Los Angeles Upgrade Coliseum for Bid; Texans make proposals

[minibronco]

City officials hope renovations will lure NFL team

LOS ANGELES -- City officials next week will pitch their plans to the NFL for an $800 million upgrade of the aging Los Angeles Coliseum in hopes of luring a professional football team back to town.

The 67,000-seat reconstruction would include 15,000 club seats, 500 luxury boxes and state-of-the-art amenities. It would be constructed within the shell of the existing Coliseum, which hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.

The Coliseum is used by the University of Southern California football team but it hasn't hosted a professional team since the Raiders in 1994. They returned to Oakland the next year.

In October, the City Council agreed to allow for up to $25 million in local tax revenues generated by a stadium renovation to be earmarked for redevelopment projects around the Coliseum.

However, city officials have resisted pledges to supply money for actual stadium construction, especially at a time when the budget is running hundreds of millions of dollars in the red.

City officials hope the NFL will agree to pay for the new stadium.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other city and county officials will urge the NFL on May 2 in Dallas to place an existing or an expansion team in town.

"Los Angeles is a great sports town," Villaraigosa said at Tuesday's news conference at the Coliseum, where city officials outlined the renovation plans.

"We have a great fan base that supports its teams," he said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2421901

Texans exchange proposals with Bush, Williams

In a move that further ratchets up their public stance of indecision over the first pick in the NFL draft, the Houston Texans on Friday exchanged contract proposals with the agents for Southern California tailback Reggie Bush and North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, ESPN.com learned through multiple league sources.


Because they own the first choice, the Texans are free to speak with any of the prospects and to conduct simultaneous negotiations. The aim of the Texans, it appears, is to have an agreement in place before the start of the April 29 draft.


Houston general manager Charley Casserly said earlier this week that the Texans would likely not settle on a top pick until next week. Like most teams, the Texans are deep into their draft evaluation meetings, which will continue this weekend. The choice, Casserly all but acknowledged this week, comes down to Bush or Williams, but the consensus in the league is that the Texans will choose the former Trojans star.


The Texans have yet to receive any firm offers from other teams trying to trade up to the top spot. Certainly they have the right, and ability, to financially leverage Bush and Williams against each other by negotiating with both at the same time and to strike a deal most advantageous to the team.


The events of Friday, at least with Bush, followed a Thursday evening discussion in which the two sides broached contract parameters for the first time. None of the sources contacted on Friday had knowledge of any of the financial details of the proposals exchanged earlier in the day. Bush said Thursday that rumors he was seeking $30 million in guarantees were erroneous and reiterated at the time that no numbers had been discussed.


It is not known when parameters were first suggested to Ben Dogra, the agent for Williams, a dominating pass rusher who is regarded as the premier defensive player in the talent pool.


Bush's agent, Joel Segal, told ESPN.com last week that "it would be the ultimate for both sides" to have an agreement in place before the draft begins. It does not appear, sources said, that an agreement is imminent with either player based on the Friday discussions.


Even with the recently approved extension to the collective bargaining agreement, there are still several restrictions that will call for creativity from the Texans and whoever is the first choice in the draft.


In the last 10 drafts, the top overall choice has reached a contract agreement before the start of the lottery on three occasions. Houston agreed with the top choice in the 2002 draft, quarterback David Carr, before the draft commenced. The other No. 1 overall selections who had deals in place before the draft began were Tim Couch of Cleveland in 1999 and Carson Palmer of Cincinnati in 2003.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/news/story?id=2417167

[SoCalBronco]

"Los Angeles is a great sports town," Villaraigosa said at Tuesday's news conference at the Coliseum, where city officials outlined the renovation plans.

"We have a great fan base that supports its teams," he said.


Hilarious!

[24champ]

Hilarious!
why is that funny when he is right? Laker games sell-out alot, Kings have a great hockey fan base believe it or not. Clippers are doing well also. However I disagree that a football team should be in LA.

[minibronco]

Yea, Villa is actually correct on that one. I don't get the laugh...

[SoCalBronco]

why is that funny when he is right? Laker games sell-out alot, Kings have a great hockey fan base believe it or not. Clippers are doing well also. However I disagree that a football team should be in LA.

Please. This city is full of useless bandwagoners. How come I dont see Laker flags on cars anymore? Gee I wonder why. Im not saying other cities dont have bandwagoners either, but from my experience, they are ALL over L.A.
I cant even tell you how many people I have seen go from crazy "die hard" fans to "eh..dont care too much". Maybe I am just living in a part of town that isnt reflective of the southern california community but I doubt it. I dont doubt that there are some real die hards, but I have seen so many damn bandwagoners...and a good deal of people who are generally apathetic towards sports, that I cant accept the notion that L.A. is a great sports town or even a good sports town. Where were all the people when Mike Van Raaphorst was the Trojans starting QB? Hell...where were all the people when Carson Palmer was the starter in 2000 and 2001? I have very little respect for the fans in this town.

[minibronco]

Please. This city is full of useless bandwagoners. How come I dont see Laker flags on cars anymore? Gee I wonder why. Im not saying other cities dont have bandwagoners either, but from my experience, they are ALL over L.A.
I cant even tell you how many people I have seen go from crazy "die hard" fans to "eh..dont care too much". Maybe I am just living in a part of town that isnt reflective of the southern california community but I doubt it. I dont doubt that there are some real die hards, but I have seen so many damn bandwagoners...and a good deal of people who are generally apathetic towards sports, that I cant accept the notion that L.A. is a great sports town or even a good sports town. Where were all the people when Mike Van Raaphorst was the Trojans starting QB? Hell...where were all the people when Carson Palmer was the starter in 2000 and 2001? I have very little respect for the fans in this town.

Yea, ok. It actually varies from sport to sport. There are a lot of Laker fans, but only the bandwagoners put up the flag so it seems like there are a lot of them. The other sports have pretty stable fan bases, even through the losses.

But I admit that the Los Angeles fan base is not as big as it appears to be, but still big enough to deserve a football team.

edit: I actually live in Cypress, CA (Orange County), so it would be best (and better) to have the team based in OC. Fans and environment are much better here.

[broncocalijohn]

bandwagoners are an every town just it shows in LA. When we were 7 and 8 and trying to be the first team to start 0 and 4 then get to .500 (mid 90s), we were playing the Saints on 23rd of December. 10k no shows. Now, that isnt bad for the situation and time of year in most cities but for denver to have 10k no shows? Then a few years later, everyone jumped back on. LA doesnt deserve the team. Anaheim has a much better proposition for the NFL and is a better location. OC is cool. LA is so disgusting. I try not to go pass the LBC unless i am attending a Southern California game at the Coliseum.

[Pezman]

Dont forget Rivertucky errr the Inland Empire would love to get a team Ha! I personally would love to see a team end up in Pasadena or Anaheim but the L.A. hacks and corporate thugs will never go for that option.

