richNjoisy Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 http://myespn.go.com/blogs/hashmarks/0-8-1...lling-Jags.html One can certainly believe this is possible given how few games this team sells out - even when they are good. Won't soothe the fears of the Toronto Bills crew, but whatever...,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 linky no worky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 The link worked fine for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I left a comment. Some of those comments were weak, like suggesting fans need another generation to care about the team. And throwing Buffalo and New Orleans under the bus doesn't earn them sympathy. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Wait, I thought it was the Cargers moving to LA? Maybe they can all move there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numark Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Wait, I thought it was the Cargers moving to LA? Maybe they can all move there? interesting, but it might just work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I would not be surprised if Jacksonville did move. They really lack fan support and their ticket sales are horrible, especially season ticket sales which have been way down forcing the stadium to close a few sections to avoid TV blackouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 One can certainly believe this is possible given how few games this team sells out - even when they are good. I moved from Jax a year ago after a dozen years there. The city doesn't deserve* an NFL franchise. Typical Florida non-chalance and 6 of 10 residents weren't born there. I saw about 10 games and evey time I just went to the ticket booth on game day and bought a choice seat. Not sure it'd be any better/more enthusiastic in southern Cal, but the NFL would like it I'm sure. * I judge 'deserving' as a northern sports fanatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Well, should Jax move to LA, you know the divisions will be realigned. It may take a couple of years, because I can't believe neither the Broncos or Chiefs will give up the great rivalries, but I think the Chiefs would be moved to the South to replace Jax, which would go to the West as LA. Leaving an LA team in the South will do nothing for them...no one in Hollywood would be excited to see Tenny and Houston come in on an annual basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Jags are NOT for sale, but Matt Jones can be had for the right price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Jags are NOT for sale, but Matt Jones can be had for the right price. Except you have to pay per kilo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Probably should add a subhed here: Jags believed to be most likely to move ... according to one ESPN.com writer. Kuharsky should be familiar with JAX's situation since he covered the division-rival Titans for the Tennessean, but I'm not sure how much he's written on the league in general. That said, Florida is still college football country, and I don't see that ever changing. The Bills have played down there three times without coming close to a single sellout. Indeed, last year's "paid attendance" of 64,546 -- a total which includes no-shows -- was the first time they managed to break the 60,000 mark for a game against Buffalo. One of those commenters thinks the league should wait a generation? Yeah, I have no doubt that the Joneses, Krafts, and Snyders will be willing to accept reduced gate receipts for another ten years while the people of Jacksonville try to decide whether or not they want to support the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Probably should add a subhed here: Jags believed to be most likely to move ... according to one ESPN.com writer. Kuharsky should be familiar with JAX's situation since he covered the division-rival Titans for the Tennessean, but I'm not sure how much he's written on the league in general. That said, Florida is still college football country, and I don't see that ever changing. The Bills have played down there three times without coming close to a single sellout. Indeed, last year's "paid attendance" of 64,546 -- a total which includes no-shows -- was the first time they managed to break the 60,000 mark for a game against Buffalo. One of those commenters thinks the league should wait a generation? Yeah, I have no doubt that the Joneses, Krafts, and Snyders will be willing to accept reduced gate receipts for another ten years while the people of Jacksonville try to decide whether or not they want to support the team. But I thought that winning led to people showing up to games and/or teams making a lot of money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 But I thought that winning led to people showing up to games and/or teams making a lot of money? In true football towns, like Buffalo, it does...in Jacksonville, not so much.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scribo Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I think the Chargers are the more likely choice to get moved to LA. Jacksonville is still very much a city with "up-side." It is growing and the NFL is still hoping the city's growth will translate into fanbase growth. I also think the Jags have a legit chance at the Super Bowl this year, which will help, to be sure. The Chargers, on the other hand, have the most talent-laden roster in football, but cannot get it together and will likely be sitting back home by mid-January. The San Diegoians know what they have in their team and just aren't passionate. The great things about all this is that I the Bills aren't really an option for Los Angeles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Probably should add a subhed here: Jags believed to be most likely to move ... according to one ESPN.com writer. Kuharsky should be familiar with JAX's situation since he covered the division-rival Titans for the Tennessean, but I'm not sure how much he's written on the league in general. That said, Florida is still college