OT -- Report: Raiders Have Met with San Antonio Officials and Discussed Move

[Nightman]

Could just be a ploy to get the city coffers in Oakland to pony up a new stadium but still ....

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...onio-officials

I remember Baltimore was used as a ploy for NFL teams like the Cardinals, Rams, and the Buccaneers years ago to get decent leases or stadium deals before the Ravens came here.

[Bigfish]

Exactly, round hole meet square peg.

I want to bang Katy Perry. Just cause we have comparable parts does not mean it will ever happen! That is L.A. and football....

Don't lose hope, she banged that loser Russell Brant.

[Captain Silver]

Don't lose hope, she banged that loser Russell Brant.

Man, I hope L.A. gets a team!

[ActualSpamBot]

If I were wanting to relocate a team...I'd be most interested in Oklahoma City.

Just as long as the Seahawks aren't the team to move there. ;)

[Mista T]

IMO he stands a better chance of the league going along with an L.A. move where they actually want a team. S.A. is a small tv market and I just don't see any agreement amongst the owners for that move.

Huh? Metro San Antonio is 2.5 million, 25th in the US, slightly smaller than Baltimore. Add in Austin's 1.7 million, which is just a one hour hop, skip, and jump down I-35 at 80+ mph, and it would constitute the largest US metro areas with an immediately available NFL quality stadium without an NFL team. San Antonio provided impressive support hosting the Saints when the Super Bowl was damaged after Katrina.

If Davis wants to make this move, it would be a shrewd maneuver. LA still isn't offering a viable stadium plan, London is years away, and the Bills already claim Toronto as their turf.

As to the other NFL owners: none of them want to play in front of Oakland's 20,000 empty seats, after 10,000 seats had already been tarped over. Moreover: this is Al Davis' son. Al successfully ran his team up & down the Pacific Coast, then, in turn, successfully sued his NFL partners. NFL owners would no sooner block Davis' move to San Antonio than they would have blocked Modell's move to Baltimore.

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The entire idea of public funding for stadiums is outrageous and ought to be summarily rejected by the public. It is a classic example of privatizing profits and socializing costs that generally leads to no actual benefit to anyone other than billionaire owners, who have somehow convinced people that this outright fraud is actually good for the community.

Meanwhile our schools, public pension plans, and infrastructure are crumbling and falling apart and politicians are shifting the blame for government going broke onto the 99%. Liars, cheaters, and crooks.

Hogwash! :hammer:

Typically, stadium improvements are funded by means other than income or property taxes. Despite Maryland's well-earned designation of "Tax Hell", general funds were not used to construct the Ravens Stadium -- instead it was funded by Lottery revenues, i.e. voluntary payments intended to support construction of the stadium. I don't know all the revenue generation schemes for new stadium constructions in Minneapolis and Atlanta, or how Cleveland, Nashville etc were financed, but what I have read, much of this has been accomplished without impacting property or income taxes.

Moreover, the Alamodome has been built and has successfully serviced NFL games. Its' upgrade is likely to be buildout of an additional 30-odd suites - a relatively small investment.

If the San Antonio voters want to spend tax money, regardless of source, to finish the Alamodome to host NFL games, it's their choice to support their elected officials, or throw them out.

[AirFlacco]

Hey T - Get your request in now for escalators so you'll have them when the Ravens play there.

[Raven Werewolf]

I cant imagine the NFL would be too thrilled if the Raiders were the ones to go to LA. Im guessing theyll want an owner with deep pockets and Davis isnt that guy. But theyre going to have to go somewhere. Oakland is probably going to have to choose between the A's and Raiders and I thought they already committed to a long term lease with possible future stadium tie in for the A's.

The big issue to me is why the hell do LA and Oakland have all this trouble keeping NFL teams? LA had the Chargers and Rams and Raiders and they all left. Oakland had the Raiders and lost them then got them back and now could lose them again. But if anyone does move to LA I think the Rams could go back since their lease is up at years end IINM and Kronke (sp I know) is loaded.

[HotInHere]

Tho Oakland Raiders were dead-last in attendance last season, averaging 50K per game. The only way they avoided blackouts was by both applying the NFL's 85% policy, AND using tarps to reduce the stadium capacity. Also, the last time LA had football, there were 2 teams competing for the locals affection, attention, and $. That won't be the case this time. The last year the Rams and Raiders played in LA, the Rams had 45K in attendance, the Raiders about the same. Even if only about 50% of those fans embrace the new team, that's a full stadium. AS for TV markets: LA has a metro area (actually, Combined Statistical Area, along with Long Beach) of 19Mil. Oakland is a city of under 400K, and shares a Combined Statistical Area (along with San Jose and San Fran) that is less than 1/4 the size of LA's...and one which already has another team. The LA Raiders are WAY more attractive to a national TV network, which it the big $ the NFL is after.

FWIW, the Dodgers are #1 in attendance in baseball this year. The Angels are #5. In the NBA, the Clippers and Lakers come in 7 and 8.

I think if it's done right, they could fill a football stadium eight times a year.

[lowrider]

Huh? Metro San Antonio is 2.5 million, 25th in the US, slightly smaller than Baltimore. Add in Austin's 1.7 million, which is just a one hour hop, skip, and jump down I-35 at 80+ mph, and it would constitute the largest US metro areas with an immediately available NFL quality stadium without an NFL team. San Antonio provided impressive support hosting the Saints when the Super Bowl was damaged after Katrina.

I found this data that shows San Antonio as the 37th largest market, 11 spots behind Baltimore. L.A. on the other hand is the 2nd largest TV market, behind only NY.

http://www.stationindex.com/tv/tv-markets

Two big problems for a move to San Antonio is Jones & McNair. They will both fight to block any move there. UNLESS there is some financial advantage for both, and I just don't see that.

[HoustonRaven]

I found this data that shows San Antonio as the 37th largest market, 11 spots behind Baltimore. L.A. on the other hand is the 2nd largest TV market, behind only NY.

http://www.stationindex.com/tv/tv-markets

Two big problems for a move to San Antonio is Jones & McNair. They will both fight to block any move there. UNLESS there is some financial advantage for both, and I just don't see that.

Those two are just two votes. Nothing more.

They can lobby all the want but it's the league that holds the most clout. I'd bet the league would be ok with a move to SA, though they'd prefer LA

[Stealthbirds80]

Slightly OT, wasn't there a story about the Spurs looking to leave as well a few years back? I swear Baltimore was in the discussion as one of those cities the Spurs were looking to.

I just can't fathom the Raiders looking at San Antonio as a viable solution. There has to be a couple bigger cities that could take on an NFL team. What about LA, OKC, or *shudders* London?

[GOTA]

I found this data that shows San Antonio as the 37th largest market, 11 spots behind Baltimore. L.A. on the other hand is the 2nd largest TV market, behind only NY.

http://www.stationindex.com/tv/tv-markets

Two big problems for a move to San Antonio is Jones & McNair. They will both fight to block any move there. UNLESS there is some financial advantage for both, and I just don't see that.

Why would it matter how big the TV market is? TV revenues are split evenly among all the teams. It's the stadium revenue that makes the difference for an owner.