[Drek]

City officials next week will pitch their plans to the NFL for an $800 million upgrade of the aging Los Angeles Coliseum in hopes of luring a professional football team back to town.
City officials hope the NFL will agree to pay for the new stadium.
So basically they're going to ask the NFL for $800M? Renovate a stadium for about three or four times what Kraft spent on building the very beautiful Gillette Stadium?

I'm sure teh city of L.A. would want it to remain their property, with USC and various other events allowed to play there as well.

****, talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it too. This is why the NFL will not return to L.A. without a big money owner forcing himself in. The NFL isn't going to spend **** to relocate a team, they're in the driver's seat here, being that they are the most popular sport across the U.S. right now. If L.A. thinks its a great sports city it should pony up and make the financial commitment themselves ,most every other city has.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

LA should just become an independent nation and float out to sea.

[Rock Chalk]

"Los Angeles is a great sports town,"
That's why they lost their two football franchises, cant get anyone to watch the Clippers and the Lakers are only popular if they are winning.

Yep. sounds like a great sports town to me. Full of illegals who watch futbol, not football.

[Jason in LA]

I don't have too much time right now to explain why LA is a great sports town. I'll get into detail about that later. For now, I'll just say a few things.

If we went by attendence, LA outdraws every other city. Just to compare LA to the biggest sports market, New York, the Dodgers and Angles out draw the Yankees and Mets, and just aobut anybody else. The Lakers and Clippers out draw the the Knicks and Nets, and just about everybody else. UCLA and USC football draw about the same amount of people as the Jets and Giants. USC out draws every NFL team. UCLA football is just below the NFL average, and out draws a number of NFL teams.

How many other cities have two major college programs? And both get good attendence.

As for the silly Laker flag argument, how many people in other cities who have flags drive around with them year round? I'm sure when the Broncos were in the playoffs there were people who put Bronco flags on their car. I'm sure in Detroit there are people with Piston flags on their car right now, and will fly them over the next month. Will they have those flags flying in June? Probably not. When the Lakers were making their run, the flags were only flying when they got deep into the playoffs. You didn't see many of them during the season, or early in the playoffs. You never saw them during the offseason. It would be silly to be flying a flag when the team isn't even playing. I'm pretty sure that's true for any city.

LA is a great sports town. There is no question about that.

[Jason in LA]

That's why they lost their two football franchises, cant get anyone to watch the Clippers and the Lakers are only popular if they are winning.

Yep. sounds like a great sports town to me. Full of illegals who watch futbol, not football.

Talk about BS. I don't know where you got that crap from. Probably just made it all up.

The Clippers have gotten good attendence over the past few years.

The Lakers sucked a** last year and still had many sellouts. This year was no different.

Like I said in my last post, USC football has a higher attendence then any team in the NFL, and UCLA, who is a basketball school, is just below the NFL average in attendence, and out draws a number of NFL teams.

More people in LA attend football games than just about any other city. New York is the only city that out draws LA in football, but it isnt' by much. LA out draws every other city in every other sport.

[Rohirrim]

The nice part about LA is the selling of NFL gear. I went to a bunch of games at the Colisseum when the Faders were playing there. You could look throughout the stands and see the gear of every team in the league. Hell, you see the gear from teams in just about every sport in the country. The best thing they did was the wave. And they did it no matter what was happening on the field. That part of LA is full of transients. If they're going to build a stadium and draw the hard core fans, they need to build it in a blue collar area like San Pedro or Wilmington or Carson, not on the campus of USC.

[phisig150]

Please. This city is full of useless bandwagoners. How come I dont see Laker flags on cars anymore? Gee I wonder why. Im not saying other cities dont have bandwagoners either, but from my experience, they are ALL over L.A.
I cant even tell you how many people I have seen go from crazy "die hard" fans to "eh..dont care too much". Maybe I am just living in a part of town that isnt reflective of the southern california community but I doubt it. I dont doubt that there are some real die hards, but I have seen so many damn bandwagoners...and a good deal of people who are generally apathetic towards sports, that I cant accept the notion that L.A. is a great sports town or even a good sports town. Where were all the people when Mike Van Raaphorst was the Trojans starting QB? Hell...where were all the people when Carson Palmer was the starter in 2000 and 2001? I have very little respect for the fans in this town.

The Dodgers are always top 3 in attendance evry year regardless of their record. The Lakers always sell out and even last year a ticket was still hard to come by. SC abd UCLA are always big draws. I'm so sick of the myth that LA has crappy sports fans. The way Georgia purposesly ran the Rams org into the ground that team didn't deserve to be supported and the Raiders are always a joke and law abiding citizens are too intidmidated to go. Just because we have other things to do out here doesn't make us any less of fans.

[bendog]

I heard San Diego's mayor said something about the team should settle on a site for a new stadium in San Diego, or it should be free to move on. I sort of get the feeling the chargers will just move North. But, I don't see the necessity of a new stadium being in LA or even Orange County. The friggin city seems to go halfway to Phoenix nowdays.

[24champ]

LA is ranked number three-
http://www.sportsfansofamerica.com/Interactive/Editorials/Fans/Cities.htm

Sporting News has LA number 5

Best Sports Cites:
1. Boston
2. Oakland-San Francisco-San Jose
3. New York-Long Island-New Jersey
4. Houston
5. Los Angeles-Anaheim
6. Miami-Fort Lauderdale
7. Detroit
8. Dallas-Fort Worth
9. Philadelphia
10. Minneapolis-St. Paul
11. Chicago
12. Denver
13. Atlanta
14. Tampa-St. Petersburg
15. Seattle
16. Indianapolis
17. Baltimore-Washington
18. St. Louis
19. Nashville
20. Phoenix
21. Charlotte
22. New Orleans
23. Salt Lake City
24. Pittsburgh
25. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.
26. Toronto
27. Cincinnati
28. Kansas City
29. Milwaukee
30. Memphis


For the full list, go
here-
http://archive.sportingnews.com/features/bestsportscities2004/fulllist.html

[Meck77]

I heard San Diego's mayor said something about the team should settle on a site for a new stadium in San Diego, or it should be free to move on. I sort of get the feeling the chargers will just move North. But, I don't see the necessity of a new stadium being in LA or even Orange County. The friggin city seems to go halfway to Phoenix nowdays.

Actually in this article it says that if they can't strike a deal by January the Chargers are free to seek a new location and could be play in another city after the 2008 seasonhttp://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060426/news_1s26canepa.html

[Jason in LA]

So basically they're going to ask the NFL for $800M? Renovate a stadium for about three or four times what Kraft spent on building the very beautiful Gillette Stadium?

I'm sure teh city of L.A. would want it to remain their property, with USC and various other events allowed to play there as well.

****, talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it too. This is why the NFL will not return to L.A. without a big money owner forcing himself in. The NFL isn't going to spend **** to relocate a team, they're in the driver's seat here, being that they are the most popular sport across the U.S. right now. If L.A. thinks its a great sports city it should pony up and make the financial commitment themselves ,most every other city has.

