Next Move Or Expansion

[DustDevil61]

This was the article I was looking for from Yahoo! Sports.

[DustDevil61]

--BUMP--

Here's an interesting 1-day-old (at the time of this post) story from Pro Football Talk:

Here's the most interesting quote, at least concerning the Jaguars:

Chris Mortensen of ESPN said that the Chargers and Rams are the most interesting options to move, that the Jaguars most likely won’t be moving to L.A., that the Vikings are more interested in staying in Minnesota with a new stadium, and that the Bills situation is “interesting” given the advanced age of owner Ralph Wilson and the lack of a clear plan for the franchise after the nonagenarian is called up to the great gridiron in the sky.

The article says that the Jaguars most likely won't be moving to Los Angeles, but it doesn't say that the Jags won't be moving at all. I think that the Jaguars will try to stick it out in Jacksonville as long as they can, but if they can't make it work in northern Florida, where would they be looking at? Orlando? San Antonio? Chicago's #2? Birmingham, AL?

Do any of you think that the Vikings could have jumped up the list, with their season in shambles and after seeing a change on the coaching staff (Childress)?

Thoughts, otherwise?

[McCall]

--BUMP--

Here's an interesting 1-day-old (at the time of this post) story from Pro Football Talk:

Here's the most interesting quote, at least concerning the Jaguars:

Chris Mortensen of ESPN said that the Chargers and Rams are the most interesting options to move, that the Jaguars most likely wont be moving to L.A., that the Vikings are more interested in staying in Minnesota with a new stadium, and that the Bills situation is interesting given the advanced age of owner Ralph Wilson and the lack of a clear plan for the franchise after the nonagenarian is called up to the great gridiron in the sky.

The article says that the Jaguars most likely won't be moving to Los Angeles, but it doesn't say that the Jags won't be moving at all. I think that the Jaguars will try to stick it out in Jacksonville as long as they can, but if they can't make it work in northern Florida, where would they be looking at? Orlando? San Antonio? Chicago's #2? Birmingham, AL?

Do any of you think that the Vikings could have jumped up the list, with their season in shambles and after seeing a change on the coaching staff (Childress)?

Thoughts, otherwise?

With Stan Kroenke buying the Rams, there's no way they're leaving St. Louis. That was one of the reasons he gave up control of his other franchises to his son so that he could purchase the majority stake of the team and keep them in St. Louis. He wouldn't buy a team in his home state just to move them elsewhere. Besides, the other teams he owns are in Denver (besides Arsenal) and they already have the Broncos, so they obviously wouldn't go there. Face it, the Rams are staying put.

I frankly don't find this article to be all that reliable anyway. Just seems more like pure speculation on the authors part.

[The_Admiral]

With Stan Kroenke buying the Rams, there's no way they're leaving St. Louis. That was one of the reasons he gave up control of his other franchises to his son so that he could purchase the majority stake of the team and keep them in St. Louis.

I'm sure he can be lured out of the Jones Dump. He's a businessman.

Los Angeles is on the table for everyone dissatisfied with their situations, including St. Louis and Jacksonville.

[canadiancreed]

Of all the teams in the NFL Jacksonville almost seems a shoein to be heading to LA. It's like having a team put into Buffalo if you started completely from scratch with little fan interest.

[McCall]

With Stan Kroenke buying the Rams, there's no way they're leaving St. Louis. That was one of the reasons he gave up control of his other franchises to his son so that he could purchase the majority stake of the team and keep them in St. Louis.

I'm sure he can be lured out of the Jones Dump. He's a businessman.

Los Angeles is on the table for everyone dissatisfied with their situations, including St. Louis and Jacksonville.

He lives in Columbia. Missouri is his homestate and he's said he has no plans to move them. Sorry, but all of you who are just wanting to see the LA Rams again will just have to ask Santa for something else for Christmas.

Despite what the "article" says, I still believe the Jaguars are the most likely option to go to LA, with San Diego being a strong possibility. I think Minnesota will end up getting their stadium built and Buffalo will either stay in town or go to Toronto.

[The_Admiral]

Sorry, but all of you who are just wanting to see the LA Rams again will just have to ask Santa for something else for Christmas.

Haha, you just know McCall reclined in his office chair and kinda half-pumped his fist after he hit "Post."

