NFL Merry-Go-Round: Relocation Roundelay

[DustDevil61]

I'm so surprised by this news. Absolutely came out of nowhere. I can see Khan being a good owner, but I don't know if it's enough to keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville. I think he'll sincerely try to keep them there, but he has an easy out (albeit mere hometown pride) should the Rams leave St. Louis.

Besides the "Rams back to LA, Jaguars to St. Louis" scenario, here's another: What if the Jaguars franchise moves to Minnesota and becomes Vikings 2.0 (similar to Cleveland), should the original Vikings leave Minnesota?*

*One way or another, as they'll likely be staying another year.

[The_Admiral]

I can see Khan being a good owner, but I don't know if it's enough to keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville. I think he'll sincerely try to keep them there, but he has an easy out (albeit mere hometown pride) should the Rams leave St. Louis.

I think he'll move to St. Louis if the Rams leave for LA, or try to beat them there. Either way, the endgame here is that a team will be in Los Angeles, a team might be in St. Louis, and a team won't be in Jacksonville. This is what the league wants, so it shall be.

[Gothamite]

Well, it's more than "what the league wants.". It's economic reality.

[McCall]

I think Vikings fans are taking this as good news. There's essentially a team heading for LA, and another one, Chargers, more than likely headed there. Where would the Vikings go? San Diego? If they won't build a stadium for the Chargers, I don't see them building for anyone else.

[Cujo]

I understand that new Jags owner has given his word to keep the team in Jacksonville, but is giving up hundreds of millions of dollars if doesn't consider moving the team to Los Angeles. No offence to their current Jaguar fans, but I think they are good without the team. Jacksonville is "SEC Country" -- a virtual boneyard for the National Football League.

[TBGKon]

In my opinion, Jacksonville was given a shot in the mid 90's to try and become a modern-day Green Bay franchise. The NFL granted them a franchise, and to be honest, I think they're successful, but not to the point where they rival the popularity of Green Bay.

Like someone said above, Jacksonville is SEC Country. Jacksonville as a city is much more southern than places downstate like Orlando, Tampa, and Miami.

[B-Rich]

I understand that new Jags owner has given his word to keep the team in Jacksonville, but is giving up hundreds of millions of dollars if doesn't consider moving the team to Los Angeles. No offence to their current Jaguar fans, but I think they are good without the team. Jacksonville is "SEC Country" -- a virtual boneyard for the National Football League.

The New Orleans Saints' season ticket waiting list kindly disagrees.

Not to mention this was the first time in a dozen years that the Tennessee Titans had not sold out their season in advance.

[McCall]

We're talking about Jacksonville, not New Orleans or Tennessee. They tried and succeeded. Jacksonville did not.

[tBBP]

In my opinion, Jacksonville was given a shot in the mid 90's to try and become a modern-day Green Bay franchise. The NFL granted them a franchise, and to be honest, I think they're successful, but not to the point where they rival the popularity of Green Bay.

Like someone said above, Jacksonville is SEC Country. Jacksonville as a city is much more southern than places downstate like Orlando, Tampa, and Miami.

Orlando, Tampa, and Miami don't count as "southern". But your point still stands.

The funny thing is, had the Jaguars kept that steamboat of success churning during their early years, they conceivably could have become the Green Bay of the South (well, at least the version of Green Bay during its championship infancy, but, still). I do, however, think that their early success, especially so much of it, might've also proven counterproductive. (And lest we all forget, save for the inagural one the Jaguars' first several seasons were mighty successful ones.) But then the team fell off, and went through a good many down years. Yes, they had some success under Del Rio (most notably the 2007 season), but ultimately couldn't sustain it, and we see what's going on now. And all that ran concurrent with the downturn of the national economy, which just exacerbated the whole thing. (I won't get into Maurice Jones-Drew's rather public opinions about his team's fan support, either.)

In short, I don't think, if the Jags move at all, it'll be in the next five years or so, unless the bottom completely falls out (they still have that rather strong lease agreement, after all). And as far as St. Louis, I wouldn't think that Khan would move them there unless a new stadium, or a big-time refurbishing of the pre-existing one, is part of the deal. But then, who knows? (Definitely not me...I'm not smart enough to know how all these financials and contracts and business rules and all that work--I just pull what I can figure out from the posts of those in the know.)

Imma shut up talking about this and let the smart people handle it.

[TBGKon]

Orlando, Tampa, and Miami don't count as "southern". But your point still stands.