The truth is that neither side is in the drivers seat, because neither side needs each other.

The NFL doesn't need a team in LA. If they did there would have been a team here a long time ago. The ratings here are through the roof because there are no black out rules, and we get what ever the top games are. If there was a team here I'd say the TV ratings would go down because the home team would have to be shown.

LA doesn't need a team. Like I've said twice now, USC has a higher attendence than any NFL team, and UCLA is just below the NFL average. People are getting their football fix. It's rare that both teams play a home game on the same day, but when it happens, a good 150,000 attend football games on that day.

LA isn't some cowtown that needs the NFL to put itself on the map. That's why tax payers here will never vote to flip the bill on the stadium. A place like Jacksonville needed the NFL, and they paid top dollar. Team's can't hold the city for ransome like they can in other cities. How many owners have threatened to move if they didn't get a new stadium? Pat Bowlen even did it. In LA, go ahead and threaten to move. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

If the NFL returns, it's either going to be a rich owner, or the NFL that flips the bill. We'll find out who needs who more. If the NFL is willing to pay that bill, that shows that they really want a team here.

From the reports that I've read, it will pretty much be a new stadium. They'll keep the torch area, and build a new stadium around it. The big issue have been these damn historians who want to keep the outter walls. I don't get why. The problem is that the stadium is too damn big. The walls on the opposite end of the field needs to come in a lot. This stadium was built for track, which was huge around the time it was built. The stadium had two tracks. A 400 meter and 800 meter track. That's why the infield is so big. They need to bring in the other end of the field a lot.

[Hogan11]

I heard San Diego's mayor said something about the team should settle on a site for a new stadium in San Diego, or it should be free to move on. I sort of get the feeling the chargers will just move North. But, I don't see the necessity of a new stadium being in LA or even Orange County. The friggin city seems to go halfway to Phoenix nowdays.

They originally came from LA anyways...if the Chargers moved there, they'd just be going home.

[boltaneer]

According to the Chargers ownership, they've stated they wish to remain in San Diego and are going to be looking into stadium options outside the city of San Diego but still within the county. There are a couple of cities that are interested in building a stadium for the Chargers.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

LA is ranked number three-
http://www.sportsfansofamerica.com/Interactive/Editorials/Fans/Cities.htm

Sporting News has LA number 5

Best Sports Cites:
1. Boston
2. Oakland-San Francisco-San Jose
3. New York-Long Island-New Jersey
4. Houston
5. Los Angeles-Anaheim
6. Miami-Fort Lauderdale
7. Detroit
8. Dallas-Fort Worth
9. Philadelphia
10. Minneapolis-St. Paul
11. Chicago
12. Denver
13. Atlanta
14. Tampa-St. Petersburg
15. Seattle
16. Indianapolis
17. Baltimore-Washington
18. St. Louis
19. Nashville
20. Phoenix
21. Charlotte
22. New Orleans
23. Salt Lake City
24. Pittsburgh
25. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.
26. Toronto
27. Cincinnati
28. Kansas City
29. Milwaukee
30. Memphis


For the full list, go
here-
http://archive.sportingnews.com/features/bestsportscities2004/fulllist.html


Wow. That list is a total joke.

[Jason in LA]

LA doesnt deserve the team. Anaheim has a much better proposition for the NFL and is a better location. OC is cool. LA is so disgusting. I try not to go pass the LBC unless i am attending a Southern California game at the Coliseum.

There's not much difference between LA and Anaheim sports fan. It's all the same area. Ton of transplants.

The NFL isn't going to spend $800 million to put a team 35 miles outside of LA. Doesn't make sense. I haven't heard a good argument for that to happen. There's a reason why LA has 8 teams, and Anaheim has 2. The Clippers had a chance to move out of the crappy Sports Arena, and move into the newly built Anaheim Pond. This was before there were even plans for the Staple Center. The Clippers decided to stay in their dump rather than move out to Anaheim. Looks like they made the smart move.

Even the owner of the Angles knows the deal. They are "Los Angeles" now. It won't be too long before the "Anaheim" is dropped off all together.

Most people in LA try to aviod going down to Anaheim, unless they are going to Disneyland. I have to go down their every weekend to shoot little league baseball. It's too bland. Everything looks the same. Drives me nuts.

[Master___Pain]

According to the Chargers ownership, they've stated they wish to remain in San Diego and are going to be looking into stadium options outside the city of San Diego but still within the county. There are a couple of cities that are interested in building a stadium for the Chargers.

Where? Poway? Seems like you'd have go East or North East somewhere off 15 to find the dirt.

[Breck Bronc]

I don't have too much time right now to explain why LA is a great sports town. I'll get into detail about that later. For now, I'll just say a few things.

If we went by attendence, LA outdraws every other city. Just to compare LA to the biggest sports market, New York, the Dodgers and Angles out draw the Yankees and Mets, and just aobut anybody else. The Lakers and Clippers out draw the the Knicks and Nets, and just about everybody else. UCLA and USC football draw about the same amount of people as the Jets and Giants. USC out draws every NFL team. UCLA football is just below the NFL average, and out draws a number of NFL teams.

How many other cities have two major college programs? And both get good attendence.

LA is a great sports town. There is no question about that.The Angels and Dodgers do not outdraw the Yankees. Nobody has outdrawn the Yankees since Seattle did earlier this decade. The Dodgers and Angels have outdrawn the Mets in the past few years, though. The Angels were bottom of the barrel until 2002. Give them credit for changing the Big A and putting a competitive team on the field. If the Mets keep playing like they have so far this season they'll be 1-2 with the Yankees.

Neither the Lakers nor the Clippers have had a higher average attendance this decade than the Knicks. The Clippers aren't even close.

It's almost impossible to compare NFL attendance in a 79,000 seat stadium vs. NCAA football attendance in huge venues like the LA Coliseum and Rose Bowl. The Giants and Jets have ranked in the top 4 in NFL attendance every year this decade, including a couple of #1 finishes. USC and UCLA football have varied wildly as a gate attraction while the Jets and Giants sell out every year.

Giants Attendance:
2001: 78,000
2002: 79,000
2003: 79,000
2004: 79,000
2005: 79,000

Jets Attendance:
2001: 78,000
2002: 79,000
2003: 78,000
2004: 78,000
2005: 77,000

USC Attendance:
1998: 57,000
1999: 57,000
2000: 57,000
2001: 58,000
2002: 67,000
2003: 78,000
2004: 85,000
2005: 91,000

UCLA Attendance:
1998: 74,000
1999: 50,000
2000: 67,000
2001: 65,000
2002: 65,000
2003: 57,000
2004: 60,000
2005: 64,000

USC and UCLA probably have the same number of hard core fans and the rest is filled out by bandwagoners that jump to the hot team. The 2003-2005 Trojans might have had the biggest bandwagon in sports history.