It doesn't matter where he lives. Art Modell lived in Cleveland. The powers that be in Los Angeles want to induce a team with a bad situation into relocating, and the league wants a team there as well. If it comes down to leaving significant money on the table, he'd be silly to turn down that money (and the potential of more!) so he could stay in town, buying his own tickets before weekly blackout deadlines. He's a businessman. They all are.

[DustDevil61]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rams leave St. Louis...after all options are exhausted. While Kroenke may be from Missouri, and while he may have bought the Rams to ultimately keep them in St. Louis, those two facts don't guarantee the team's future there.

That said, the Chargers and Raiders are most likely to be headed (back) to Los Angeles, at this point. Stadium issues for both, history for both (moreso the Raiders), proximity (Chargers--it wouldn't really be an out-of-market move as much as, say, Jacksonville/Buffalo/St. Louis/Oakland, as the Chargers could market themselves as Southern California's NFL team (they already do, but they'd have a more central location, provided they are the lone Los Angeles representative), etc.

What's weird about this is that the article, if indeed true or not, states that the Jaguars won't be heading to LA, but it doesn't mention staying in Jacksonville like it mentions the Vikings staying in Minnesota. Call it spin on behalf of Florio or Mortensen (as in "The Jaguars are still going to leave Jacksonville"), Weaver ("We're definitely not going to Los Angeles" without considering the obvious priority), or whoever, but the first thing you should mention as an owner committed to a given market is that you want to keep the team right where it is.

[McCall]

Sorry, but all of you who are just wanting to see the LA Rams again will just have to ask Santa for something else for Christmas.

Haha, you just know McCall reclined in his office chair and kinda half-pumped his fist after he hit "Post."

It doesn't matter where he lives. Art Modell lived in Cleveland. The powers that be in Los Angeles want to induce a team with a bad situation into relocating, and the league wants a team there as well. If it comes down to leaving significant money on the table, he'd be silly to turn down that money (and the potential of more!) so he could stay in town, buying his own tickets before weekly blackout deadlines. He's a businessman. They all are.

It's creepy how well you know me.

[rams80]

--BUMP--

Here's an interesting 1-day-old (at the time of this post) story from Pro Football Talk:

Here's the most interesting quote, at least concerning the Jaguars:

Chris Mortensen of ESPN said that the Chargers and Rams are the most interesting options to move, that the Jaguars most likely won?t be moving to L.A., that the Vikings are more interested in staying in Minnesota with a new stadium, and that the Bills situation is ?interesting? given the advanced age of owner Ralph Wilson and the lack of a clear plan for the franchise after the nonagenarian is called up to the great gridiron in the sky.

The article says that the Jaguars most likely won't be moving to Los Angeles, but it doesn't say that the Jags won't be moving at all. I think that the Jaguars will try to stick it out in Jacksonville as long as they can, but if they can't make it work in northern Florida, where would they be looking at? Orlando? San Antonio? Chicago's #2? Birmingham, AL?

Do any of you think that the Vikings could have jumped up the list, with their season in shambles and after seeing a change on the coaching staff (Childress)?

Thoughts, otherwise?

With Stan Kroenke buying the Rams, there's no way they're leaving St. Louis. That was one of the reasons he gave up control of his other franchises to his son so that he could purchase the majority stake of the team and keep them in St. Louis. He wouldn't buy a team in his home state just to move them elsewhere. Besides, the other teams he owns are in Denver (besides Arsenal) and they already have the Broncos, so they obviously wouldn't go there. Face it, the Rams are staying put.

I frankly don't find this article to be all that reliable anyway. Just seems more like pure speculation on the authors part.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Kroenke married a Wal-Mart heiress. If you're doing that, chances are you don't care what others think of you.

As for why he gave up the other teams, it could be that he sees an NFL franchise as being more valuable than all the others combined...especially if they play in Los Angeles.

/Don't forget Prop A passed, which pretty much ends stadium socialism in the state of Missouri.

[Quillz]

Chargers moving back to L.A. (they were founded as the L.A. Chargers in 1960, played in the city for one season) is actually very likely if the Chargers don't get a new stadium.

[Saintsfan]

An NFL team to Los Angeles seems somewhat likely. Goodell seems to want it, and he usually seems to get what he wants. (I am not convinced that its a good venue for anyone, but whatever!)

Potentially if someone gets there act together, an NHL team to Canada is a possibility as well. Again almost certainly a relocation, rather than expansion.

