State funding for RWS Stadium improvements?

[dpberr]

In the case of the Bills, what would Orchard Park do with an empty stadium and acres of stadium parking?

 

Would they ever realistically find a use for the site absent a cost prohibitive demolition of the stadium?

 

The way I see it, should the Bills leave in theory, the state would end up pumping untold millions right back to OP and the County to do something with the underutilized site. It's akin to the difficulty of trying to develop an abandoned military base.

[All_Pro_Bills]

Bullsh--. What if all 32 cities refuse to do so? Every team is going to move.....to where?

 

Using public money for pro sport arenas is a scam that ought to land every public official involved in prison. It's a disgusting waste of money.

Use of public funds for private professional sports enterprises should be prohibited by Federal law or provide the taxpayers with a guarantee that if the phony cost/benefit analysis numbers they use to 'sell' the expenditure aren't met then the team will re-emburse the taxpayers for any loses above the true realized financial benefit to the community. Its called shared risk.

 

What the NFL does is transfer their risk of loss to the taxpayers while retaining all the potential profits for themselves. It's quite a nice little racket they have going.

[Mr. WEO]

Why would a new owner stay? Well he probably would have very expensive options. You can be sure if taxpayers foot the Bill on the stadium, and then there is a ownership change. There will be some big buyout clause in the contract to allow a new owner to leave (unlike the current one). Meaning, and just round figures. Franchise 800+ Million, relocation fee to NFL? TBD but very pricey. Payoff on breaking a potential 10 year lease on an upgraded Ralph? Very expensive. Buying the team and keeping a charter AFL franchise where it belongs? Priceless.

 

Really, the Bills are not really even mentioned when the talking heads mention teams that could go to LA whatever. There are at least 2 teams on way shakier ground. Plus in this economy what billionaire will shake the dice and take an educated guess that moving to LA is truly greener than a team in its current location?

 

If a new owner thinks he can make a lot more money running/owning the team elsewhere, he will pay whatever lease breaking penalty there is and he will be gone. Personally, I don't think it will happen, but I would wait to see who the new owner is and what his plans are before commitiong the money. As I said, a facelift isn't going to keep a guy who wants to move into a new stadium. If the new owner breaks the lease, the NYS taxpayer is still screwed as most of the moeny would not come from Erie Co., which will get all of the penalty money for a broken lease.

 

There's only a handful of people here who truly believe the Bills would possibly be in LA in the forseeable future.

[FLFan]

This is exactly the kind of short sighted, parochial thought process that has kept Buffalo and Western NY on a continually downward spiral for the past 30 plus years. Local politician's have routinely been unable to come together on agressive strategies for rebuilding the city and revitalizing the economic base, while the State funnels everything to other places. People that do not believe a new owner will run, not walk, to greener pastures have their head in the sand. It may be that Buffalo can just no longer support an NFL team in the modern NFL economic era. One way to find out in a hurry is to refuse to support the upgrading of the facility to the point that gives a new owner a fighting chance to compete. It is pretty simple economics. With a purchase price of at least $800 m, much of which would end up being financed, the debt load on the team goes from virtually zero to tens of millions per year, eliminating the modest profits the franchise now enjoys. Adding stadium renovation capital costs on top of that make an already difficult business case for WNY impossible.

 

Do you really think the Buffalo area fans can support $150. per seat pricing plus seat licenses like NE, Baltimore, Washington, Dallas, NY/NJ etc.? Where is the business support for expensive boxes and other luxury seating? Without taxpayer support, this franchise will not survive. I can sympathise with people who believe that taxpayers should not have to foot the bill. However, do not confuse your principles with reality. The end game is the loss of the franchise and a further erosion of Buffalo'a already third tier status. If you do not think the Bills are important to WNY, then by all means urge your elected representatives to just say no to the greedy NFL. (and they are no doubt a greedy bunch) Otherwise, encourage them to get behind working out an acceptable deal, sooner than later.

 

Just my opinion of course - flame away.

[BuffaloATL]

Buffalo has had a hard enough time maintaining what it has. The region could not survive the the negative publicity that comes with losing a team. The loss would serve as an high profile indicator of the regions economic struggles. Attracting new businesses to Buffalo is already hard enough. If the team left, it would be next to impossible. At least for a long while.