The Los Angeles Kings have pretty good fans, though they don't outdraw the New York Rangers. The one chink in New York's armor is the New York Islanders. They play in a terrible building and don't draw well. The Ducks and Isles are pretty similar in attendance.

Los Angeles isn't a bad sports market. It isn't great, either, and does not compare to New York like you posited.

[boltaneer]

Where? Poway? Seems like you'd have go East or North East somewhere off 15 to find the dirt.

Yeah, it's not going to be in the city of San Diego so it's going to be a little bit aways.

The strongest interested party I've read about is Chula Vista. Other rumored areas are Oceanside/Vista and National City.

[Master___Pain]

Yeah, it's not going to be in the city of San Diego so it's going to be a little bit aways.

The strongest interested party I've read about is Chula Vista. Other rumored areas are Oceanside/Vista and National City.

Naw, just tear down the Fair grounds and the race track and put the stadium there ROFL!

None of the options you listed sound all that great. (I used to live in Del Mar and PB, so I have an understanding of the layout.)

Either way, I hope the Bolts stay in San Diego, and don't move North to LA.

[broncocalijohn]

There's not much difference between LA and Anaheim sports fan. It's all the same area. Ton of transplants.

The NFL isn't going to spend $800 million to put a team 35 miles outside of LA. Doesn't make sense. I haven't heard a good argument for that to happen. There's a reason why LA has 8 teams, and Anaheim has 2. The Clippers had a chance to move out of the crappy Sports Arena, and move into the newly built Anaheim Pond. This was before there were even plans for the Staple Center. The Clippers decided to stay in their dump rather than move out to Anaheim. Looks like they made the smart move.

Even the owner of the Angles knows the deal. They are "Los Angeles" now. It won't be too long before the "Anaheim" is dropped off all together.

Most people in LA try to aviod going down to Anaheim, unless they are going to Disneyland. I have to go down their every weekend to shoot little league baseball. It's too bland. Everything looks the same. Drives me nuts.

Jason, if you havent heard, Anaheim is willing to give the NFL 50 acres on the same sight as the Angels. The site will have a new stadium plus the whole anaheim area there will be considered "downtown" in less than 2 years. If you think it looks bland, you might be right. We dont have skid row or transients all over the place like LA. We stay behind the "Orange Curtain" because of LA filth. Try coming down here and explore more than "bland" area. Go down the coast or go to Orange downtown. Better roads than LA. People dont go to OC because of the same reasons as we avoid your hellhole. Traffic to us is if we are going 25 miles per hour with your about 10 miles is considered good at 3 30 pm. Enjoy LA GO OC!

[boltaneer]

Naw, just tear down the Fair grounds and the race track and put the stadium there ROFL!

That's fine with me. I don't have the slightest interest in horse racing. ;)


None of the options you listed sound all that great. (I used to live in Del Mar and PB, so I have an understanding of the layout.)

Either way, I hope the Bolts stay in San Diego, and don't move North to LA.

The city just needs to look at what happened with Petco Park. That has single handedly revitalized the downtown area here. I'm sure similar things have happened in other cities as well. I'm not a huge baseball fan but I now attend Padre games on a regular basis because it's fun to go see a game in a nice new stadium rather than a dump like Qualcomm Stadium.

I think Chula Vista has a shot at making this happen. They sound very interested. I agree with you though, the options aren't that great.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

Reverand and his crew would probably like to donate a bunch of land out at Twenty Nine Palms ;D

[24champ]

Wow. That list is a total joke.
I know KC at 28 is TOO HIGH.:rofl:

[El Minion]

Jason, if you havent heard, Anaheim is willing to give the NFL 50 acres on the same sight as the Angels. The site will have a new stadium plus the whole anaheim area there will be considered "downtown" in less than 2 years. If you think it looks bland, you might be right. We dont have skid row or transients all over the place like LA. We stay behind the "Orange Curtain" because of LA filth. Try coming down here and explore more than "bland" area. Go down the coast or go to Orange downtown. Better roads than LA. People dont go to OC because of the same reasons as we avoid your hellhole. Traffic to us is if we are going 25 miles per hour with your about 10 miles is considered good at 3 30 pm. Enjoy LA GO OC!

OC is like a giant strip mall, no character. I've had to commute to OC and every corporate building I had to visit was in a bland corporate park surrounded by cul-de-sacs. The only way to get around is to use a car, nothing is within walking distance. The only redeeming quality is there beaches, which have nothing to the depth and variety of LA beaches. Give me Santa Monica, Venice, W LA, Encino, Burbank-Glendale, Sunset, Hollywood, Downtown LA, Silver Lake, Pasadena, Redondo Beach, Griffith Park, any community in LA over the suburban hell that is OC.

[Jason in LA]

The Angels and Dodgers do not outdraw the Yankees. Nobody has outdrawn the Yankees since Seattle did earlier this decade. The Dodgers and Angels have outdrawn the Mets in the past few years, though. The Angels were bottom of the barrel until 2002. Give them credit for changing the Big A and putting a competitive team on the field. If the Mets keep playing like they have so far this season they'll be 1-2 with the Yankees.

Neither the Lakers nor the Clippers have had a higher average attendance this decade than the Knicks. The Clippers aren't even close.

It's almost impossible to compare NFL attendance in a 79,000 seat stadium vs. NCAA football attendance in huge venues like the LA Coliseum and Rose Bowl. The Giants and Jets have ranked in the top 4 in NFL attendance every year this decade, including a couple of #1 finishes. USC and UCLA football have varied wildly as a gate attraction while the Jets and Giants sell out every year.

Giants Attendance:
2001: 78,000
2002: 79,000
2003: 79,000
2004: 79,000
2005: 79,000

Jets Attendance:
2001: 78,000
2002: 79,000
2003: 78,000
2004: 78,000
2005: 77,000

USC Attendance:
1998: 57,000
1999: 57,000
2000: 57,000
2001: 58,000
2002: 67,000
2003: 78,000
2004: 85,000
2005: 91,000

UCLA Attendance:
1998: 74,000
1999: 50,000
2000: 67,000
2001: 65,000
2002: 65,000
2003: 57,000
2004: 60,000
2005: 64,000

USC and UCLA probably have the same number of hard core fans and the rest is filled out by bandwagoners that jump to the hot team. The 2003-2005 Trojans might have had the biggest bandwagon in sports history.

The Los Angeles Kings have pretty good fans, though they don't outdraw the New York Rangers. The one chink in New York's armor is the New York Islanders. They play in a terrible building and don't draw well. The Ducks and Isles are pretty similar in attendance.

Los Angeles isn't a bad sports market. It isn't great, either, and does not compare to New York like you posited.

That's combined. The Dodgers and Angles combined do out draw the Yankees and Mets combined. The Lakers and Clippers combined out draw the Knicks and Nets combined.

