Giant step taken in the return of the NFL to LA...

[TigerVols]

The development-killing Environmental Impact Review is more or less being waived for the new stadium...now there's really nothing to block the new stadium, provided of course financing is actually in place.

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_13562151

 

[DanOregon]

Now Roski is an interesting dude. That guy knows how to play the NFL game.

 

[slappy4428]

Now Rokski is an interesting dude. That guy knows how to play the NFL game.

Fixed, to reflect the Speaker in the House...

 

[Songbird]

there's no l.a. rams, so who cares.

 

[DanOregon]

Here's a thought, does the NFL grant one franchise to LA or really go for it and promise to help foot the bill for the stadium and sell two franchises.
If Houston was worth $700 mil, I've got to think LA will be $800 at least for one - but the area is big enough for two. Put one in the NFC, the other in the AFC. Sell one to Roski and the other to Ovitz.

 

[Oz]

I thought L.A. already had a pro team with USC. [/reggiebush]

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Is there actual funding in place for this, or at least a plan that doesn't involve public money? It's hard to imagine they'll actually have any money behind this.

 

[DanOregon]

Roski is a billionaire. He "owns" the City of Industry. I read a bio on the guy - he's climbed Everest, probably owns half of the California legislature and has other developers terrified of just talking about him.

 

[sportsguydave]

Roski is a billionaire. He "owns" the City of Industry. I read a bio on the guy - he's climbed Everest, probably owns half of the California legislature and has other developers terrified of just talking about him.

Is there fan interest for even one L.A. team at this point? This is a city that has lost two NFL franchises and didn't seem too upset about it either time, as I recall ...

 

[BYH]

Here's a thought, does the NFL grant one franchise to LA or really go for it and promise to help foot the bill for the stadium and sell two franchises.
If Houston was worth $700 mil, I've got to think LA will be $800 at least for one - but the area is big enough for two. Put one in the NFC, the other in the AFC. Sell one to Roski and the other to Ovitz.

A 34-team league would be pretty unwieldy. Eight divisions of four teams apiece is pretty good, albeit not as good as the old 28-team set up.

I could see them putting two existing teams there...Jax and Buffalo?

 

[sportsguydave]

Here's a thought, does the NFL grant one franchise to LA or really go for it and promise to help foot the bill for the stadium and sell two franchises.
If Houston was worth $700 mil, I've got to think LA will be $800 at least for one - but the area is big enough for two. Put one in the NFC, the other in the AFC. Sell one to Roski and the other to Ovitz.

A 34-team league would be pretty unwieldy. Eight divisions of four teams apiece is pretty good, albeit not as good as the old 28-team set up.

I could see them putting two existing teams there...Jax and Buffalo?

Reading the article, San Diego seems to be concerned that the new stadium would be used to lure the Chargers away.

 

[DanOregon]

Between LA, teams grumbling about wanting new stadiums, a potential lockout and the UFL, not to mention the TV rights coming up for renewal in 2011, it should be an interesting couple of years for the NFL. The UFL has said they would be open to allowing NFL players to play if the NFL goes black.

 

[sportsguydave]

Between LA, teams grumbling about wanting new stadiums, a potential lockout and the UFL, not to mention the TV rights coming up for renewal in 2011, it should be an interesting couple of years for the NFL. The UFL has said they would be open to allowing NFL players to play if the NFL goes black.

Do you think the lockout is a done deal, or will cooler heads prevail?

 

[DanOregon]

Greed will end up solving the thing. The owners opted out of the contract last year meaning as of now, there will be no games after next year. Thing is, preparations are already afoot planning for the lockout on both sides. NFL wants a contract more favorable to them. If something isn't in place by the start of free-agency at end of the season - you will really see how serious teams are.

 

[BYH]

God willing, these assholes will lock the players out. It'd be the biggest ****-up in the history of American sports. They've already got the golden goose and a socialistic (yes, I said it) financial system in place that allows owners to print gobs of money. Yet they want more? **** them.

 

[goalmouth]

God willing, these assholes will lock the players out. It'd be the biggest ****-up in the history of American sports. They've already got the golden goose and a socialistic (yes, I said it) financial system in place that allows owners to print gobs of money. Yet they want more? **** them.

C'mon, you can do way better than that.

 

[Football_Bat]

Now Rokski is an interesting dude. That guy knows how to play the NFL game.

Fixed, to reflect the Speaker in the House...

I saw that quote fix coming all the way up Hacienda Blvd.

 

[trifectarich]

Roski is a billionaire. He "owns" the City of Industry. I read a bio on the guy - he's climbed Everest, probably owns half of the California legislature and has other developers terrified of just talking about him.

Is there fan interest for even one L.A. team at this point? This is a city that has lost two NFL franchises and didn't seem too upset about it either time, as I recall ...

Seconded. The fact that there's no team in LA seems to bother only a few people at NFL headquarters.

 

[outofplace]

God willing, these assholes will lock the players out. It'd be the biggest ****-up in the history of American sports. They've already got the golden goose and a socialistic (yes, I said it) financial system in place that allows owners to print gobs of money. Yet they want more? **** them.

The NFL functions as if it is one entity, which is why the use of the term socialism is a bit misleading. It is also one of the reasons the league has been so successful. Your overall point is an excellent one. It would be a huge mistake for the NFL to lock the players out. I think the owners are just so used to the players caving, they assume it will happen again.

The thing is, the owners are not afraid of the uncapped year because so many other little rules kick in to keep salaries from getting too far out of control, not to mention the most balanced revenue sharing set-up in major pro sports. I just wonder how many players just see the uncapped year without fully understanding all of the restrictions that will come with it, which include an additional transition tag and a longer period of time before players can become free agents.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80864e15&template=with-video&confirm=true

I wouldn't want to mess with the system, either, but the league sees the economic problems in this country and TV contracts that could be renegotiated in 2011, so I understand better why they are risking it than I did when this first came up a few months ago.

 

[TigerVols]

As for two teams in 1 stadium in LA, I think it could work; especially if the two followed the Jets/Giants methodology. The first team (I'd put money on the Jags) would be marketed to the working class folk who live in the Inland Empire and northern OC, eastern LA -- much like the Jets fan base is more working-class.

The second team (the Chargers) would be targeted at the corporate types in downtown, Century City and the Westside.

Keep in mind that on a Sunday, the City of Industry is just 30 minutes away from Brentwood, and even less from Irvine.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see the NFL give the stadium a multi-year (5 in a row? Every other year for a decade?) Super Bowl deal.