 

Then there's also that whole civic pride thing. Buffalonians identify themsleves with the football team moreso than just about any other football city. And because of that, some people stay in Buffalo (the rate of population loss has decreased a good bit), restaurants thrive (at least relative to how they'd be w/o the Bills), tourism increases(every time I fly home I'm on the plane with others who are also going to the game, staying at hotels, eating at Duff's, going to the Falls, etc.... SPENDING MONEY).

 

So while I agree that, generally, spending public dollars on things like this is usually a bad idea, I think in Buffalo's case it actaully makes sense. It's an investment that helps avoid a very difficult social and financial climat.

Edited February 6, 2012 by BuffaloATL

[JohnC]

 

There's only a handful of people here who truly believe the Bills would possibly be in LA in the forseeable future.

 

If the highest bidding group for the auctioned franchise decides to move the francise to LA or anywhere else how is it going to be prevented? Do you think if Littman is the executor of Ralph's estates he is going to sell to a lower bidder? Of course not.

 

If the highest bidder wants to keep the team in the region, it will stay. If not, odds are that the franchise will be moved. Maybe not right away but it will be inevitable. I suspect that the majority of owners wouldn't mind seeing the franchise moved to a bigger market. The person who has denigrated the WNY market the most is its current owner. His performance at the podium in Toronto was not only classless but it indicated what he really thought about the region i.e. he was unfairly being shortchanged.

[weehawk]

Sorry, I did not intend to start a new stadium thread. Let's avoid that subject if possible. WNY is not getting a new stadium, domed or otherwise.

 

I'm just trying to get an idea how much people think they are willing to pay for stadium upgrades, considering $100 million has been bandied about and that it's all coming from the taxpayer.

 

Let's keep the Bills in BUF playing at RWS. That's pretty much a given. The real issue is do people really think that RW will move the team now or in his short-term future, simply because the State of NY tells him that we dont have $100 million for his top-o-the-line stadium upgrades? I dont think he will and I dont think he has much choice but to sign a lease on the taxpayers terms. He honestly has no where to go. He will have passed away by the time LA gets a stadium. Other than LA, where do they go? Toronto? Forget it. The NFL wants a new stadium there and the Canadian govt is not going to build one. Time for NY State to stop coddling him and use this lease negotiation to favor the taxpayer.

[Best Player Available]

This is exactly the kind of short sighted, parochial thought process that has kept Buffalo and Western NY on a continually downward spiral for the past 30 plus years. Local politician's have routinely been unable to come together on agressive strategies for rebuilding the city and revitalizing the economic base, while the State funnels everything to other places. People that do not believe a new owner will run, not walk, to greener pastures have their head in the sand. It may be that Buffalo can just no longer support an NFL team in the modern NFL economic era. One way to find out in a hurry is to refuse to support the upgrading of the facility to the point that gives a new owner a fighting chance to compete. It is pretty simple economics. With a purchase price of at least $800 m, much of which would end up being financed, the debt load on the team goes from virtually zero to tens of millions per year, eliminating the modest profits the franchise now enjoys. Adding stadium renovation capital costs on top of that make an already difficult business case for WNY impossible.

 

Do you really think the Buffalo area fans can support $150. per seat pricing plus seat licenses like NE, Baltimore, Washington, Dallas, NY/NJ etc.? Where is the business support for expensive boxes and other luxury seating? Without taxpayer support, this franchise will not survive. I can sympathise with people who believe that taxpayers should not have to foot the bill. However, do not confuse your principles with reality. The end game is the loss of the franchise and a further erosion of Buffalo'a already third tier status. If you do not think the Bills are important to WNY, then by all means urge your elected representatives to just say no to the greedy NFL. (and they are no doubt a greedy bunch) Otherwise, encourage them to get behind working out an acceptable deal, sooner than later.

 

Just my opinion of course - flame away.

"do you really think that Buffalo area fans can support $150 per seat............" Wow, reality check those are 20th century prices. You do know at Jerrys palace a SRO ticket is $100 Maybe your just pricing end zone nose bleads? Check out the prices at the new Giants/jets stadium. I don't think you could sit anywhere for $150. New ownership in Buffalo will have to increase prices big time like you say. The benefit should be a competitive team that wins. Crazy thought I know. The Bills are going nowhere soon. If you have ever been too candlestick park where the 9ers play to this day and for at least 3 more years. I cannot think of a bigger cesspool of a stadium other than maybe the Oakland Colliseum. Those dumps are so bad renovation is out of the question.The ralph is still cool. The upgrades will be for reasons other than Ralph looking to gouge taxpayers, etc. on frivolous crap. If structural renovations are needed they will happen. You can sell it as "customer safety".