In baseball the LA teams average 43,261, while the NY teams aveage 42,858.

USC and UCLA are pretty close to the Giants and Jets. This past year the NY teams avearaged 78,000 per game, while the LA teams averaged 77,500. The point of that comparison was the show that LA is very much a football town. People seem to think that people don't care about football because we don't have the NFL.

The past four years the Knicks have slightly out drawn the Lakers, but not by much. But combined the Lakers and Clippers out draw the Knicks and Nets. This year LA averaged 18,128 per game, while NY averaged 17,898. You may want to say that it's because both LA teams made the playoffs, but that's not the case. Last year, when neither LA team made the playoffs, and both were under .500, LA still out drew NY 17,886 to 17,302. The only team to make the playoffs out of that group was the Nets.

Does NY even have college basketball? Looks like a skunk in catagory.

I don't know about hockey. You can look up those numbers.

LA has the edge in attendance over NY, which is supposed to be the largest sports market.

LA is a great sports town, the numbers prove it.

[Jason in LA]

Jason, if you havent heard, Anaheim is willing to give the NFL 50 acres on the same sight as the Angels. The site will have a new stadium plus the whole anaheim area there will be considered "downtown" in less than 2 years. If you think it looks bland, you might be right. We dont have skid row or transients all over the place like LA. We stay behind the "Orange Curtain" because of LA filth. Try coming down here and explore more than "bland" area. Go down the coast or go to Orange downtown. Better roads than LA. People dont go to OC because of the same reasons as we avoid your hellhole. Traffic to us is if we are going 25 miles per hour with your about 10 miles is considered good at 3 30 pm. Enjoy LA GO OC!

Talk about BS. LA filth? It's funny that OC hates LA so much, but LA doesn't really care all that much about OC. If the OC is so great, then why are most of the talks with the NFL about LA, and why does LA have 8 teams to Anaheim's 2? Why did the Clippers decide to stay in LA when they could have moved to the newly built Pond? Why are the Angles called "Los Angeles"? Seems like the envy runs deep.

There is a boat load of traffic in the OC. I used to work in Santa Ana, and I've spent damn near every weekday over the past two weeks driving to and from Mission Viejo. Don't tell me there's no traffic. I hated taking the 22 to and from LB. The 405 is backed up to and from Irvine. There is so much traffic that yall had to build a toll road.

One thing that you are forgetting to consider. The team that moves to this area. You think a team wants to pack up to move to this area, and be 35 miles outside of LA? If there is going to be an expansion team (which I hope doesn't happen), you think somebody is going to pay $500-$800 million to play 35 miles outside of LA? Get real.

Think about it this way. The last time MLB had an all star game out here, where did they go? Dodger Stadium or the Big A? The Super Bowl has been in the LA area a number of times. How many of those times was it in Anaheim?

LA is the place, OC just hates. And about the OC being bland, it's very bland. The coastal areas are very nice. No question about that. But all those "planned communities", with all the houses that look exactly the same, I can't stand driving through those areas.

When ever this area gets a football team, have fun driving up the 5 to the 10to the 110, or the 5 to the 405 to the 110, or the 5 to the 91 to the 110, or how ever you decide to get out here. I'll be getting to the stadium in under five minutes. Washington and Crenshaw to Fig isn't very far.

[Jason in LA]

OC is like a giant strip mall, no character. I've had to commute to OC and every corporate building I had to visit was in a bland corporate park surrounded by cul-de-sacs. The only way to get around is to use a car, nothing is within walking distance. The only redeeming quality is there beaches, which have nothing to the depth and variety of LA beaches. Give me Santa Monica, Venice, W LA, Encino, Burbank-Glendale, Sunset, Hollywood, Downtown LA, Silver Lake, Pasadena, Redondo Beach, Griffith Park, any community in LA over the suburban hell that is OC.

Thank you very much.

The thing I like about LA is that on every major street there are small businesses, or something there. In OC, there's a large wall, then houses behind them. Or large bushes, with houses behind them. Then every mile or so, there is that little strip mall. They have a grocery store (each strip mall has a different one), they have a Starbucks or a Coffie Bean, a Subway or Quiznos, a McDonnalds or Burger King, a Savon or Right aid. You can go down the list. The only time you see anybody walking around on the streets is when they are walking their dog, or jogging in the mornings. There is no variety out there. I'd say there's no culture, or no soul.

The people from OC will always look at the bad areas of LA, like that defines the entire city. I know I'd go nuts if I had to grow up out in the OC, unless I lived along the beach.

[24champ]

When ever this area gets a football team, have fun driving up the 5 to the 10to the 110, or the 5 to the 405 to the 110, or the 5 to the 91 to the 110, or how ever you decide to get out here. I'll be getting to the stadium in under five minutes. Washington and Crenshaw to Fig isn't very far.
No sh!t, whats going to happen ( assuming there is an NFL team in LA) when there is a monday night football game? Are people going to get to the game on time or are they going to make it by halftime? Better leave a good 2-3 hours before gametime to be there on time.

[Jason in LA]

That's why they lost their two football franchises, cant get anyone to watch the Clippers and the Lakers are only popular if they are winning.

Yep. sounds like a great sports town to me. Full of illegals who watch futbol, not football.

I'm laughing at this one.

The Lakers are in the top 5 in attendance, even though they are in a down period. The Clippers are in the top half of the league every year.

As for football, look at the two people who owned those teams. I'm pretty sure you've seen the movie "Major League". Remember the owner in that movie, who was a former topless dancer, who wanted the team to suck so bad so she could move the team to her home town? Where do you think they got that character from? From the former topless dancer, who killed her husband, drove the team into the ground, then moved then to her home town of St. Louis. You're going to blame that on LA?

How about crazy Al? He couldn't get his way, so he took his team and went home. How is that LA's fault? LA doesn't get held ransome by anybody. Al couldn't get his stadium, so he made a threat. LA called his bluff. He's been trying to find a way back ever since he left.

[Jason in LA]

No sh!t, whats going to happen ( assuming there is an NFL team in LA) when there is a monday night football game? Are people going to get to the game on time or are they going to make it by halftime? Better leave a good 2-3 hours before gametime to be there on time.

I'd say leave work early, very early. Getting to the Downtown area by 6pm is going to be a major problem if you don't live in the area.

[Jason in LA]

Wow. That list is a total joke.

How is the list a joke?

[24champ]

How is the list a joke?
KC is ranked 28th on the list. TOO HIGH dont you think jason?

[TexanBob]

LA is not a football city. They first have to explain to the locals that the game isn't played by kicking around a white ball with black splotches.

They are a *celebrity* city, meaning if Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson are hanging out, they might just check out what they are watching.

[Jason in LA]

LA is not a football city. They first have to explain to the locals that the game isn't played by kicking around a white ball with black splotches.

They are a *celebrity* city, meaning if Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson are hanging out, they might just check out what they are watching.

