FARMER’S FIELD: AEG’s proposed new home for Los Angeles’ next National Football League team.
By Adam Stites
Western Sun sports editor
The last time an NFL game was played in the city of Los Angeles was Christmas Eve of 1994. Both the Rams and the Raiders left L.A. because the stadiums were insufficient to host an NFL team.
Now there are a pair of stadium proposals on the table that would bring the nation’s most popular sport back to the City of Angels. Here are the top teams that could bring football back to the nation’s second biggest city:
•San Diego Chargers – The Chargers are desperate for a new stadium in San Diego, to replace the out-dated Qualcomm Stadium. The negotiations are going nowhere though, and time is quickly running out. An hour move would substantially grow the market for the team, not alienate the current fan base and make for a clean transition that doesn’t require division realignments.
•St. Louis Rams – The Rams have struggled with attendance in St. Louis ever since then owner, Georgia Frontierre, moved the team from L.A. Upon her passing, the team was purchased by Stan Kroenke, a businessman with ties to AEG, the corporate group that is attempting to purchase a team for relocation. The Rams can terminate their lease with St. Louis in 2014.
•Buffalo Bills – Owner Ralph Wilson is 93 years old and the Bills have struggled with attendance as of late. Wilson has no heir to his Bills ownership and there will surely be another owner in the future. Los Angeles groups will push hard to ensure they’re the ones.
Rumors that don’t meet reality:
•Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars were recently sold to businessman Shahid Khan, after owner Wayne Weaver spent years looking for someone he trusted not to move the team from Jacksonville. He even passed on an offer from AEG that was $40 million more than he received from Khan. The team also has a lease with the city that runs through the city of 2028 and is about as ironclad as leases come.
•Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings are stuck in the decaying Metrodome, but not for long as Minnesota legislature is almost done with a new stadium that will keep the team in the north. The Vikings agreed to pay a large amount of the costs for a new stadium and the cohesion between the team and city has led to serious progress being made.
