Local: S.A. to discuss ways to lure pro franchises

[Trae]

Good luck San Antonio, you will need it against Los Angeles. I doubt the Saints move to SA over staying in New Orleans.

[NCB]

Sorry, but if the Saints leave New Orleans, they'll be headed to Los Angeles, not San Antonio.

And about the comment from the Saints spokesman, what was he supposed to say? He can't say "No, no, no! We are here to stay forever!" because the city still is facing problems, and because the NFL is a business, you can simply never say that. So his comment doesn't mean much of anything to me apart from what it said, they had no comment, because there was nothing new to comment on.

As for the Saints season here last year, the city of New Orleans and its citizens stepped up and did everything it could've done to ensure the Saints that the city could keep them. A completely renovated Superdome that is now as good as it was 25 years ago, the season sold out completely on season ticket sales, and every single suite in the Dome except for two or three bought up by local businesses. Basically everything the city wasn't supposed to be able to do, happened, and the NFL was extremely pleased. And the good news, this coming season looks even more profitable for the team than last year.

But again, if the Saints leave in 3 years, it would be disappointing, but not too suprising. And if they do leave, they'll be in Los Angeles before they even leave New Orleans.

[NBTX11]

While, I agree that NORMALLY SA wouldn't have a snowballs chance against Los Angeles, this situation is unique. IF the saints were to ever leave N.O., I believe it would be SA, for the simple fact that Benson owns the team. Unless the NFL forced Benson to move to LA. But I see how they could force an owner to move somewhere they don't want to be - never happed before, and he owns the franchise, not the NFL. Benson is from SA as is Rita Benson, he owns business around SA, and SA is his adopted home town. He has no ties to LA - he would not move it there on his own accord. If he has a choice on where he moves his team it will be SA. I say this with the caveat that the NFL could do some severe arm twisting like they did to get him to move back to N.O. I personally think there is still a good chance they will stay permanently in N.O., but if Benson does move the team it will be to SA, unless the team is sold to someone else, imo.

[NCB]

^A very good arguement to what I was thinking. But I just cannot see the NFL passing on Los Angeles again if the spot finally opens up. The NFL is more than desperate to put a team there, and when a spot finally opens up, whether it's the Vikings, Bills, Jaguars, Saints, or any other team on the hotseat in their city, I think the NFL will jump at it faster than you imagine. I realize Tom Benson has lots of ties to San Antonio, but he's a businessman, and at his core he just wants to make money, just like the NFL. For example, right after Katrina, Benson wanted to get out of New Orleans more than anyone could imagine. But now that the Saints are hitting it big here, and he along with the franchise is making tons of money, he absolutely LOVES it here again. So even if he wants to go to S.A., I think his longing for the $$$ and the NFL's arm twisting, like you said, will be the deciding factor in him going to Los Angeles.

Of course, I could be wrong, but I just don't think the NFL will let a team move anywhere but Los Angeles until they have a team there. And of course, the Saints do still have a very good chance of staying here much longer than 3 years. Word around town is that the talks between the team and the state are going quite well, and that the Saints are closer than they've been in many, many years to signing a long term contract.

We shall see!

[SAguy]

Benson has way too many ties in S.A. to leave "his team" in New Orleans. In fact, I believe Benson just recently launched in new bank in S.A.

The NFL won't be able to stop Benson from moving the Saints to S.A. if he so choses. Two good examples of this is the Rams and the Raiders leaving L.A.

[Trae]

Well, if the owners approve of it. If the owners want more revenue, they will want a team in Los Angeles, an area of 20 million.

[SAguy]

Trae-If the owners want more revenue, they will want a team in Los Angeles, an area of 20 million.

Yeah, well the same could be said about many other teams seeking more revenue.

[NCB]

Originally Posted by SAguy

Benson has way too many ties in S.A. to leave "his team" in New Orleans. In fact, I believe Benson just recently launched in new bank in S.A.

That's all great, but the main goal of any businessman is to make money, and as long as Benson continues to haul in the kind of cash he is in New Orleans right now, he'll be more than happy here. That's all I'm saying about him staying here.

But like I said earlier, we shall see. I just think some people in San Antonio are thinking too much of the "local ties" and too little on the money to be made in an area of nearly 20 million that can offer an owner just about anything he wants.

[SAguy]

NCB-I just think some people in San Antonio are thinking too much of the "local ties" and too little on the money to be made in an area of nearly 20 million that can offer an owner just about anything he wants.

If that's the case, why is it that the Rams and the Raiders both left the L.A. market? That's right..not one but two NFL teams left the L.A. market. Stop preaching about how much money could be made if the Saints left to L.A. because it's not going to happen.

[Trae]

The Raiders are in the Bay Area, a place of almost 10 million people. They do share a market with Los Angeles, but there are still a lot of Raider fans in the LA area.

