KollegeStudnet Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 This past weekend, I had a pleasant conversation with a very knowledgeable college football writer from ESPN. While over beers, we exchanged some info on the PAC 12, the current issues surrouding pro football and the college game, our undying love and memories of our favorite pro teams and how the game of football has evolved and changed over the past 25 years. Growing up in the Bay area and being a Raiders fan, he was somewhat distraught over the recent passing of AFL-NFL legend, Al Davis. With the similarities to the Bills current ownership, based on Mr. Wilson's age and AFL ties...I had to ask the question, if he thought the Davis family will sell to an L.A. owner? His answer, "Yes!"...for the Bills/Wilson family selling to an L.A. owner...his answer a surprisingly, "No!" He then broke down the facts... The Oakland Raiders...the possible trek back to Los Angeles... As much as he feels the Davis family would love to keep the team in Oakland, the impending process of Roski and Anschutz wanting at least two teams in L.A., brings the sense that the Raiders will make the move back to L.A. based on the assumption...of course--the Davis' family will recieve major money, Raiders have an existing fan base and a new state-of the-art stadium will be built. Going Back to the early 1980's...Davis wanted to keep the team in Oakland, but his demands for updates and added luxury boxes kept getting nixed-- to Oakland Coliseum...Fighting to keep the team in Oakland, Davis gives up...By 1981, Al Davis signs the Memorandum of Agreement, in which starts the process of relocation to L.A. based on the agreement, Davis and his Raiders will have a stadium built in Los Angeles. After a two-year-long legal process, based on Davis' , Al moved the team from Oakland to L.A. in 1982... From there, the Raiders were stuck playing on the same field as the USC Trojans--Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from '82-'94...During the stay at the Coliseum, years passed and Davis vision of wanting what was promised a modern stadium to be built--never came to pass! There was eventually a possibile stadium plan to be bult in the works at Hollywood Park, but it never materialized and Al Davis went on to sue the NFL for tampering/interfering with the stadium negotiations. Davis flirted with the idea to move the franchise back to Oakland to push along the process of getting updates added to the L.A. Coliseum and/or a new stadium, but Davis again had enough! By 1995, Davis signs a letter of intent and moves the team back to Oakland...based on the agreement that the Oakland Coliseum, the stadium he left in the first place, have guaranteed upgrades and renovations put in! The Raiders lease in Oakland is up at the end of 2013 season... The sports writers opinion of the Raiders move back to L.A., "Now, with Davis' passing, the Raiders might have the chance to get that stadium...something Al Davis has always wanted. If they do move, which is the most fashionable pick...it saddens me to say, the Raiders home will be at the New Farmer's Field located next to the Staples Center." I offered my two cents...IF the Raiders moved back to L.A. would it be viable for the Raiders to play a home game back in Oakland once a year, similar to that of the Bills? His response, "Unsure" and "Probably Not!" The Buffalo Bills...possible move to Los Angeles? His response, "No!" He then pointed out, 10 to 15 years ago, he could see the Bills move... Now, in 2011 and beyond, he doesn't see it possible. His response, "If the Bills were moved, this would be a HUGE black eye to the NFL...meaning IF the Bills were moved based on small market status...excluding, Green Bay....teams like the Bengals, Browns, Chargers, Colts, Jaguars, Tampa Bay, Raiders, New Orleans, Pittsburgh...Yes, Pittsburgh and even Tennessee...Yes, Tennessee... could all have one foot out the door...This would damage the stability of the NFL!...Yes, the game is about money, but it's about stability...Yes, moving teams to a larger market would create money--but, it would be a market of fair weather fans!" With the CBA reached and a strong fan base around the country...a team like the Buffalo Bills will always remain--in Buffalo. Granted, they play a game in Toronto, but that is just to increase fanbase. As time passes on, the Raiders and Chargers presence of already being in the Los Angeles market outwheighs Buffalo's eventual move to Los Angeles. He went on to talk about the Chragers situation with the Spanos family selling shares of the team and the ongoing battle with the City of San Diego...IF the Chargers DO NOT get a deal done within the next two years, he could see the Spanos family going into business with Roski of Anschutz to get the team a stadium in either the City of Industry or Downtown Los Angeles. Alex Spanos' health, like Ralph's, is slowly dimenishing, Spanos family is rumored to be selling shares. Late in 2010, the Chargers denied rumors of selling 35% of the Chargers to Anschutz of AEG. Several weeks later, Spanos signed with a top L.A. marketing team, which raised some eyebrows in San Diego--same marketing team, which AEG has used. While interested in this, the sports writer told me to do some research on the Chargers lease situation... Shockingly, I came up with a couple sites, that I found interesting... Chargers commit to San Diego for 2011, But Not Beyond! San Diego Mayor is pressured into hiring financial adviser to try to build a stadium in San Deigo, but is it too late? ...the plan will be up for vote in 13 months...meaning the Chargers, could opt out of renewing their lease and move the team to Los Angeles! Overall, the sports writer went on to point out, "The NFL wants a team in Los Angeles...The NFL is focusing in on Super Bowl 50 to be played in Los Angeles...a team or teams, will eventually move there within the next two years--most likely the Raiders and Chargers! Not, the Bills!"