Other than that, I don;t foresee much happening for the next decade.

[IceCap]

That said, the Chargers and Raiders are most likely to be headed (back) to Los Angeles, at this point. Stadium issues for both, history for both (moreso the Raiders), proximity (Chargers--it wouldn't really be an out-of-market move as much as, say, Jacksonville/Buffalo/St. Louis/Oakland, as the Chargers could market themselves as Southern California's NFL team (they already do, but they'd have a more central location, provided they are the lone Los Angeles representative), etc.

It'll be either the Chargers or the Raiders, not both. I'm sure the NFL wants one team from each conference, and both the Chargers and Raiders are historic AFL/AFC teams. No reel line mint there.

Potentially if someone gets there act together, an NHL team to Canada is a possibility as well. Again almost certainly a relocation, rather than expansion.

I love the NFL, I really do. That being said, keep it out of Canada.

[Brian in Boston]

I'd bet on both the Chargers and Jaguars playing in Los Angeles within five to seven years.

The Chargers began their existence representing Los Angeles in the American Football League. They maintain a substantial television presence in Los Angeles, claiming the city as a secondary television market. The team conducted its training camp at AEG's Home Depot Center in Carson, California - adjacent to Los Angeles - in 2003 and 2004. In January of 2009, the Chargers hired Los Angeles businessman Casey Wasserman's Wasserman Media Group to market the Chargers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, including pitching the sale of luxury suites and club seats to fans in the two counties. AEG's Tim Leiweke and Casey Wasserman recently unveiled their plans for a $725-million, privately-financed, retractable-roof stadium in downtown Los Angeles that would double as exhibition space for the adjacent Los Angeles Convention Center. Leiweke has targeted an August 15, 2015 completion date for the facility, saying that it would make historical sense to have the stadium ready to host Super Bowl L in February of 2016... a tip-of-the-hat to Los Angeles hosting the first Super Bowl. Leiweke has also recently met in New York with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, though he refused to elaborate on what was discussed. Alex Spanos - patriarch of the family that owns the Chargers - is in the process of selling a minority stake in the franchise to assist in estate planning. He's secured Goldman Sachs to oversee the sale and the firm has indicated that several deep-pocketed Los Angelenos have made inquiries. Mr. Leiweke has indicated that gaining a controlling ownership stake in an NFL franchise is not a necessary precursor to moving forward with his proposed stadium plan. Rather, the facility simply needs an NFL franchise as a tenant.

As for the Jaguars, their situation in Jacksonville is a "hot mess". They're on the move somewhere. Should they be part of a pairing in Greater Los Angeles with another current AFC franchise, the Jaguars could be swapped to the NFC - perhaps for their expansion brethren, the Carolina Panthers. The Jaguars could take-up residence in the NFC West, the Panthers could move to the AFC South and the Rams could move to the NFC South.

In any event, that's the scenario on which I'd place my wager.

[Gothamite]

/Don't forget Prop A passed, which pretty much ends stadium socialism in the state of Missouri.

Which is unfortunate for football fans in St. Louis, since the Rams can bolt by 2015 unless the city builds the Rams a new stadium (or completely overhauls the old one, which amounts to about the same thing).

Do you really think that the Rams are going to simply let St. Louis out of that lease, no matter what the financial cost? Do you really think the NFL will let them void the lease, taking the entire league a step backwards in the publicly-financed stadium game?

[NorthStar74]

Let me get this right.. the St. Louis Rams can leave if the city of St.Louis do not either give them a new building or improve the Edward Jones Dome to make it more revenue-friendly and beyond? Then if the Rams are not satisfied with that they can leave say after the 2014 NFL season? Back to Los Angeles or somewhere?

[McCall]

/Don't forget Prop A passed, which pretty much ends stadium socialism in the state of Missouri.

Which is unfortunate for football fans in St. Louis, since the Rams can bolt by 2015 unless the city builds the Rams a new stadium (or completely overhauls the old one, which amounts to about the same thing).

Do you really think that the Rams are going to simply let St. Louis out of that lease, no matter what the financial cost? Do you really think the NFL will let them void the lease, taking the entire league a step backwards in the publicly-financed stadium game?

Let me get this right.. the St. Louis Rams can leave if the city of St.Louis do not either give them a new building or improve the Edward Jones Dome to make it more revenue-friendly and beyond? Then if the Rams are not satisfied with that they can leave say after the 2014 NFL season? Back to Los Angeles or somewhere?

