Randall Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 One of my favorite NFL teams is on its deathbed and it saddens me. Their demise will be tragic, frustrating and all but imminent. The tubes are protruding, the nurses are circling, and the priest is just outside the hospital room. Tarped off sections have become commonplace in Jacksonville. (LINK) The Jacksonville Jaguars are attempting yet another desperate promotion to get fans to buy season tickets. This one will likely fail, too, like so many before. The Jaguars are limiting attendance to its August 6 intra-squad scrimmage to season ticket holders only. It was controversial move and the team hoped fans being disallowed from watching the scrimmage would be the football equivalent of putting up ropes and a bouncer outside of a nightclub. It would create a crowd, a buzz, and fans would then sign up for tickets in droves. It's easy to lose track of how many times the Jaguars have attempted to lure fans with ticket promotions and gimmicks only to be rebuffed. It's because the metrics remain the same as they have for years. The stadium is too large, the fan pool too small and the tickets still too expensive for the targeted populace. Jacksonville is a beautiful town full of good people hungry for football but hurting in their pocketbooks. No amount of begging for Jaguars fans to buy tickets can change those facts. The Jaguars represent the official end of the small-market experiment the NFL launched some 15 years ago. Those of us who championed the league expanding to non-traditional markets have to admit we were wrong. The city of Jacksonville continues to pay the price for the NFL's past expansion greed and current money grab for television revenue. The biggest problem for Jacksonville is that when the schedule expands to 18 games -- which seems inevitable -- it only puts more pressure on the Jaguars to sell tickets. In fact, an 18-game schedule presents ticket selling challenges to almost every small-market team. NFL owners, I'm told, are agitated with the Jaguars' situation more than ever and increasingly favor the team moving to Los Angeles, London or even Orlando (assuming there's a new stadium built). My guess is that in two or three years the Jaguars will be moving to Los Angeles. Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver has publicly stated there's a possibility the team might play some home games in Orlando but has long maintained he won't move the team. I don't expect that promise to hold. Los Angeles and Orlando aren't panaceas. There's a reason no team has been in L.A. since O.J. went on his slow speed escape but that option is looking more attractive to NFL owners as the blackouts continue in Jacksonville. Jaguars fans are among the most underrated in the NFL for their passion and football knowledge but cash strapped is cash strapped. The money and populace just aren't there. Detroit has been a miserable franchise in a city with frightening unemployment over the past few years, yet at one point still had 50 straight sellouts at Ford Field. Why? Because Detroit has five million people to Jacksonville's approximately 1.2 million. The Jaguars had nine of their 10 home games blacked out last season. Jaguars blogging sites like Big Cat Country say ticket sales are improving but I've heard that before. My friend Pete Prisco, who is based in Jacksonville, thinks I'm crazy to suggest the Jaguars are on the verge of collapse. It's true. I am crazy. Just not about this. Whether the Jaguars stay in Jacksonville a year or two or three is up for debate. Whether these are the Jaguars' waning days shouldn't be. Vic Ketchman is the team's website writer. He's one of the most knowledgeable about the NFL and about as non-alarmist as you can get. What he wrote about the Jaguars' ticket sale problems was blunt and honest. "Ticket sales, not the futures of David Garrard and Jack Del Rio, is the number one issue confronting this team, and it's not about next year's ticket sales or growing the fan base for 2020, it's about selling tickets for this year. This is it," Ketchman wrote. "This is save the whale and, from my perch on the beach, the whale is struggling to live," he added. "I think everyone would do well to understand that the radical nature of this decision underscores the team's desperation to sell tickets. The team knew this decision would be harshly criticized, yet, it went forward with it. Why do you think it did? If your answer is that we have reached the tipping point, then you are a logical person." The expectations for Jaguars fans were always set too high. Then the economy tanked and those expectations went from unreasonable to impossible. It seems only a matter of a few years before the Jaguars are gone. And that saddens me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackass Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 They should trade for Michael Vick. He's the most exciting player in the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennykravitz2004 Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 As a loyal patron of the Rams in here in STL, I wish I could offer more sympathy. And I really, sincerely do feel for the football fans there. However, many here feel