I'm not going to repost all the points that will make your post look silly. Read my posts in this thread. LA is as big of a football town as any other city. Going by the attendance at USC and UCLA football games, I'd say LA is more of a football town than most other cities.

As for LA being a "celebrity" city, that's what people around the nation seem to think. They seem to think that you just drive down Hollywood Blvd and you'll see stars just hanging out. Or if you go to a Laker game, it's like going to the Oscars. Sorry, but LA isn't like that. There are a good 13 million people in this area. A few thousand of them can be considered celebrities on some level. I was at a Laker game recently. Had pretty good seats in the lower bowl. It was on a Sunday. I didn't see one single star. I'm pretty sure there were a few stars at the game. I think they even put Jack on the big screen. But it's not like they roll out the red carpet for the game.

[24champ]

I'm not going to repost all the points that will make your post look silly. Read my posts in this thread. LA is as big of a football town as any other city. Going by the attendance at USC and UCLA football games, I'd say LA is more of a football town than most other cities.

As for LA being a "celebrity" city, that's what people around the nation seem to think. They seem to think that you just drive down Hollywood Blvd and you'll see stars just hanging out. Or if you go to a Laker game, it's like going to the Oscars. Sorry, but LA isn't like that. There are a good 13 million people in this area. A few thousand of them can be considered celebrities on some level. I was at a Laker game recently. Had pretty good seats in the lower bowl. It was on a Sunday. I didn't see one single star. I'm pretty sure there were a few stars at the game. I think they even put Jack on the big screen. But it's not like they roll out the red carpet for the game.
Actually I saw Pamela Anderson at a Laker Game, but honestly its hard to see celebrities because they wear hats and sunglasses 90% of the time. I also once talked to Donald Sutherland after a Kings game, a super cool dude and very big kings fan.

[Pendejo]

That's fine with me. I don't have the slightest interest in horse racing. ;)



The city just needs to look at what happened with Petco Park. That has single handedly revitalized the downtown area here. I'm sure similar things have happened in other cities as well. I'm not a huge baseball fan but I now attend Padre games on a regular basis because it's fun to go see a game in a nice new stadium rather than a dump like Qualcomm Stadium.

I think Chula Vista has a shot at making this happen. They sound very interested. I agree with you though, the options aren't that great.

Strategically I think Oceanside is a brilliant option...from the point of view that you'd be able to expand your fan base into orange county and still be close enough to San Diego to maintain your core fan base. Although the freeway situation is a mess.

The thing is...if the Spanos' would have committed to winning long ago they wouldn't be in this mess. Everyone supports a winner. The Chargers have been an inept organization pretty much ever since the mid 80's. They have a hard time getting their picks in camp on time, and the nonsense that A.J. Smith pulled with Gates was laughable. San Diego is a pretty good football city, and a very desirable locale to watch a game. It's just that the Bolts haven't done their part...a la win. Who knows...maybe they would have their new stadium already if they didn't run boss ross out of town.

It's not a good time to ask the San Diego voters to ok a new stadium...the infrastructure is a mess...and the Madres haven't exactly done a lot to instill confidence after they're stadium was ok'd. (Although they did go through a lot of litigation before PetCo was actually erected.)

I'd like them to work something out, but they probably won't.

[TexanBob]

I'm not going to repost all the points that will make your post look silly.

Of course, I was exaggerating but then it doesn't look great to say there are 13 million people in the area and then see that you can't get enough of them to get their act together and bring an NFL team to the area. We didn't have that problem in Houston. In fact, there were three groups vying to be the 32nd team. Los Angeles, Los Angeles and Houston. Tagliabue really wanted it to be Los Angeles so when Houston was the only one of the three to put together a realistic offer, he gave LA two more months. Talks stalled and stalled until Tagliabue ran out of time and awarded the franchise to Houston after treating them like ugly stepchildren for over a year.

The fact is L.A. can support two baseball teams, two basketball teams, even two hockey teams but can't get one pro football team - unless you count USC.

[broncocalijohn]

Talk about BS. LA filth? It's funny that OC hates LA so much, but LA doesn't really care all that much about OC. If the OC is so great, then why are most of the talks with the NFL about LA, and why does LA have 8 teams to Anaheim's 2? Why did the Clippers decide to stay in LA when they could have moved to the newly built Pond? Why are the Angles called "Los Angeles"? Seems like the envy runs deep.

There is a boat load of traffic in the OC. I used to work in Santa Ana, and I've spent damn near every weekday over the past two weeks driving to and from Mission Viejo. Don't tell me there's no traffic. I hated taking the 22 to and from LB. The 405 is backed up to and from Irvine. There is so much traffic that yall had to build a toll road.

One thing that you are forgetting to consider. The team that moves to this area. You think a team wants to pack up to move to this area, and be 35 miles outside of LA? If there is going to be an expansion team (which I hope doesn't happen), you think somebody is going to pay $500-$800 million to play 35 miles outside of LA? Get real.

Think about it this way. The last time MLB had an all star game out here, where did they go? Dodger Stadium or the Big A? The Super Bowl has been in the LA area a number of times. How many of those times was it in Anaheim?

LA is the place, OC just hates. And about the OC being bland, it's very bland. The coastal areas are very nice. No question about that. But all those "planned communities", with all the houses that look exactly the same, I can't stand driving through those areas.

When ever this area gets a football team, have fun driving up the 5 to the 10to the 110, or the 5 to the 405 to the 110, or the 5 to the 91 to the 110, or how ever you decide to get out here. I'll be getting to the stadium in under five minutes. Washington and Crenshaw to Fig isn't very far.

Jason where do i start. First we had the allstar game in 1989 remember bo jackson's HR? Our traffic (besides 22 which is getting done as we speak) is way better than la. You cant take the 10 any time of day w/o traffic. We put 1/4 of a cent of sales tax towards our roads, you dont. I love your smack on toll roads as if that was bad. Where could you even place a new road? I think la has added 7 miles in a butthole of years so please dont compare what you call traffic to ours. OC traffic is a breeze compared to that 3 lane highway. Superbowls are in rose bowl or coliseum because of how many they sit. San Diego is getting threatened by NFL because of the size (seats) and you dont see that they have another superbowl in the near future. Is 35 miles outside LA going to bother the NFL? Look at the Pats out in BFE or how about the NY i mean new jersey Giants/Jets. We have 3 million in OC, millions also in riverside county and south LA (long beach/whittier etc). Dont under estimate what Anaheim is offering. With the easy access to the stadium and the great new downtown anaheim in the surrounding area (i will be buying a few condos/townhomes later this year because it i will be one of the hottest property in SoCal)
So you have 8 teams (?)compared to 2. OC is much newer in population than LA. I hope you arent counting soccer or arena football. I count Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers and Kings. We have lacrosse if you are counting minor sports. You have 4 teams to our 2 not to big of a deal. If the NFL comes to OC, the name will be LA whatevers. OC has character. Dont you watch "The real OC"? That is true life LOL!