 

Has any of the truly moronic WNY politicians said "let the Bills walk" yet? If they want too stay in office they won't. The Bills have been here since day one of the AFL. The greedy NFL with a couple of owners exceptions doesn't take that stuff lightly. I think the NFL learned a lot with the Baltimore and Cleveland nightmares.

[nucci]

Bullsh--. What if all 32 cities refuse to do so? Every team is going to move.....to where?

 

Using public money for pro sport arenas is a scam that ought to land every public official involved in prison. It's a disgusting waste of money.

There are plenty of examples of disgusting wastes of public money much worse than football stadiums. At least I enjoy football.

[JohnC]

There are plenty of examples of disgusting wastes of public money much worse than football stadiums. At least I enjoy football.

 

I can't recall a stadium being built or refurbished over the last ten years in which the owner of a franchise hasn't meaningfully contributed to the project. Just about everyone on this board is a football fan. But how do you use tax dollars that financially benefit primarily a single wealthy person with his business without some of his own investment dollars being used?

 

My personal preference is that if there is going to be an upgrade it should be a major upgrade that will last for a very long time. I'm talking about a range of $200-300 million; something comparable to the major overhaul done in KC, a similarly designed stadium. But if the current owner isn't willing to participate in sharing the costs then I don't feel that it would be appropriate to do.

[eme123]

As much as I love the Bills I could live with being the town that finally stands up and says enough is enough. Government funded stadiums is a racket pure and simple. Government should never be in business and private business should never profit from the risk of taxpayers. NYS for example is going to pump $100 million into a stadium that gets used 8 times a year in Orchard Park, NY? WTF!

 

This article couldn't have said it any better. I mean come on. Indianapolis is still paying on the RCA Dome until 2021? Wow!

 

Also, in my opinion each and every one of these stadiums that goes up makes the experience less and less of what it once was. These new stadiums have less seats, farther away from the action, and are populated with white collar patrons that I would hardly call fanatics.

[Best Player Available]

how do you use tax dollars that financially benefit primarily a single wealthy person with his business without some of his own investment dollars being used?

I don't believe what you say is correct. Whats Ralph's net yearly profit on ticket sales, etc.? I don't know but I do know some wealthy people and corporations make those type of profits in a month. Depending on the business. The benefit to the Buffalo economy (and Rochester for camp) is huge. Espcially on a financially depressed economy. Heck Brady's dad alone drops $59.99 yearly at the econo lodge.

 

Take away the bar & Restaurant business which is huge, The taxes the county receives from all sales. The benefits from canadian fans coming in, you get the idea. Also although they're low paying, a lot of jobs are created by the Bills in Buffalo.

 

Sell stadium fund bonds, something. But Ralph is far from the only owner in professional sports that demands structural upgrades at the end of a lease. BTW like homes, stadium maintainenace costs are huge.You can blame city and state governments for some of that. Maybe earthquake faults should be studied,before passing laws saying a structure needs earthquake upgrades. This menatality and talk is exactly what was said the last time the lease was up. I don't track these things but Ralph's Bills may bring the biggest dollar amount spent in the county. Unless Galleria mall sales are better? Tourism is almost non exsistant in Buffalo, especially when compared to other rust belt cities that were savvy enough to spend on urban renewal. Cleveland and Pittsburgh come to mind. Don't be surprised when Detroit leaves Buffalo in the dust too.

 

Jones can finance billion dollar stadiums because the ROI potential is there and it's huge. He will get it all back. You think Ralph popping close to a Billion for a domed mega stadium in Erie County has odds like that? No way.

 

As for what would happen to the Ralph if the Bills would leave. That answer is easy. It will get plowed under. It's the lowest cost option. The upgrades would still be needed to provide a safe place. But for what? And You go back to who will pay for it. The liability costs would be astronomical if the stadium is not kept up to modern codes. That would be for just letting it sit there.Besides who the hell would have any use for the place? Not a rock band on earth has any interest anymore. They haven't for decades. TO is the better option there.

[Preston Ridlehuber]

Here's a link to yet another article that clearly demonstrates that public money being put into pro sports buildings does NOT equal jobs, money, prosperity, etc.