Jerry Jabber Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 Thanks for the post. That's encouraging news to hear.
Buffalo Barbarian Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 great write up and YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
SageAgainstTheMachine Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 Thanks for the info. To me, the whole Bills to LA hysteria was always based on something that only seemed like it might happen...all due to lazy conjecture and our own paranoia as a small market.
dwight in philly Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 wow!, that is news i thrive on! thanks for a nice vibe on the eve of a bills game!
Hammered a Lot Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 (edited) One of my favorites http://www.fieldofschemes.com/ Roger G is using the LA threat to get a new stadium for the Vikings. Edited October 15, 2011 by Hammered a Lot
KollegeStudnet Posted October 15, 2011 Author Posted October 15, 2011 One of my favorites http://www.fieldofschemes.com/ Roger G is using the LA threat to get a new stadium for the Vikings. Wow, this site rocks...I especially like the sites title! ha
jwmann2 Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Great post. Funny how Raiders fans hated Al Davis when he was alive. He dies and everyone acts like he was the best owner ever. No way the Bills move to Los Angleles. The Wilson family needs to go ahead and sell the naming rights of the stadium. They could make so much money off of that, instead they want to act like the Brown Family in Cincinnati.
spartacus Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 One of my favorites http://www.fieldofschemes.com/ Roger G is using the LA threat to get a new stadium for the Vikings. This is what the NFL wants out of LA They don't want a team there,m they want to extort stadiums from other cities by threatening to move teams by putting a team there permanently, they lose the flexibillity of showing the best games or losing a agme to blackout
bbb Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Great post. But, you call last weekend a past conversation? When I talk about a past conversation it was in 1982.
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 (edited) He never actually called it a "past conversation." He called it a "pleasant conversation," "this past weekend." Thanks for posting. I have to say I have close to zero concern about the Bills leaving Buffalo at this point. From what Jimbo, Goodell, a handful of extremely reliable Wallers, and Wawrow have said, I get the impression there is a succession plan in place that is not being made public. Edited October 16, 2011 by Big Bad Boone
8-8 Forever? Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Great post. Funny how Raiders fans hated Al Davis when he was alive. He dies and everyone acts like he was the best owner ever. No way the Bills move to Los Angleles. The Wilson family needs to go ahead and sell the naming rights of the stadium. They could make so much money off of that, instead they want to act like the Brown Family in Cincinnati. who the heck would want the naming rights to the Ralph? you don't know much about marketing do you?
Hammered a Lot Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 who the heck would want the naming rights to the Ralph? you don't know much about marketing do you? Who is the stadium formally call Rich Stadium named after?
8-8 Forever? Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Who is the stadium formally call Rich Stadium named after? an unknown brand called "Rich Products" that no one ever heard of. Bob Rich is a B Lo guy who bought the rights for a song 30 years ago. When the rights came up for renewal and got expensive, he did not renew. Hence, back to RWS. Can't see anyone paying up for naming rights to RWS or any other small market team. Economy sucks and the Bills are never on the national stage. Naming rights are a rare buy these days.
flmike Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Nice writeup, but take it easy on the exclamation points.
8-8 Forever? Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the post. That's encouraging news to hear. Read Donn Esmonde's article in the News today. That is the real story. He has it just about right. The Bills are very much at risk assuming Ralph is auctioning off the team upon his death (as he has said his estate has been directed to do). Very much at risk. The stadium lease is up and Ralph will not tie the team to a long term RWS lease if his will says sell the team to the highest bidder...of course the optimist says Ralph will sign a long term lease IN ORDER TO force a bidder to keep the team in Buffalo.. now THAT is a ray of hope. In other words, Ralph has said the team is sold to the highest bidder... what he did not say is that the winning bidder is stuck with a 10 year expensive lease on the Ralph as well!! If so, that might level the playing field amongst the bidders. A Kelly-led group, for example, would have an advantage over an buy-and-move bidder because the buy and move guy has to build a stadium in Toronto, L.A. or wherever AND still pay off a 10 year lease on the Ralph. Paying to two house to live in one. The Kelly group is fine with the long term Ralph lease because they are keeping the team in WNY. Caging old guy, that RW , he may have the solution ... the county updates the stadium for $100m, Ralph makes moving the team economically tough by signing a huge new long term lease to the stadium. That might do the trick... interesting.. Edited October 16, 2011 by 8and8Forever
MaineMoxie Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 (edited) The "Los Angeles Dilemma" Now there's a team nickname. What would their mascot be? Edited October 16, 2011 by MaineMoxie
UConn James Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Before LA gets two teams, perhaps it would be prudent for them to show they can/will support one.
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 The "Los Angeles Dilemma" Now there's a team nickname. What would their mascot be? A mummified Al Davis.
bbb Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 He never actually called it a "past conversation." He called it a "pleasant conversation," "this past weekend." The subject line: The Los Angeles Dilemma... a past conversation over beer with a humble sports writer...
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