somewhat vindicated about the expansion which gave JAX and CAR their teams, and the current trouble in JAX. While we here in STL are not exactly the picture of fit economic health (not certain which cities are right now), we are not close to being on the life support JAX seems to be right now (knock on wood). People were pizzed about being being snubbed for JAX, and those memories are NOT forgotten. God bless Georgia Frontiere. And, after winning it all 10 years ago, when she stood there on the podium with Tagliabue, and said the title proved she did the right thing in moving the team to STL, many thought it was a kick of sand in the face of the NFL. While her comments may have been exactly that, this is a much bigger "I told you so" to the league. Please don't misconstrue my message - we aren't happy to see others fail in this manner. Vindication in this instance has it's winners and losers... while those of us PSL holders in STL on the sidelines of this unfortunate situation watch our Rams instead of the "Stallions". Anywho... best wishes and best of luck to the JAX fans. Just my $0.02. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Stallions The St. Louis Stallions were a proposed National Football League expansion team to be located in St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis had lost the Cardinals franchise, which moved to Phoenix and became the Arizona Cardinals. The city entered the race to get a team for the 1995 NFL season.The team would have played, at that time, in the newly-built Edward Jones Dome (my edit: at the time it was the Trans World Dome, or TWA Dome). The Stallions were believed to be a favorite to regain a new franchise, but in November 1993, the NFL chose the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Stallions as the new choice. St. Louis ended up losing their bid, but Los Angeles Rams owner Georgia Frontiere, a native of the St. Louis area, relocated the Rams to St. Louis that very season and incorporated part of the Stallions' proposed logo, an arch over the team's name in text, into the Rams logo.[citation needed] The proposed Stallions name was also going to be the new name of the New England Patriots had the former owner and St. Louis native, James Busch Orthwein moved the Patriots to St. Louis in 1993. Orthwein was on the verge of doing so until Robert Kraft stepped in and bought the Patriots. The St. Louis Stallions uniform can be seen at the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I agree with Lenny's attitude... Jacksonville does not have Disney, and is not a tourist attraction like Orlando. What upsets me even more is that San Antonio has twice as many people (that's just legal, not counting illegals), the same tourism traffic as Orlando (Six Flags, Sea World, the River Walk is tremendous, Alamo), and so many more football fans than Jax. The Spurs prove it is a winning town. Red McCombs (the Vikings owner) is a San Antonian (hasn't he tried to get a team in SA?). There is alot of money in San Antonio and there are permanent jobs there, unlike the Florida retirement village. ... please don't get me started, I do not want to offend anyone from Jax, but it just does not qualify as an NFL town more than some of the other teams that were passed over at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 The Jaguars represent the official end of the small-market experiment the NFL launched some 15 years ago. Those of us who championed the league expanding to non-traditional markets have to admit we were wrong. The city of Jacksonville continues to pay the price for the NFL's past expansion greed and current money grab for television revenue. The biggest problem for Jacksonville is that when the schedule expands to 18 games -- which seems inevitable -- it only puts more pressure on the Jaguars to sell tickets. In fact, an 18-game schedule presents ticket selling challenges to almost every small-market team. NFL owners, I'm told, are agitated with the Jaguars' situation more than ever and increasingly favor the team moving to Los Angeles, London or even Orlando (assuming there's a new stadium built). My guess is that in two or three years the Jaguars will be moving to Los Angeles. Jaguars fans are among the most underrated in the NFL for their passion and football knowledge but cash strapped is cash strapped. The money and populace just aren't there. I guess I just don't agree with the article. The market size isn't the reason why Detroit has die hard fans. Its not the reason why JAX is struggling. Jacksonville isn't hugh but let's be serious. It's the thirteenth most populous city (proper) in the USA (link.) From all accounts I've read and heard, there is a good part of that population that has moved there. Football fans live there, but they are fans of the teams they grew up with in other areas. It's the same reason Vegas isn't a good town to put a football franchise. I live in a relatively small city and there would be no reason for a football team to be here. But, people "donate" (we don't call them PSLs in college) thousands of dollars every year to keep their season tickets for a college game. It's just the culture of football resonates with people and kids grow up as fans of the local team. Football