football country, and I don't see that ever changing. The Bills have played down there three times without coming close to a single sellout. Indeed, last year's "paid attendance" of 64,546 -- a total which includes no-shows -- was the first time they managed to break the 60,000 mark for a game against Buffalo. One of those commenters thinks the league should wait a generation? Yeah, I have no doubt that the Joneses, Krafts, and Snyders will be willing to accept reduced gate receipts for another ten years while the people of Jacksonville try to decide whether or not they want to support the team. IIRC, Jax won their franchise as a darkhorse in that years' battle for new teams because Weaver stepped up late and offered 5 straight years of full house attendance -meaning all visitors would take home 50% of full gate receipts. BOOM! (maddenesque) They get a franchise. All of their home games were televised locally for all 5 years -even without sellouts. When that ended, everyone bitched but they rarely sold out again -even after covering up much of the upper decks to reduce the amount of seats available. Lori's likely dead on regarding other teams patience. Yeesh! Could you imagine how bad it would be if the team sucked?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 But I thought that winning led to people showing up to games and/or teams making a lot of money? Not there, it doesn't. Even after last year's playoff run, only 85% of season ticket holders renewed their seats. (And that's a RECORD for them.) In fact, they just started a ticket-sale campaign called "Believe In Now" earlier this week ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richNjoisy Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 Not there, it doesn't. Even after last year's playoff run, only 85% of season ticket holders renewed their seats. (And that's a RECORD for them.) In fact, they just started a ticket-sale campaign called "Believe In Now" earlier this week ... Thanks for the numbers, folks. I started this post but I was not POSITIVE that their sales sucked but it was what what-I-call-a-memory told me. One person in this thread mentioned Jacksonville getting ANOTHER Super Bowl. I don't believe, The first (and hopefully last) Bowl game was a travesty - they did not have enough hotel space and TRIED to put people up in Cruise ships. I heard that was a joke and the traffic was ridiculous. As to San Diego moving as a possibility - I have heard that, too but I think that Jacksonville is the team most likely to move for both financial reasons AND PR reasons (I mean, if they move will Jacksonville residents even notice?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckeyemike Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 New Orleans has been mentioned as well as a possible LA candidate. I don't believe that is happening. Does anyone honestly believe that, post-Katrina and spending $180 million to refurbish the Superdome, that a team with excellent fan support is leaving its hometown of 40+ years? That would be a freaking public relations disaster for the NFL (for what it's worth, the Saints' lease is up after the 2010 season, and the team receives millions in subsidies from the state of Louisiana...at least $20 million per year). If Katrina never happened, though, the Saints would move unless a (say it with me) new stadium was built. But isn't the Superdome good enough for the NFL? The building has hosted six Super Bowls, more than any other stadium. More than even the Orange Bowl. I remember the Superdome was a world-class building from the late 70s at least into the 80s. One thing I'm really getting tired of with the NFL is this move toward the moneyed people, which has been going on for at least a decade, and probably longer. Once upon a time, venerable stadiums such as the Orange Bowl, Tulane Stadium, the L.A. Coliseum, and Cleveland Municipal Stadium were good enough for the NFL. Now, if the venue doesn't have enough club seats or lounges where the snobs can eat their baby argula salads, ignoring the game while checking their stock options on their I-Phones, forget about keeping your team, or having one in the first place. The NFL was built by regular people, the middle- and working-class fans. Today, it wants the Neiman Marcus and BMW crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richNjoisy Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 I agree with you completely, Buckeye about this "we must have a new stadium" crap. I was in town this past weekend and picked up a free local paper with Trent Edwards on the front. Inside was an article by Ed Kilgore (Jeesh, he was on channel 2 when I lived there 30 years ago!) Anyway, he writes that (paraphrasing), "Buffalo MUST have a waterfront stadium or it's bye-bye Bills". yes, he says, it will have fewer seats and the cost for the average fan will skyrocket but that is the ONLY way to keep the team. Bull. The Bills make money. Does anyone doubt that? Jim Kelly said, "Money is not the issue when Ralphie passes" if so, then what IS the issue? As to the new stadium crapola. how many cities are going to finance a new stadium these days? Name them, please. THEN we can talk about blackmailing Buffalonians to pay for one for the "poor, new Bills owner". The NFL is swimming in cash, the Bills are selling out and huge stadium at that. Plus, they get a 1/32nd cut of TV revenues plus ...what is it .... all proceeds from sales of jerseys, etc etc? Look at it across the country: Jacksonville owner says, "No new stadium? Then I'm outta here!" (response, adios tonto). San Diego owner says, LA or new stadium!!, residents say, "There's the door". By the way, where exactly IS that new LA stadium? Not built yet? Whattayawaiting for? Oh, .....money Now, it's Toronto who will build it and then they will come. Leaving 72,000 fanny-in-the-seats fans to move north into Canada? What Billionaire would want to leave this gravy train behind for such an uncertain future? -rgg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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