 

Keep this in mind when RW demands (not asks) the State of NY to pump $100+ million into RWS purely so he can improve profits.

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-03/as-super-bowl-shows-build-stadiums-for-love-and-not-money-view.html

 

 

One thing the naysayers avoid discussing is how much state income tax is generated by the team. I have no doubt that all the cost benefits analysis reports are skewed to reflect whatever point of view that the author wants. The real hard numbers should be easy to document. Now that NFL teams payrolls are approaching $150 million, how much state income tax is paid? $10 million per year? Even the naysyers would have to admit there is some economic benefit to having people making this kind of money in your neighborhood so if the state income tax covers the initial state outlay, isn't the state ahead?

There are obviously a ton of factors involved and numbers to crunch but if you can get to break even and you acknowledge at least some financial benefit compounded by a quality of life enhancement isn't the answer obvious?

For the record, I believe in a perfect world the government wouldn't get involved in any of this but unless you can get a new law passed, play the best you can within the rules you have to deal with.

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

http://mo.palmbeachpost.com/sports/dolphins/miami-dolphins-want-to-make-sun-life-stadium-2146961.html

 

A provision in the new collective bargaining agreement called the G4 financing plan lets the league use its revenue to help fund stadium construction or improvements.

 

Just Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers became the first team to benefit from G4 financing when the league committed $200 million for a new $1 billion stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

 

Teams have 15 years to pay back the low-interest loans.

 

http://newballpark.org/2012/02/02/49ers-get-200-million-g-4-loan/

 

Buffalo will probably opt for small improvements to Ralph Wilson Stadium, for which the G-4 program has a subset of rules for financing.

 

If the other owners wind up being unwilling to loan Ralph/the Bills any money to help pay for stadium renovations to the Ralph, I for one will wonder why. Maybe it will be because they think the County/State can be coerced into funding 100% of the cost of improvements. Or maybe ...

[gobillsinytown]

Bullsh--. What if all 32 cities refuse to do so? Every team is going to move.....to where?

 

Using public money for pro sport arenas is a scam that ought to land every public official involved in prison. It's a disgusting waste of money.

 

This is a valid point.....except that all 32 cities will never refuse to do so. To my knowledge, there has never been a case where a city has flatly refused to use public money that has kept their team.

 

I'm not saying it's right......but it's reality.

[Buffaloed in Pa]

I don't believe what you say is correct. Whats Ralph's net yearly profit on ticket sales, etc.? I don't know but I do know some wealthy people and corporations make those type of profits in a month. Depending on the business. The benefit to the Buffalo economy (and Rochester for camp) is huge. Espcially on a financially depressed economy. Heck Brady's dad alone drops $59.99 yearly at the econo lodge.

 

Take away the bar & Restaurant business which is huge, The taxes the county receives from all sales. The benefits from canadian fans coming in, you get the idea. Also although they're low paying, a lot of jobs are created by the Bills in Buffalo.

 

Sell stadium fund bonds, something. But Ralph is far from the only owner in professional sports that demands structural upgrades at the end of a lease. BTW like homes, stadium maintainenace costs are huge.You can blame city and state governments for some of that. Maybe earthquake faults should be studied,before passing laws saying a structure needs earthquake upgrades. This menatality and talk is exactly what was said the last time the lease was up. I don't track these things but Ralph's Bills may bring the biggest dollar amount spent in the county. Unless Galleria mall sales are better? Tourism is almost non exsistant in Buffalo, especially when compared to other rust belt cities that were savvy enough to spend on urban renewal. Cleveland and Pittsburgh come to mind. Don't be surprised when Detroit leaves Buffalo in the dust too.

 

Jones can finance billion dollar stadiums because the ROI potential is there and it's huge. He will get it all back. You think Ralph popping close to a Billion for a domed mega stadium in Erie County has odds like that? No way.

 

As for what would happen to the Ralph if the Bills would leave. That answer is easy. It will get plowed under. It's the lowest cost option. The upgrades would still be needed to provide a safe place. But for what? And You go back to who will pay for it. The liability costs would be astronomical if the stadium is not kept up to modern codes. That would be for just letting it sit there.Besides who the hell would have any use for the place? Not a rock band on earth has any interest anymore. They haven't for decades. TO is the better option there.