[Bob's your Information Minister]

How is the list a joke?

It's basically giving an edge to cities with more franchises.

[Jason in LA]

Jason where do i start. First we had the allstar game in 1989 remember bo jackson's HR? Our traffic (besides 22 which is getting done as we speak) is way better than la. You cant take the 10 any time of day w/o traffic. We put 1/4 of a cent of sales tax towards our roads, you dont. I love your smack on toll roads as if that was bad. Where could you even place a new road? I think la has added 7 miles in a butthole of years so please dont compare what you call traffic to ours. OC traffic is a breeze compared to that 3 lane highway. Superbowls are in rose bowl or coliseum because of how many they sit. San Diego is getting threatened by NFL because of the size (seats) and you dont see that they have another superbowl in the near future. Is 35 miles outside LA going to bother the NFL? Look at the Pats out in BFE or how about the NY i mean new jersey Giants/Jets. We have 3 million in OC, millions also in riverside county and south LA (long beach/whittier etc). Dont under estimate what Anaheim is offering. With the easy access to the stadium and the great new downtown anaheim in the surrounding area (i will be buying a few condos/townhomes later this year because it i will be one of the hottest property in SoCal)
So you have 8 teams (?)compared to 2. OC is much newer in population than LA. I hope you arent counting soccer or arena football. I count Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers and Kings. We have lacrosse if you are counting minor sports. You have 4 teams to our 2 not to big of a deal. If the NFL comes to OC, the name will be LA whatevers. OC has character. Dont you watch "The real OC"? That is true life LOL!

I drive in LA and OC. I'm born and raised in LA. Lived here up until I was 25. Then moved to Long Beach. Now I'm back in LA. I've worked shooting Little League baseball over the past 6 years, mostly in the OC. I also worked in Santa Ana for some time. I also worked as a courier, and we drove all over the place. I'm telling you, as a person who's driven the freeways a ton, at all times of the day, that OC traffic is just as bad as LA traffic.

If the OC had so much to offer, then why are most of the talks focused on LA, not OC? It does make a difference. A new owner isn't going to want to play in OC when he can play in LA. Hell, Donald Sterling had a chance to play out there in a new arena, but he decided to stay in that dump he was playing in.

NY is different. Where are they going to build that new stadium? The Jets tried to move back to NY, but the deal fell through.

LA does have 8 teams. Remember, we have 4 major college sports teams.

OC has character? That's funny. I'll remember that the next time I'm lost out there, and every street, and every house and building, looks exactly the same.

The Real OC? You watch that? Isn't that a chick show? Like Party of 5, or something like that.

[Jason in LA]

Of course, I was exaggerating but then it doesn't look great to say there are 13 million people in the area and then see that you can't get enough of them to get their act together and bring an NFL team to the area. We didn't have that problem in Houston. In fact, there were three groups vying to be the 32nd team. Los Angeles, Los Angeles and Houston. Tagliabue really wanted it to be Los Angeles so when Houston was the only one of the three to put together a realistic offer, he gave LA two more months. Talks stalled and stalled until Tagliabue ran out of time and awarded the franchise to Houston after treating them like ugly stepchildren for over a year.

The fact is L.A. can support two baseball teams, two basketball teams, even two hockey teams but can't get one pro football team - unless you count USC.

It's not that LA can't support a football team, LA won't pay for one, because we don't need to. That's why the deal fell apart, and Houston got the deal. Houston had a stadium plan in place, and was willing to pay for it. LA had two groups, but neither had the stadium deal in place in time. Hell, they still don't.

If a football team was here it would get support by the fans. The attendance would be good. That's not the issue. It's who is going to pay for it. The tax payers won't, and we shouldn't. Every city complains about having to flip the bill for these stadiums. This is probably the only city that won't be held ransome by the NFL. This is the only city that has stood up and said no, and we get dissed for that? Doesn't make any sense. Sure, we want the NFL here, but we don't need the NFL. That gives us a little leverage when a team is put here.

[Jason in LA]

It's basically giving an edge to cities with more franchises.

So what's the problem? Cities with more franchises will have more of a sports scene, because there is more going on. In LA, there is a major sporting event going on every night. A lot of nights there are multiple sporting events going on.

[-Slap-]

LA is ranked number three-
http://www.sportsfansofamerica.com/Interactive/Editorials/Fans/Cities.htm

Sporting News has LA number 5

Best Sports Cites:
1. Boston
2. Oakland-San Francisco-San Jose
3. New York-Long Island-New Jersey
4. Houston
5. Los Angeles-Anaheim
6. Miami-Fort Lauderdale
7. Detroit
8. Dallas-Fort Worth
9. Philadelphia
10. Minneapolis-St. Paul
11. Chicago
12. Denver
13. Atlanta
14. Tampa-St. Petersburg
15. Seattle
16. Indianapolis
17. Baltimore-Washington
18. St. Louis
19. Nashville
20. Phoenix
21. Charlotte
22. New Orleans
23. Salt Lake City
24. Pittsburgh
25. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.
26. Toronto
27. Cincinnati
28. Kansas City
29. Milwaukee
30. Memphis


For the full list, go
here-
http://archive.sportingnews.com/features/bestsportscities2004/fulllist.html
The Sporting News has no credibility at this. They had Atlanta as Best Sports City one year.

[Meck77]

Las Vegas Chargers?

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20060427-9999-7m27vegas.html

Mayor seeks to start talks about relocation
By Ronald W. Powell
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

April 27, 2006


Oscar Goodman
Sin City wants the Chargers.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman contacted the team this week about the possibility of beginning talks that could end with relocating to the glitzy gambling and entertainment mecca.

The Chargers responded with a letter informing Goodman that their lease with San Diego prohibits them from talking with other cities until Jan. 1.

Goodman said yesterday that he is not deterred.

“Las Vegas is the fastest-growing city in the U.S.,” the self-described “happiest mayor in America” said in a phone interview. “A new person moves here every six minutes. A new house is finished every 20 minutes. I'm thirsting for a major-league team. After January 1, I'll see whether the Chargers want to talk business.”

Goodman's overture came as a result of the announcement last week by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders that he supports allowing the Chargers to explore relocating to other cities in the county in the team's pursuit of a new stadium.

The San Diego City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a lease amendment that would permit the Chargers to start a countywide search as early as next month. Beginning Jan. 1, the team can talk with any U.S. city it chooses.

City Council to review
Chargers' stadium lease

Under a current lease agreement, the Chargers cannot begin talking with other cities about relocating until Jan. 1. In an effort to keep the team in the region, the San Diego City Council on Monday will consider modifying the agreement to allow the team within weeks to begin talking with other cities in the county to strike a deal for a new stadium. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. at the City Administration Building, 202 C St., 12th floor.
Sanders said the team is a regional asset and he wants it to remain in the county. But he said the city does not have the money to help pay for a new stadium and that taxpayers would be better served if he and other city officials focus on solving San Diego's financial problems – topped by a pension deficit of at least $1.43 billion.