For the Rams, the LA Coliseum did not have box seats. How are you going to get more money without box seats?

The Raiders were originally from Oakland,then moved to Los Angeles. The Raiders were sharing revenue with the USC Trojans, and they still had no luxury boxes. Al Davis wanted some.

[NCB]

Originally Posted by SAguy

Stop preaching about how much money could be made if the Saints left to L.A. because it's not going to happen.

Sorry, but anything is possible in the NFL, and saying that there is no way the Saints will go to L.A. if they leave New Orleans is pretty silly, IMO. If the NFL wants the Saints there, the Saints will be there, believe that. And as long as a metro of 20 million is just sitting out there without a team, a metro of 1.8 million like San Antonio will get looked over every time. And that's pretty much the way everyone outside of San Antonio seems to feel about the Saints situation. Not to mention the stadium situation, which is no problem for Los Angeles considering the NFL will practically build it themselves, all to get a team out there.

But again, who knows. If the Saints leave, it won't be for another 3 years, and lots can change in that time.

[NBTX11]

Originally Posted by NCB

Sorry, but anything is possible in the NFL, and saying that there is no way the Saints will go to L.A. if they leave New Orleans is pretty silly, IMO. If the NFL wants the Saints there, the Saints will be there, believe that. And as long as a metro of 20 million is just sitting out there without a team, a metro of 1.8 million like San Antonio will get looked over every time. And that's pretty much the way everyone outside of San Antonio seems to feel about the Saints situation. Not to mention the stadium situation, which is no problem for Los Angeles considering the NFL will practically build it themselves, all to get a team out there.

But again, who knows. If the Saints leave, it won't be for another 3 years, and lots can change in that time.

Not to nitpick your numbers, but LA has 12 million, not 20 million, according to Wikipedia and the US census bureau. Still a huge market though. SA has 2 million (1.9 mil as of 2 years ago - last estimate), with 3.5 mil in a 80 mile radius (including Austin).

I agree with most of what you said though. The Saints appear to have at least a better than 50/50 chance of staying in NO, imo. SA's best chance may be if/when the NFL expands by 2 teams to put a team in LA, if another team doesn't move to LA. They should have put a team in football mad San Antonio back in the 90s instead of a rinky dink market like Jacksonville. But I don't think SA had their stuff together at that time. Plus, SA has grown by leaps and bounds since then. SA does have a bigger population base than the likes of Jax and Nashville.

[bresilhac]

Originally Posted by SAguy

If that's the case, why is it that the Rams and the Raiders both left the L.A. market? That's right..not one but two NFL teams left the L.A. market. Stop preaching about how much money could be made if the Saints left to L.A. because it's not going to happen.

You hit the nail right on the head SAguy. If the league were so concerned with having a team(s) in Los Angeles because of the size and richness of the market there then Tagliabue and the owners never would have allowed the Rams or the Raiders to move in the first place. Also remember that Al Davis moved his team back to Oakland because Los Angeles would not build him another stadium. Forced to play in the ratty old LA Coliseum he chose to relocate instead. And after 15 years not a thing has changed. Still no new stadium. Ditto with Georgia Frontiere and the Rams. So I would say that if Benson opts to pay the $61 million penalty and opt out of the current contract he has with Louisiana and leave New Orleans, he will relocate the team to San Antonio not Los Angeles. The main reason being that San Antonio and its leaders are more amenable to building a new stadium or refurbishing the Alamodome than is Los Angeles.

[BSofA04]

LA is having a lot of trouble getting any stadium plan off the ground. The fact that the NFL has to come in and help a city with 12 million+ is ridiculous. Fact is, people in LA arn't begging for a team and most really don't care. They consider USC as their pro team. I know that Benson is a businessman, but I just can't see him wanting to move to the West Coast. Tagliabue is out as Commish, and Goodell is SA friendly. My money would be on SA but I can understand why others feel like LA should get the team. Benson wants to go "home" and celebrate on his ranch here in TX after games. Or maybe he would love to stay in his private suite in a brand new stadium they city of San Antonio built him without the help of the league. Hell I wouldn't leave.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by NBTX11

Not to nitpick your numbers, but LA has 12 million, not 20 million, according to Wikipedia and the US census bureau. Still a huge market though. SA has 2 million (1.9 mil as of 2 years ago - last estimate), with 3.5 mil in a 80 mile radius (including Austin).

I agree with most of what you said though. The Saints appear to have at least a better than 50/50 chance of staying in NO, imo. SA's best chance may be if/when the NFL expands by 2 teams to put a team in LA, if another team doesn't move to LA. They should have put a team in football mad San Antonio back in the 90s instead of a rinky dink market like Jacksonville. But I don't think SA had their stuff together at that time. Plus, SA has grown by leaps and bounds since then. SA does have a bigger population base than the likes of Jax and Nashville.