Exactly Pittsburgh is almost the same size as Buffalo,but they built a NEW stadium. Started more things to do in the city. Buffalo and New york state have too many fat cats in office,that could care less about anything but when is my raise due.

[JohnC]

I don't believe what you say is correct. Whats Ralph's net yearly profit on ticket sales, etc.? I don't know but I do know some wealthy people and corporations make those type of profits in a month. Depending on the business. The benefit to the Buffalo economy (and Rochester for camp) is huge. Espcially on a financially depressed economy. Heck Brady's dad alone drops $59.99 yearly at the econo lodge.

 

Take away the bar & Restaurant business which is huge, The taxes the county receives from all sales. The benefits from canadian fans coming in, you get the idea. Also although they're low paying, a lot of jobs are created by the Bills in Buffalo.

 

Sell stadium fund bonds, something. But Ralph is far from the only owner in professional sports that demands structural upgrades at the end of a lease. BTW like homes, stadium maintainenace costs are huge.You can blame city and state governments for some of that. Maybe earthquake faults should be studied,before passing laws saying a structure needs earthquake upgrades. This menatality and talk is exactly what was said the last time the lease was up. I don't track these things but Ralph's Bills may bring the biggest dollar amount spent in the county. Unless Galleria mall sales are better? Tourism is almost non exsistant in Buffalo, especially when compared to other rust belt cities that were savvy enough to spend on urban renewal. Cleveland and Pittsburgh come to mind. Don't be surprised when Detroit leaves Buffalo in the dust too.

 

Jones can finance billion dollar stadiums because the ROI potential is there and it's huge. He will get it all back. You think Ralph popping close to a Billion for a domed mega stadium in Erie County has odds like that? No way.

 

As for what would happen to the Ralph if the Bills would leave. That answer is easy. It will get plowed under. It's the lowest cost option. The upgrades would still be needed to provide a safe place. But for what? And You go back to who will pay for it. The liability costs would be astronomical if the stadium is not kept up to modern codes. That would be for just letting it sit there.Besides who the hell would have any use for the place? Not a rock band on earth has any interest anymore. They haven't for decades. TO is the better option there.

 

Over the past 8 years Wilson has made in the range of a quarter of a Billion $$$ off of the Bills. I'm not criticizing him for making that kind of money from playing in a facility he didn't pay a penny for. My basic point is that it is not unreasonable to expect him to contribute to the upgrading of the facility that he not only uses but who has exclusive control of.

 

The KC Chiefs play in a similarly designed stadium which over the past few years went through a major upgrade. The Chiefs paid at least a third of the costs for that upgrade. Why shouldn't the Bills also pay a portion of the costs?

 

The Bills play seven regular season games per year at the facility. There is a negligiable regional economic spin off from the limited stadium usage. What is so wrong or unfair as to require that the primary (only) tenant and beneficiary of the facility pay a reasonable percentage of the costs to overhaul the facility.

 

As I stated in a prior post over the past decade or so I don't know of one owner who hasn't contributed to the building or refurbishing of the facility they play in. Why should Wilson be excused from the same obligation that other owners have been subjected to?

[weehawk]

Trust me. It's all figured in. This subject has been researched to death by many leading economists who are not necessarily naysayers. They are economists that generally know what they are talking about. Read the *detailed* reports that the article refers to and then come back and say they didn't take certain things into account or are biased. I'm sure they could care less about NY State and the Bills. Numbers are numbers.

 

I never said that there are no benefits to having a team. Keep the stadium safe on the taxpayers dime and that's it. Anything else, the owner pays for. Above and beyond a safe building, this is the wrong way to spend tax money. If we dont start with such blatant waste like this, there will never be any real change. In the case of NY State, I think it's probably too late anyway.

 

No one can tell me that the City will shrivel up and die without the Bills. The City ( and State) is already a train wreck. The Bills leaving wont make any real difference, except to the Hammer guy that runs the parking lot and the concession guys that make some extra dough hawking beer. If Bills fans had any real balls, they'd lobby the State to call Ralph's bluff. Like I said, the man has nowhere to take the team, and a new owner wont be any better off. The NFL gravy train is slowing down big time. There are no more big (or medium) markets that can afford a team and a new stadium. Regardless of what the media says, the US economy will never recover to past levels. We shipped all of our middle class jobs overseas and they are not coming back.

