Is the City of Angels football's City of Failure?
Why are NFL officials tripping over themselves to guarantee a team gets placed in Los Angeles?
The ESPN article says that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen "is convinced the NFL needs a team in the Los Angeles area." But why? The NFL has made more money, attracted more fans, and produced a better on-field product in the years since the Rams and Raiders left L.A. than before. That's not to say that there is a correlation, but it is not like NFL owners are being bled dry these days.
Owners and the league office wants to work on a deal that could include spending league money to cover a portion of stadium costs that could approach $1 billion. But who is going to play there? The league already has indicated that further expansion is not an option at this time. That leaves teams without new stadium deals in place (Vikings, Chargers) or teams with questionable attendance and corporate support (Jaguars and, yes, the Saints) possibly heading west.
Of course, maybe they won't head west. The NFL could always encourage these teams to extract new stadium deals or economic concessions from state and local governments, giving them all of the reason in the world to stay. The NFL stadium deal could be the impetus for local leaders to act, much like the Patriots new stadium got built due to pressure from a Hartford bid.
But when L.A. had two teams, it is not exactly like area residents were stuck in traffic on their way to games. The Raiders averaged somewhere around 60,000 spectators in the cavernous Coliseum. Rams attendance was adequate. Both teams wanted new stadiums, but local government and business leaders were not interested, so they left. Now the NFL knocks on the doors of L.A. (and Anaheim) leaders wanting help and, low and behold, they will probably get it (notwithstanding the other ways they could use the tax dollars to improve their cities). Much like Harris County, Texas built Reliant Stadium for the Texans after rebuffing overtures from the Oilers to get a new stadium before they bolted for Tennessee.
Either way, the NFL is a private entity and can do its own thing. But it seems like the league is preoccupied with this for no good reason.
The ESPN article says that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen "is convinced the NFL needs a team in the Los Angeles area." But why? The NFL has made more money, attracted more fans, and produced a better on-field product in the years since the Rams and Raiders left L.A. than before. That's not to say that there is a correlation, but it is not like NFL owners are being bled dry these days.
Owners and the league office wants to work on a deal that could include spending league money to cover a portion of stadium costs that could approach $1 billion. But who is going to play there? The league already has indicated that further expansion is not an option at this time. That leaves teams without new stadium deals in place (Vikings, Chargers) or teams with questionable attendance and corporate support (Jaguars and, yes, the Saints) possibly heading west.
Of course, maybe they won't head west. The NFL could always encourage these teams to extract new stadium deals or economic concessions from state and local governments, giving them all of the reason in the world to stay. The NFL stadium deal could be the impetus for local leaders to act, much like the Patriots new stadium got built due to pressure from a Hartford bid.
But when L.A. had two teams, it is not exactly like area residents were stuck in traffic on their way to games. The Raiders averaged somewhere around 60,000 spectators in the cavernous Coliseum. Rams attendance was adequate. Both teams wanted new stadiums, but local government and business leaders were not interested, so they left. Now the NFL knocks on the doors of L.A. (and Anaheim) leaders wanting help and, low and behold, they will probably get it (notwithstanding the other ways they could use the tax dollars to improve their cities). Much like Harris County, Texas built Reliant Stadium for the Texans after rebuffing overtures from the Oilers to get a new stadium before they bolted for Tennessee.
Either way, the NFL is a private entity and can do its own thing. But it seems like the league is preoccupied with this for no good reason.
posted by Brian Griffiths at 9:53 PM
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