To clarify, I never intended that Orlando, Tampa, and Miami were southern at all. It should have read "Jacksonville is more like a southern city than the rest of Florida".

[BigMac12]

Slightly OT:

I would like the "Freedom Bowl" back if City of Industry Stadium or Farmers Field is built.

[DarkJourney]

Slightly OT:

I would like the "Freedom Bowl" back if City of Industry Stadium or Farmers Field is built.

I went to the 1992 Freedom Bowl between Fresno State & USC

Is the NFL still serious about putting a franchise in London? From time to time the Jags come up as the team is question.

[TBGKon]

Slightly OT:

I would like the "Freedom Bowl" back if City of Industry Stadium or Farmers Field is built.

I would think LA would get a 2nd bowl game if a new stadium is built. Back in 2010, the Christmas Bowl to assumingly be hosted in the Coliseum was denied as a bowl.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5129612

[DarkJourney]

If the Rams do end up in Los Angeles would the NFL put a team right back in St. Louis just like that with the Jags?

[Gothamite]

If the Rams do end up in Los Angeles would the NFL put a team right back in St. Louis just like that with the Jags?

I think that's the reason Khan bought the Jaguars, so he could do just that.

The Rams move back to LA, and Khan ends up owning a franchise in his own St. Louis.

[TBGKon]

Khan's not stupid. He clearly has his reasons as to why he bought the Jags. The guy has tried already to buy his local Rams, which fell thru. Next best thing is to make an offer on a team likely to relocate somewhere.

My gut tells me he's been tipped off that the Rams to LA will happen sooner rather than later.

[DarkJourney]

If the Rams do end up in Los Angeles would the NFL put a team right back in St. Louis just like that with the Jags?

I think that's the reason Khan bought the Jaguars, so he could do just that.

The Rams move back to LA, and Khan ends up owning a franchise in his own St. Louis.

I could see that happening but I'm still skeptical of the NFL putting a team right back in St. Louis after moving the Rams back to Los Angeles. On the other hand St. Louis is still a bigger market than

Jacksonville. Khan could re-brand the Jaguars with a whole new identity package. St. Louis Jaguars sounds weird to me.

[RedSox44]

If the Rams do end up in Los Angeles would the NFL put a team right back in St. Louis just like that with the Jags?

I think that's the reason Khan bought the Jaguars, so he could do just that.

The Rams move back to LA, and Khan ends up owning a franchise in his own St. Louis.

I could see that happening but I'm still skeptical of the NFL putting a team right back in St. Louis after moving the Rams back to Los Angeles. On the other hand St. Louis is still a bigger market than

Jacksonville. Khan could re-brand the Jaguars with a whole new identity package. St. Louis Jaguars sounds weird to me.

If Khan moves the Jags to St. Louis, I'm 99% sure he's going to rename them, rebrand them, etc.

[Saint Zephyr III]

In an objective sense, it would work nicely for divisional purposes. Having a Los Angeles team in the NFC West would be a helluva lot easier than a Los Angeles team (Jaguars) whose closest rival would be in Houston, nearly 1,400 miles away. A St. Louis team in the AFC South though would also work very nicely as well; it'd be a AFC "Midwest" with Indy, Tenn, and St. Louis being within 300 miles of the other.

[DaytonBlue]

As someone whose been to plenty of games at the Ed Jones Dome, I don't quite understand the scorn for it. Yes, it's dark in the bowl. But it has two levels of suites and a dedicated club level, both things the Metrodome and Candlestick do not. It's easy to move around from level to level and the sightlines aren't too bad. It has good bones, as opposed to arenas like Orlando's old one which were obsolete the day they opened. I don't see how more renovations and improved lighting couldn't give it another 15-20 years of NFL service.

What was idiotic was the person for the City of St. Louis who negotiated the top quarter of NFL stadia clause. Even Memphis, as inept as this city is, created a strict lease with the NBA's Grizzlies which will at least leave the city with a paid off arena if they bolt town (which they cannot for several more years at a minimum, enforcable by injunction). Has anyone ever see the dome's lease and how top quarter of NFL stadia is calculated.

In reality, I think Kroenke will accept more dome renovations and agree to play there another decade. Then STL will have to think about new stadium. It boggles my mind, though, that a dome that opened in 1995 can be considered obsolete in 2011 (Georgia Dome also in this boat apparently, too).

Also, it's quite annoying to have 3 out of my 4 pro teams be on the relocation docket (Blues, Grizz, Rams...yeah the Blues probably won't move but the Thrashers weren't moving at this time last year either).