bet it's a step up.

I'd go. (Actually, I'd have gone today too, but it logistically didn't work for me today.)

It will be interesting—just in general—to see this unfold if the Rams truly are good this season. Whatever the attendance is throughout the year, if St. Louis somehow hosts a playoff game, that place will be electric. At that point especially, I can't imagine it changing anything (the decisions should be just about made, I'd think), but it'd be a weird spot for the NFL to be in.

[STL FANATIC]

Just caught a clip on the news.

Announced tickets sold was 52,000. They reported that the actual attendance was closer to 40,000 (but I don't know who's estimate that is).

It DID sound pretty loud and players gave credit to the fans for creating a pretty noisy environment. So there's that, I guess. But definitely a lot of empty seats. 40,000 is more than I'd have guessed, though.

[colortv]

The three teams are now jockeying for what owners and league officials say will be approval for one or two teams to move to Los Angeles as soon as next season. (The owners’ committee that is focused on the Los Angeles market will meet Wednesday in New York.)

“All the meetings have been encouraging with the N.F.L.,” said Mr. Peacock, who worked with the league when he was at Anheuser-Busch, a big sponsor. “If you look at the numbers, we’re 15th in the league in corporate base, 16th in population, seventh in household income. This is a great N.F.L. market, and the league belongs here.”

Whether the owners agree is likely to be decided this season.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/14/sports/football/clock-ticks-as-st-louis-scrambles-to-hold-on-to-rams.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

[Gothamite]

40,000 is pretty pathetic, especially when the team is supposed to be decent this year.

Heck, 52,000 is pretty pathetic. Come on, St. Louis. Do you want this team or not?

[pcgd]

Is bottom third decent now?

[Gothamite]

Better than they have been. Everything I'm hearing is that the Rams are a team on the up. Slowly, maybe, but still moving in the right direction.

If Missouri doesn't want to come out to see that improving team, and doesn't want to show the NFL that they can be at least a middling football market, then I give up and they deserve to lose their team to LA.

Come on, you guys. Time to step up. Drop the persecution complex, drop the over-developed sense of entitlement and support the team you have before it's gone.

[STL FANATIC]

The Rams are on the up and probably will be good. The problem is this is the 4th year we've been told that. When you add everything up, it's borderline impossible to take this team on faith.

For example, we were told the exact same things about the Rams last season, and all they did was start the year at home with 34-6 loss to THE VIKINGS. The team that marketed itself all over town as "Sack City" started the season with 1 sack in 4 games. This "era" of football was an improvement but only because the 5 years prior were the losingest football the NFL had ever seen.

The football team had to prove SOMETHING at some point. Now they finally have.

And now I hope fans respond. Not to make any points to anyone about our status as an NFL market, but merely to support the football side of the organization which deserves it.

I don't expect to magically see sellouts (and that certainly won't happen if they choke next week against Washington), but I expect to see an increased presence. I'll be disappointed in the fan base somewhat if there isn't.

But here's the thing I think is complete BS to overlook. Even if the Rams have FINALLY given this city a reason to buy back into the football team, nobody likes having their heart broken. This is the first year in a decade that they've put forth a product that can actually build a fan base with, and it's the same year they're trying bail on them. It's hard to buy into something when you expect it deliver so much pain.

And look, you guys are all on record as far as what you believe will happen. You all believe the Rams to LA is like 90% certain. So how can you blame St. Louis fans who don't want to become emotionally invested in something that is a near lock to be ripped away?

But again, as a fan, I hope the city buys in because I think this could be a fun year despite the cloud hanging above it.

[Gothamite]

And look, you guys are all on record as far as what you believe will happen. You all believe the Rams to LA is like 90% certain. So how can you blame St. Louis fans who don't want to become emotionally invested in something that is a near lock to be ripped away?

Because St. Louis still has this notion that the Rams could or should be blocked from relocating. Or at least that the city should get a new team should the move not be blocked.

Either way, fans need to step up. They want to claim that St. Louis is a good football market? Prove it. Especially when the chips are down.

That's what I mean when I say general sense of entitlement I see from St. Louis fans. You guys know why Cleveland got a replacement team? Because the market was seen as too good to abandon even when the owner wanted to. If Eastern Missouri wants to be considered for a similar deal, then they need to start showing they're half the fans Clevelanders were.

[rams80]

nobody likes having their heart broken.

But you jokers keep going to Blues games.

[The_Admiral]

I would rather the Rams just announce that they're moving today so we can drop this shuh-raaaahd of "c'mon li'l buddies show 'em whatcha got!" before too many people spend money they could have spent on Blues games instead.