has become more popular as the economy got worse. It's human nature to want to get caught up in something other than the day to day work life so people actually allocate more money to football during economic downturns. Indianapolis, Boston, Baltimore, Denver, and KC are all smaller cities (proper) than Jacksonville so I guess I don't see how "small market" is to blame. Maybe they just aren't enough "football people" there. Am I wrong or crazy with this? I've never been there so maybe I'm talking out of my arse on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 (edited) I just think that all the tourism goes to either Orlando or Miami. Take New Orleans, there are only 400,000 people there now, but the tourism is still huge. It used to be the convention capital of the USA and usually the hotels are always booked. Who goes to Jax? and why? I am not saying that tourism is the big missing piece, but why there? Other major cities like San Antonio (almost 2 million people) there are more football fans in SA than there are people in Jax. I will be in SA for some Cowboy's training camp days in late July, both practices each day will be full capacity in the alamodome, it will be a packed house just for practice. Then I will go to Budreaux's on the River for some Duck Gumbo...tip the mariachi bands...have some ritas... Edited June 28, 2010 by Scooby's Hubby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satelliteoflovegm Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I think the article is off base as well. Two words: Buffalo New York. That town is supporting the Bills with a bigger stadium and perhaps worse economy. This area has made more than one "declining city" lists lately. The team hasn't made the playoff in 10 plus years and still ticket sales, including seasons, is in the top ten in team history. Rarely a game day blackout, including last year when the offense was, perhaps, the worst I have ever seen in 22 years of going. That's why the Toronto Bills or LA Bills jokes burn me so bad. Buffalo is a football and Hockey town. Jacksonville clearly is not. Buffalo deserves to have an NFL team. Some other cities, not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Red McCombs (the Vikings owner) is a San Antonian (hasn't he tried to get a team in SA?). There is alot of money in San Antonio and there are permanent jobs there, unlike the Florida retirement village. ... please don't get me started, I do not want to offend anyone from Jax, but it just does not qualify as an NFL town more than some of the other teams that were passed over at the time. Red tried to get a team into San Antonio while he owned the Vikes. But he was more concerned with removing all the light bulbs from the Vikings complex before he sold the team. The hugh profit he made with the team sale must not have been enough for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Btw, is Jacksonville the smallest market that the NFL is in? I don't think so. Maybe they have more problems than not having enough people in the community to attend football games. Jacksonville is the largest city in the US for square miles. Obviously it's a spread out place and that doesn't make it the most populated of course. It was one of the fastest growing cities. Has that tapered off a bit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Jacksonville is the largest city in the US for square miles. Obviously it's a spread out place and that doesn't make it the most populated of course. It was one of the fastest growing cities. Has that tapered off a bit? Largest in the contiguous 48 states. There are a few cities in Alaska with a very large area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I agree with Lenny's attitude... Jacksonville does not have Disney, and is not a tourist attraction like Orlando. What upsets me even more is that San Antonio has twice as many people (that's just legal, not counting illegals), the same tourism traffic as Orlando (Six Flags, Sea World, the River Walk is tremendous, Alamo), and so many more football fans than Jax. The Spurs prove it is a winning town. Red McCombs (the Vikings owner) is a San Antonian (hasn't he tried to get a team in SA?). There is alot of money in San Antonio and there are permanent jobs there, unlike the Florida retirement village. ... please don't get me started, I do not want to offend anyone from Jax, but it just does not qualify as an NFL town more than some of the other teams that were passed over at the time. A retirement village? Spoken like someone who has clearly never been to the area... For one thing, Jacksonville is in North Florida, the one part of the state that can still be considered part of the South, and with 2 big college programs in the area (and lots of interest in even high school ball). So if nothing else, it is full of football fanatics in the surrounding area. I also happen to know several season Jags ticket holders in both S GA and N FL (there are lots of fans on both sides of the border, just like FL State), and have been to a number of GA/FL games at the landing in JAX, so it is clear to me that you know absolutely nothing about the market there... But keep believing that Texas deserves everything, and no one else deserves