 

At least three other teams are trying to squeeze their cities and states for money with the threat that they will leave. They all cant leave and anyone that thinks that LA or Toronto is a viable market now or in the next five to ten years is not paying attention.

 

CALL RALPH's BLUFF!! WHERE ARE THEY GONNA GO IF RALPH DOES NOT GET HIS $100+ MILLION UPGRADE?

 

LA - read the news. LA is no closer to a stadium than it was when the Raiders left

 

Toronto - The NFL would require a new stadium. Based on well-documented past events, the Canadian govt will not fund a new stadium and that's the only way new stadiums get built these days

 

San Antonio - Probably the best case scenario for an NFL-ready city. I think MIN could end up there as OAK and SD will wait out the LA fiasco.

 

Oklahoma City - No stadium-no govt money

 

Portland - No stadium-no govt money

 

So you basically have MIN, OAK, SD all trying to squeeze govt money for new buildings and they realistically only have one place to go and that's not going to change for many years. This is a farce. The Bills have no where to go and there is no logical reason to give them $100 million+ in upgrades.

 

 

 

One thing the naysayers avoid discussing is how much state income tax is generated by the team. I have no doubt that all the cost benefits analysis reports are skewed to reflect whatever point of view that the author wants. The real hard numbers should be easy to document. Now that NFL teams payrolls are approaching $150 million, how much state income tax is paid? $10 million per year? Even the naysyers would have to admit there is some economic benefit to having people making this kind of money in your neighborhood so if the state income tax covers the initial state outlay, isn't the state ahead?

There are obviously a ton of factors involved and numbers to crunch but if you can get to break even and you acknowledge at least some financial benefit compounded by a quality of life enhancement isn't the answer obvious?

For the record, I believe in a perfect world the government wouldn't get involved in any of this but unless you can get a new law passed, play the best you can within the rules you have to deal with.

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

Last item shown in the following link is the actual text of the NFL's "2011 Resolution G-4" concerning NFL financial support of stadium construction and improvement projects:

 

http://sduncovered.tumblr.com/

 

2011 RESOLUTION G-4

 

Whereas, the stadium construction support program established by 1999 Resolution G-3, as extended by 2003 Resolution JC-1 (the “G-3 Program”), contributed to the completion of 12 stadium projects benefitting 13 clubs; and

 

Whereas, the G-3 Program reached its pre-established funding capacity in 2006, and since such time no new major stadium projects have been approved; and

 

Whereas, a new stadium construction support program (the “G-4 Program”) would assist in building new stadiums that would provide many benefits to the League and clubs, including potentially (a) supporting franchise stability and national television contracts, (b) enhancing the in-stadium fan experience, and © allowing the League and clubs to remain competitive with other sports and entertainment offerings; and

 

Whereas, the G-4 Program should take into account certain developments since the institution of the G-4 Program, such as (a) the substantial increase in private contributions to stadium construction costs, (b) the League’s institution of certain stadium financing guidelines, and © stadium credits available under the League’s new collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA; and

 

Whereas, any amounts made available to a club or its related stadium affiliate under the G-4 Program should require separate member club approval on a case-by-case basis;

 

Be it Resolved:

 

[see link above for lengthy text - - applicable to both new stadium construction and existing stadium renovations]

 

If the NFL recognizes that greater "private contributions" are required to fund stadium construction costs in today's political and economic climate, and makes loans available to team owners for that purpose, Ralph should plan on ponying up some of the $ for the stadium renovations.

[BillnutinHouston]

 

San Antonio - Probably the best case scenario for an NFL-ready city. I think MIN could end up there as OAK and SD will wait out the LA fiasco.

 

 

Are you well acquainted with San Antonio? I lived there for three years.

 

1) It's a Cowboys town through and through, and no way would Jerry Jones cede this territory to another franchise. The Cowboys often hold training camp there.

 

2) What do you know about its demographics? It has decent population, but not a lot of money overall. Most of the population is low wage.

 

3) The Alamodome is not NFL-caliber. They would have to start from scratch as far as stadium.

 

4) The City's psyche is torn between the old days (small town mentality that prefers to stay that way) vs. the new blood that wants the city to become more cosmopolitan. Infrastructure has not caught up with its recent growth.

 

Despite its undeserved reputation, I don't think SA is well positioned at all to be an NFL city.

Edited February 7, 2012 by BillnutinHouston