[STL FANATIC]

And look, you guys are all on record as far as what you believe will happen. You all believe the Rams to LA is like 90% certain. So how can you blame St. Louis fans who don't want to become emotionally invested in something that is a near lock to be ripped away?

Because St. Louis still has this notion that the Rams could or should be blocked from relocating. Or at least that the city should get a new team should the move not be blocked.

Either way, fans need to step up. They want to claim that St. Louis is a good football market? Prove it. Especially when the chips are down.

That's what I mean when I say general sense of entitlement I see from St. Louis fans. You guys know why Cleveland got a replacement team? Because the market was seen as too good to abandon even when the owner wanted to. If Eastern Missouri wants to be considered for a similar deal, then they need to start showing they're half the fans Clevelanders were.

Doesn't that seem a little unfair? It's kind of like you're taking two different angles here. This is what I'm hearing from you, let me know if it's an unfair interpretation:

"You guys believe you have a chance (even though I know you don't), so you should really be doing X."

I think this is what you're underestimating. A lot of people DON'T believe there's really much hope to keep the team. So getting emotionally invested again isn't particularly appealing. They might support the stadium and hope a miracle happens, but not many people believe they can create the miracle, so that emotional investment just isn't happening.

nobody likes having their heart broken.

But you jokers keep going to Blues games.

Well. Kind of. But also, there's a big difference between a team breaking your heart every time the playoffs start and a team breaking your heart every time the first game of the season starts.

[The_Admiral]

Blues games don't seem like pits of despair, either. They have a really good organist!

[Gothamite]

And look, you guys are all on record as far as what you believe will happen. You all believe the Rams to LA is like 90% certain. So how can you blame St. Louis fans who don't want to become emotionally invested in something that is a near lock to be ripped away?

Because St. Louis still has this notion that the Rams could or should be blocked from relocating. Or at least that the city should get a new team should the move not be blocked.

Either way, fans need to step up. They want to claim that St. Louis is a good football market? Prove it. Especially when the chips are down.

That's what I mean when I say general sense of entitlement I see from St. Louis fans. You guys know why Cleveland got a replacement team? Because the market was seen as too good to abandon even when the owner wanted to. If Eastern Missouri wants to be considered for a similar deal, then they need to start showing they're half the fans Clevelanders were.

Doesn't that seem a little unfair? It's kind of like you're taking two different angles here. This is what I'm hearing from you, let me know if it's an unfair interpretation:

"You guys believe you have a chance (even though I know you don't), so you should really be doing X."

I think this is what you're underestimating. A lot of people DON'T believe there's really much hope to keep the team. So getting emotionally invested again isn't particularly appealing. They might support the stadium and hope a miracle happens, but not many people believe they can create the miracle, so that emotional investment just isn't happening.

Not at all - I believe the Rams are probably gone in no small part because I also think St. Louis hasn't shown itself to be a terribly good market. If the fans had stepped up in the past, we wouldn't be where we are today. If the fans stepped up today, they might have a shot at changing it. I just don't have much faith.

[gosioux76]

And look, you guys are all on record as far as what you believe will happen. You all believe the Rams to LA is like 90% certain. So how can you blame St. Louis fans who don't want to become emotionally invested in something that is a near lock to be ripped away?

Because St. Louis still has this notion that the Rams could or should be blocked from relocating. Or at least that the city should get a new team should the move not be blocked.

Either way, fans need to step up. They want to claim that St. Louis is a good football market? Prove it. Especially when the chips are down.

That's what I mean when I say general sense of entitlement I see from St. Louis fans. You guys know why Cleveland got a replacement team? Because the market was seen as too good to abandon even when the owner wanted to. If Eastern Missouri wants to be considered for a similar deal, then they need to start showing they're half the fans Clevelanders were.

Doesn't that seem a little unfair? It's kind of like you're taking two different angles here. This is what I'm hearing from you, let me know if it's an unfair interpretation:

"You guys believe you have a chance (even though I know you don't), so you should really be doing X."

I think this is what you're underestimating. A lot of people DON'T believe there's really much hope to keep the team. So getting emotionally invested again isn't particularly appealing. They might support the stadium and hope a miracle happens, but not many people believe they can create the miracle, so that emotional investment just isn't happening.

But Gothamite's point, as I understand it, is that it's not just about losing THIS team, but about making the case that the market deserves A team. It's about leaving a lasting impression on the league for when the next expansion/relocation, etc., comes around.

[Gothamite]

And that, too. If you want a team, show that you deserve one. Even if it isn't the Rams.