a team... I'm not sure the exact reasons they have problems selling tickets, but I really don't think it has to do with lack of interest or size of market.. There is definitely just as much interest there as there would be in a place like LA, maybe even more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 (edited) Buffalo is a football and Hockey town. Jacksonville clearly is not. Yep. I'm surprised some of the warm-weather hockey teams are still making it for similar reasons...but I guess if your local base is big enough (and given how small hockey stadiums are)... it is clear to me that you know absolutely nothing about the market there... I'm not sure the exact reasons they have problems selling tickets but I really don't think it has to do with lack of interest or size of market.. There is definitely just as much interest there as there would be in a place like LA, maybe even more...Really? Then why can't they sell tickets? Obviously it is lack of interest and/or market size. You can debate why the lack of interest (people out of work, tired of the team sucking, etc), but IMO those are the very obvious reasons. Edited June 28, 2010 by BeeR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Yep. I'm surprised some of the warm-weather hockey teams are still making it for similar reasons...but I guess if your local base is big enough (and given how small hockey stadiums are)... Really? Then why can't they sell tickets? Obviously it is lack of interest and/or market size. You can debate why the lack of interest (people out of work, tired of the team sucking, etc), but IMO those are the very obvious reasons. Wow, lots of fishing going on here, but I'll bite again... No, I'm sorry this GA doesn't know every reason that a team a state away is struggling, but my guess is it has to do with $$ (although perhaps also to do with the team's lack of success, of course). But that's not the same as a lack of potential interest or population.. But I do know for a fact there is tons of interest in all levels of football there, and plenty enough population on both sides of the border and in city... The thing that is not as obvious is why they haven't been able to continually tap into that interest, but I don't think that negates anything I've said... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Big stadium and small crowds = TV Blackouts. It's hard to gain interest in a team if you can't see them on TV. So I think that this is a case where the tv blackout rule is doing the opposite of what is intended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Largest in the contiguous 48 states. There are a few cities in Alaska with a very large area. Based on my theory, maybe the Jags should move to Yakutat, Alaska. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Superb irony in that the OP decries the death of a "small market" football team while simulatneously having an author's avatar that has a GB player doing the Lambeau leap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pip's Invitation Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) Indianapolis, Boston, Baltimore, Denver, and KC are all smaller cities (proper) than Jacksonville so I guess I don't see how "small market" is to blame. "Proper" size doesn't matter. Size of total metropolitan area does. Plus, with a few exceptions (New York and SF come to mind), most of the people who can afford NFL season tickets live in the suburbs. Small market is very much to blame when you consider the total metro area plus, as others have said, the transient nature of the residents in that area. The latter is the same reason why the Rays and Marlins don't draw in baseball. Edited June 29, 2010 by Pip's Invitation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Wow, lots of fishing going on here,In my case at least, hardly. I leave those little kiddie games to others. My point was you say people know nothing about the situation then say you don't know what's going on. Doesn't register high on the logic meter is all. No, I'm sorry this GA doesn't know every reason that a team a state away is struggling, but my guess is it has to do with $ (although perhaps also to do with the team's lack of success, of course). But that's not the same as a lack of potential interest or population..In this case, yes it is. ie lack of $ due to insufficient lack of interest - ie "interested" enough to buy tickets. And given the ridiculous price of an NFL ticket, can't say I blame anyone in that mode in any city, esp in this economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 "Proper" size doesn't matter. Size of total metropolitan area does. Plus, with a few exceptions (New York and SF come to mind), most of the people who can afford NFL season tickets live in the suburbs. It's the only thing I could easily find stats on. It's also difficult to calculate regional population as state lines can cause people to be fans of other teams. There is also plenty of money living in downtown Chicago (just an example off the top of my head). Not everybody makes their cash and moves out to the burbs. I just don't see any way that a city that is ranked in the top 15 in any size category can be considered "small market". Small market is very