Use an 80 mile radius around LA, you have 20 million. The NFL won't expand by two teams, especially after their setup now.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by BSofA04

LA is having a lot of trouble getting any stadium plan off the ground. The fact that the NFL has to come in and help a city with 12 million+ is ridiculous. Fact is, people in LA arn't begging for a team and most really don't care. They consider USC as their pro team. I know that Benson is a businessman, but I just can't see him wanting to move to the West Coast. Tagliabue is out as Commish, and Goodell is SA friendly. My money would be on SA but I can understand why others feel like LA should get the team. Benson wants to go "home" and celebrate on his ranch here in TX after games. Or maybe he would love to stay in his private suite in a brand new stadium they city of San Antonio built him without the help of the league. Hell I wouldn't leave.

The people of LA could really care less, but a lot has changed in 15 years. The NFL wants a team in LA because of the money to be made there. I have my money on LA over SA.

[Corinth940]

Originally Posted by Trae

The NFL wants a team in LA because of the money to be made there. I have my money on LA over SA.

I've read a lot of good responses in regards to this issue but one thing strikes me concerning why some think LA is the "default" winner over any Saints move just b/c they don't have a team now once again. That wasn't much of an issue in recent years with expansion and relocation teams. For instance, don't you think that if the NFL really wanted a team in LA, that it would be there by now instead of Houston? Houston beat out LA for their second chance at the NFL and IMHO, no matter what the financing package Houston offered, LA is still a 22 million+ metro vs Houston at 5.5 million. If it was that important to the powers-that-be in the NFL, then you can bet that LA, even without a stadium and its financing problems, would have got the nod over Houston. They would have moved heaven and earth to nail down a financing package and a "band-aid" quick-fix stadium to play in LA until they could get a new one built, IMHO. That obviously didn't happen, however, because LA is notorious for its apathy in the NFL department and it continues that way without a stadium still. As someone mentioned earlier LA's "teams" are USC and UCLA...similar to those in Austin who say that they don't need the NFL b/c they have the Longhorns.

I don't think the Saints will leave New Orleans, but if they did, I don't see the NFL forcing team owner Benson to move them to LA. And team owners wouldn't force his hand either...can you imagine the bad precedent that would set up for themselves if other team owners forced another owner to move his/her team to someplace they may not want to? Next they'll be forcing team owners in smaller metros like Jacksonville or Nashville to move to larger metros like Portland or Las Vegas, (insert your favorite metro here) etc etc simply b/c they think there's more money to be made there and they're gonna decide instead of the owner of the team, or because they think it's "better" because it's larger, etc. I just don't see that happening or that being relevant at all.

Just my .02

[Trae]

Houston and Bob McNair came out with a billion dollar stadium proposal that was better than the LA Coliseum (Reliant Stadium).

[BSofA04]

Originally Posted by Corinth940

I've read a lot of good responses in regards to this issue but one thing strikes me concerning why some think LA is the "default" winner over any Saints move just b/c they don't have a team now once again. That wasn't much of an issue in recent years with expansion and relocation teams. For instance, don't you think that if the NFL really wanted a team in LA, that it would be there by now instead of Houston? Houston beat out LA for their second chance at the NFL and IMHO, no matter what the financing package Houston offered, LA is still a 22 million+ metro vs Houston at 5.5 million. If it was that important to the powers-that-be in the NFL, then you can bet that LA, even without a stadium and its financing problems, would have got the nod over Houston. They would have moved heaven and earth to nail down a financing package and a "band-aid" quick-fix stadium to play in LA until they could get a new one built, IMHO. That obviously didn't happen, however, because LA is notorious for its apathy in the NFL department and it continues that way without a stadium still. As someone mentioned earlier LA's "teams" are USC and UCLA...similar to those in Austin who say that they don't need the NFL b/c they have the Longhorns.

I don't think the Saints will leave New Orleans, but if they did, I don't see the NFL forcing team owner Benson to move them to LA. And team owners wouldn't force his hand either...can you imagine the bad precedent that would set up for themselves if other team owners forced another owner to move his/her team to someplace they may not want to? Next they'll be forcing team owners in smaller metros like Jacksonville or Nashville to move to larger metros like Portland or Las Vegas, (insert your favorite metro here) etc etc simply b/c they think there's more money to be made there and they're gonna decide instead of the owner of the team, or because they think it's "better" because it's larger, etc. I just don't see that happening or that being relevant at all.

Just my .02

Excellent point.

[NBTX11]

Originally Posted by Trae

Use an 80 mile radius around LA, you have 20 million. The NFL won't expand by two teams, especially after their setup now.

Wrong. LA is a huge metro area by land area. The counties in SoCal are huge (much bigger than TX). The LA official metro area goes out over a hundred miles.