Sanders said yesterday through a spokesman that he is not surprised the Chargers are attracting offers from other cities. Should the Chargers be unable to find a solution elsewhere in the county, “we'll be more than happy to talk with them,” Sanders spokesman Fred Sainz said.

Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani said the Vegas contact is “another in a long line of inquiries” the team has received since its latest lease with the city went into effect in August 2004.

If the lease amendment is approved, Fabiani said the team will begin discussions with the county Board of Supervisors to gain support for a move outside the city. He said the team will contact cities in the county – starting with Chula Vista, National City and Oceanside – where interest in the team has been expressed.

He said the team needs a site large enough to accommodate a stadium and a commercial development that might include housing and businesses that the team would build. Profits from the development would pay for the stadium.

“That model has become the trend around the country for stadium development,” Fabiani said.

Goodman is the second mayor outside the county to publicly express interest in the Chargers. San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger said in January that he plans to pursue the Chargers for the Texas city.

Advertisement
Professional sports leagues have resisted placing teams in Las Vegas because they fear the influence of gambling. Goodman called that a “red herring,” and noted that the city will host the 2007 National Basketball Association's all-star game.

“Nevada regulates its sports betting,” Goodman said. “Team owners and leagues should be on their bended-knee thanking their lucky stars for Las Vegas.”

The Chargers moved to San Diego from Los Angeles in 1961 and played at Balboa Stadium before moving to Mission Valley in 1967.

The team abandoned a proposal for a new stadium in January that it had touted for the Qualcomm Stadium site. The Chargers decided against placing a November ballot proposal before San Diego voters that would call for a $450 million stadium, 6,000 condominiums, a hotel, offices, retail outlets, a park and $175 million in traffic improvements.

Voters would have been asked to approve the city giving the Chargers 60 of the 166 acres at the site, on which the team would have built the condominiums and commercial developments.

Chargers executives said the proposal was scuttled because they were unable to find a development partner to share an estimated $800 million in upfront costs. They said financial and political instability at City Hall made potential partners leery.

San Diego businessman Dan Shea is a Chargers supporter who was instrumental in helping the team obtain a new lease with the city in 2004. Shea said the expectation then was that the city would negotiate with the team for a stadium deal, but he said only one meeting has been held.

The failure for the city to find a solution will make it more difficult to keep the team after Jan. 1, he said.

“The biggest mistake is to allow another city to step in – even if they can't do a stadium deal,” Shea said. “That will just drive up the cost” of retaining the team.

Goodman said he does not want his contact with the Chargers to be used by the team against the city of San Diego.

“I want to make it crystal clear that I won't allow my interest to become a pawn in the Chargers' negotiations,” he said.

[Crowpointer]

The Sporting News has no credibility at this. They had Atlanta as Best Sports City one year.

Best Sports Cites:
1. Boston
Looks right to me:thumbs:

[Bob's your Information Minister]

So what's the problem? Cities with more franchises will have more of a sports scene, because there is more going on. In LA, there is a major sporting event going on every night. A lot of nights there are multiple sporting events going on.

Doesn't mean they have superior fans.

[Jason in LA]

It means there is more of a sports scene.

I don't think there is a way to measure "superior fans". Is there a blood test for that?

[Bob's your Information Minister]

It means there is more of a sports scene.

I don't think there is a way to measure "superior fans". Is there a blood test for that?

I'd do some kind of ranking with consecutive sellouts/mean attendance over the last 10 years.

[Jason in LA]

It's easy to sell out when there are only 8 dates from fall to spring.

I'd go as far as to say KC has 8 dates the entire year. I don't think the Royals play anymore.

[El Minion]

It's not that LA can't support a football team, LA won't pay for one, because we don't need to. That's why the deal fell apart, and Houston got the deal. Houston had a stadium plan in place, and was willing to pay for it. LA had two groups, but neither had the stadium deal in place in time. Hell, they still don't.

If a football team was here it would get support by the fans. The attendance would be good. That's not the issue. It's who is going to pay for it. The tax payers won't, and we shouldn't. Every city complains about having to flip the bill for these stadiums. This is probably the only city that won't be held ransome by the NFL. This is the only city that has stood up and said no, and we get dissed for that? Doesn't make any sense. Sure, we want the NFL here, but we don't need the NFL. That gives us a little leverage when a team is put here.

I (and the rest of sane LA) would rather have my taxes go to city services (Fire, Police, Building & Safety, Child Services, Family Assistance, Affordable Housing, Community Development, etc.) than to Billionaire welfare support. The one problem I did have was when Eli Broad was going to privately build a stadium in downtown near the Staples Center after securing the property and the LA Coliseum Commission came in and undermined his effort to bring an NFL franchise here. Looks like the commission finely wised up and will allow the gutting and rebuilding of the interior.

[Tombstone RJ]

City officials hope renovations will lure NFL team

LOS ANGELES -- City officials next week will pitch their plans to the NFL for an $800 million upgrade of the aging Los Angeles Coliseum in hopes of luring a professional football team back to town.

The 67,000-seat reconstruction would include 15,000 club seats, 500 luxury boxes and state-of-the-art amenities. It would be constructed within the shell of the existing Coliseum, which hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.

The Coliseum is used by the University of Southern California football team but it hasn't hosted a professional team since the Raiders in 1994. They returned to Oakland the next year.

In October, the City Council agreed to allow for up to $25 million in local tax revenues generated by a stadium renovation to be earmarked for redevelopment projects around the Coliseum.

However, city officials have resisted pledges to supply money for actual stadium construction, especially at a time when the budget is running hundreds of millions of dollars in the red.

City officials hope the NFL will agree to pay for the new stadium.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other city and county officials will urge the NFL on May 2 in Dallas to place an existing or an expansion team in town.

"Los Angeles is a great sports town," Villaraigosa said at Tuesday's news conference at the Coliseum, where city officials outlined the renovation plans.

"We have a great fan base that supports its teams," he said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2421901[/url

[url]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/news/story?id=2417167

Screw LA. $25m is the best that crap city can do? And that money is for the area around the stadium? And only a 67k seat stadium? Give me a break.

Basically its: "hey we're LA, give us a team, because, we're LA."

[Tombstone RJ]

I (and the rest of sane LA) would rather have my taxes go to city services (Fire, Police, Building & Safety, Child Services, Family Assistance, Affordable Housing, Community Development, etc.) than to Billionaire welfare support.

Then, by all means, f^^K off.:wave:

[Jason in LA]

Screw LA. $25m is the best that crap city can do? And that money is for the area around the stadium? And only a 67k seat stadium? Give me a break.

Basically its: "hey we're LA, give us a team, because, we're LA."

That's a very narrow minded view of the situation. I'm not about to repost all my points. If you haven't read this thread, go back and read it.