much to blame when you consider the total metro area plus, as others have said, the transient nature of the residents in that area. The latter is the same reason why the Rays and Marlins don't draw in baseball. I stated in my original post that I believed the transient population was the main reason to blame Football fans live there, but they are fans of the teams they grew up with in other areas. It's the same reason Vegas isn't a good town to put a football franchise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 A retirement village? Spoken like someone who has clearly never been to the area... For one thing, Jacksonville is in North Florida, the one part of the state that can still be considered part of the South, and with 2 big college programs in the area (and lots of interest in even high school ball). So if nothing else, it is full of football fanatics in the surrounding area. I also happen to know several season Jags ticket holders in both S GA and N FL (there are lots of fans on both sides of the border, just like FL State), and have been to a number of GA/FL games at the landing in JAX, so it is clear to me that you know absolutely nothing about the market there... But keep believing that Texas deserves everything, and no one else deserves a team... I'm not sure the exact reasons they have problems selling tickets, but I really don't think it has to do with lack of interest or size of market.. There is definitely just as much interest there as there would be in a place like LA, maybe even more... San Antonio has twice the population than Jax. Noone has to come from another state here. Percentage wise, maybe Jax WAS the fastest growing city, once. Or maybe your stat is based on area and not people. Of course, all of Austin would come to San Antonio, too;. You say Texas has too many teams? Florida has 3, Texas 2. We would sell out the stadium in San Antonio, you CANNOT SELL OUT YOURS. SO don't gimmie that crap about Texas when Florida has 1 too many teams that they can support. The Austin San Antonio area has more than 2.5 million people with several major Universities, too. Your Jacksonville does not even compare. Bad move by the NFL to think that fair weather fans in Jax could support a team long term. I guess they care more about all those other college and pro teams in the area you speak of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Football has become more popular as the economy got worse. It's human nature to want to get caught up in something other than the day to day work life so people actually allocate more money to football during economic downturns. and this is the problem with the usa. we are dumb. when the sh1t hits the fan, circle the wagons!!! dont ostrich and hope for better days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 San Antonio has twice the population than Jax. Noone has to come from another state here. Percentage wise, maybe Jax WAS the fastest growing city, once. Or maybe your stat is based on area and not people. Of course, all of Austin would come to San Antonio, too;. You say Texas has too many teams? Florida has 3, Texas 2. We would sell out the stadium in San Antonio, you CANNOT SELL OUT YOURS. SO don't gimmie that crap about Texas when Florida has 1 too many teams that they can support. The Austin San Antonio area has more than 2.5 million people with several major Universities, too. Your Jacksonville does not even compare. Bad move by the NFL to think that fair weather fans in Jax could support a team long term. I guess they care more about all those other college and pro teams in the area you speak of. Both you and BeeR are taking what I'm saying way too far. My only points are: 1) That the Jacksonville population is a much more dedicated football base than just a "retirement village", and having visited the area many times, there appears to me to be a solid fanbase there if the Jags can put forth a product worth paying for. JMO though. 2) The problems aren't likely due to population or potential interest as they are about other internal problems.. 10 years ago the Falcons couldn't sell out games or season tickets, but that had nothing to do with population or potential interest... It had to do with the team being continually lousy, and ticket prices being too high. Of course, the situation in Jacksonville could also have to do with money, economy (and an above poster makes a good point about blackouts making things worse), but none of those necessarily means that the potential interest in the team isn't there... In other words, I don't think they have much more reason to move the team than Atlanta did 10 years ago... They just have some work to do if they want to keep it there and have $$ success... 3) I never said anything about Texas not being deserving, just that you were biased and incorrect in your assessment that Jacksonville is not deserving and is a "retirement village"... And honestly, I could care less if the team gets moved. They are certainly not "my" Jaguars, but I think it is ludicrous for people who know nothing about the area to have such strong opinions about the fanbase not being worthy of a team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) Both you and BeeR are taking what I'm saying way too far. My only points are: 1) That the Jacksonville population is a much more dedicated football base than just a "retirement village", and having visited the area many times, there appears to me to be a solid fanbase there if the Jags can put forth a product worth paying for. JMO though. 