Yes, technically the Rams can leave after 2014 if they are not in the top 25% of stadiums league-wide. But as I said, Kroenke does not want to move the team. He will let that pass and let them take some time to figure out a stadium plan, renevations or a new one. Hell, with the Walmart money him and his wife have, they probably wouldn't need really any public money to build one. The Dome is simply a glorified arena. The most popular site for a new one is outside the city (in Fenton) where the old Chrysler plant sits vacant. Plenty of space for a new stadium and parking lots for tailgating. May need to build a new overpass to help with traffic, but it's an ideal situation for people coming from different parts of the state. It's on I-44 near 270, so it's easy to get to from I-70 and I-55 as well.

I'm not saying it's a 100% guarantee they're staying, but the odds are definately in favor of them remaining in St. Louis. Plus, now that they're showing signs of being on their way to respectability again, their selling out on a consistent basis.

[Saintsfan]

That said, the Chargers and Raiders are most likely to be headed (back) to Los Angeles, at this point. Stadium issues for both, history for both (moreso the Raiders), proximity (Chargers--it wouldn't really be an out-of-market move as much as, say, Jacksonville/Buffalo/St. Louis/Oakland, as the Chargers could market themselves as Southern California's NFL team (they already do, but they'd have a more central location, provided they are the lone Los Angeles representative), etc.

It'll be either the Chargers or the Raiders, not both. I'm sure the NFL wants one team from each conference, and both the Chargers and Raiders are historic AFL/AFC teams. No reel line mint there.

Potentially if someone gets there act together, an NHL team to Canada is a possibility as well. Again almost certainly a relocation, rather than expansion.

I love the NFL, I really do. That being said, keep it out of Canada.

NHL, not NFL.

[Quillz]

I'd bet on both the Chargers and Jaguars playing in Los Angeles within five to seven years.

The Chargers began their existence representing Los Angeles in the American Football League. They maintain a substantial television presence in Los Angeles, claiming the city as a secondary television market. The team conducted its training camp at AEG's Home Depot Center in Carson, California - adjacent to Los Angeles - in 2003 and 2004. In January of 2009, the Chargers hired Los Angeles businessman Casey Wasserman's Wasserman Media Group to market the Chargers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, including pitching the sale of luxury suites and club seats to fans in the two counties. AEG's Tim Leiweke and Casey Wasserman recently unveiled their plans for a $725-million, privately-financed, retractable-roof stadium in downtown Los Angeles that would double as exhibition space for the adjacent Los Angeles Convention Center. Leiweke has targeted an August 15, 2015 completion date for the facility, saying that it would make historical sense to have the stadium ready to host Super Bowl L in February of 2016... a tip-of-the-hat to Los Angeles hosting the first Super Bowl. Leiweke has also recently met in New York with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, though he refused to elaborate on what was discussed. Alex Spanos - patriarch of the family that owns the Chargers - is in the process of selling a minority stake in the franchise to assist in estate planning. He's secured Goldman Sachs to oversee the sale and the firm has indicated that several deep-pocketed Los Angelenos have made inquiries. Mr. Leiweke has indicated that gaining a controlling ownership stake in an NFL franchise is not a necessary precursor to moving forward with his proposed stadium plan. Rather, the facility simply needs an NFL franchise as a tenant.

As for the Jaguars, their situation in Jacksonville is a "hot mess". They're on the move somewhere. Should they be part of a pairing in Greater Los Angeles with another current AFC franchise, the Jaguars could be swapped to the NFC - perhaps for their expansion brethren, the Carolina Panthers. The Jaguars could take-up residence in the NFC West, the Panthers could move to the AFC South and the Rams could move to the NFC South.

In any event, that's the scenario on which I'd place my wager.

I actually think having the Jags and Panthers swap conferences makes quite a bit of sense, but I just don't see the Rams ever leaving the NFC West... Their rivalry with the 49ers may not be as high-profile as some others, but it's still a classic one.

L.A. is south enough that it hosting a franchise in the AFC South would make geographic sense.

[The_Admiral]

now that they're showing signs of being on their way to respectability again, their [sic] selling out on a consistent basis.

No they aren't. They're narrowly avoiding blackouts every week by gobbling up their own tickets.