2) The problems aren't likely due to population or potential interest as they are about other internal problems.. 10 years ago the Falcons couldn't sell out games or season tickets, but that had nothing to do with population or potential interest... It had to do with the team being continually lousy, and ticket prices being too high. Of course, the situation in Jacksonville could also have to do with money, economy (and an above poster makes a good point about blackouts making things worse), but none of those necessarily means that the potential interest in the team isn't there... In other words, I don't think they have much more reason to move the team than Atlanta did 10 years ago... They just have some work to do if they want to keep it there and have $$ success... 3) I never said anything about Texas not being deserving, just that you were biased and incorrect in your assessment that Jacksonville is not deserving and is a "retirement village"... And honestly, I could care less if the team gets moved. They are certainly not "my" Jaguars, but I think it is ludicrous for people who know nothing about the area to have such strong opinions about the fanbase not being worthy of a team. I am sure Jacksonville Florida is nice just like most of Florida is, but... ...what is clear is that the NFL knows nothing of the San Antonio/Austin area. There is nothing you said that San Antonio does not have bested. There are more corporate headquarters, football fans at all levels, just as many students and just as many major universities, military bases, Toyota auto plant, brewery, with Austin 3 times the population of Jax, football is just as big if not bigger in this area compared to Jax. There are probably many more paying customers here than in Jax. You know that football is king in Texas just like Florida. Jax is too crowded by other teams and other better destinations for tourists. What was the NFL thinking? Jacksonville? Just because the place went from 400,000 people to 800,000? No offense but LA or San Antonio would have been a better selection. The NFL says they want to be diversified and international, well hell, all of Mexico would be fans of a team in SA. If the NFL wanted the Latino fan, they would put a team in LA or SA before Mexico City, but I am sure they will get that wrong, too, when the time comes. I am frustrated about the NFL, so please do not take any of my opinions personally, plus I have bad typing etiquette that makes me look like I am overly pissed Edited June 29, 2010 by Scooby's Hubby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) I am sure Jacksonville Florida is nice just like most of Florida is, but......what is clear is that the NFL knows nothing of the San Antonio/Austin area. There is nothing you said that San Antonio does not have bested. There are more corporate headquarters, football fans at all levels, just as many students and just as many major universities, military bases, Toyota auto plant, brewery, with Austin 3 times the population of Jax, football is just as big if not bigger in this area compared to Jax. There are probably many more paying customers here than in Jax. You know that football is king in Texas just like Florida. Jax is too crowded by other teams and other better destinations for tourists. What was the NFL thinking? Jacksonville? Just because the place went from 400,000 people to 800,000? No offense but LA or San Antonio would have been a better selection. The NFL says they want to be diversified and international, well hell, all of Mexico would be fans of a team in SA. If the NFL wanted the Latino fan, they would put a team in LA or SA before Mexico City, but I am sure they will get that wrong, too, when the time comes. I am frustrated about the NFL, so please do not take any of my opinions personally, plus I have bad typing etiquette that makes me look like I am overly pissed Yes, I can buy into the idea of San Antonio for all of the reasons you mentioned; It'd be pretty hard to deny that Texas fans aren't loyal, dedicated or populous... But as for this whole talk of moving them to LA, given the track record there I think that it's just going to create even more of a need for the ownership to put out a product worth selling, because I dunno that fair-weather LA fans are going to support a mediocre new team any more than any other big market... Could easily be wrong, but history hasn't boded well for teams trying to move into that huge market. Edited June 29, 2010 by delusions of granduer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoodoo Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Rarely a game day blackout, including last year when the offense was, perhaps, the worst I have ever seen in 22 years of going. Even with the team records Owens and Fitzpatrick set? Longest TD pass and maybe longest QB TD run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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