OT: No football in LA

[420jim]

Great article about why there is no pro football in LA. When you read it you will notice certian similarities with the Bruins


http://ruthlessreviews.com/reviews.cfm/id/1291/page/_____million_for_what_.html

 

[patriot lifer]

"One city has resisted the hollow call of the NFL and has consistently told its owners to go f*ck themselves with a regularity never before seen in the history of modern sports business. It's a city best known for housing a bacchanal of people who drive without pants, make their fortunes off the ideas and hopes of others, and know a thing or two about driving a hard bargain. Los Angeles stands alone as the one city in America that has consistently beat the sh*t out of the NFL at every turn, leaving its owners frustrated, pissed off, perplexed and almost apopleptic with rage as they are left physically shut out from the second-largest media market in the United States."

That about sums up LA.

I love how a photo of the Brady Bunch could be slipped into the article.

 

[rabthepat]

L.A. is Laker's town. The Mighty Ducks won the cup and nobody in SoCal noticed. Like 40% or more of the people at Charger's games are for the opposing team.

The NFL has used L.A. to extort new stadium deals out of municipalities for decades now.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Great article about why there is no pro football in LA. When you read it you will notice certian similarities with the Bruins

I love the line about Frontier's foul stench leaving town......

I was a die hard Bruins fan, from the time I could walk. I met Bobby Orr when I was a kid and idolized Derek Sanderson. I still have a picture of a 6 year old me sporting my "Derek is Unreal" t-shirt. Remember when we used to think that Harry was the cheapsake? Look at their track record since he has stepped down. The Bruins really, really, need new ownership. I can't tell you when the last time I ever cared about a Bruins game was, (aside from knowing that Andy Moog was in net when it happened). I have begged, and begged Jacobs to sell this team to someone from Boston, who cares about winning.

Let see, someone from the area, who....
a.) has the money
B.) has experience owning a professional sports team
c.) runs a first class, winning organization

I don't know if his "peeps" ever read this jibberish, but if by chance if does...


PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE BOB KRAFT, BUY THE BRUINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Interesting article. Those of us who think an NFL team represents the epitome of a Sports Franchise have to step back and rethink our position when confronted with LA.

Yes, the rams were bad in their latter days, Ms. Frontiere was not the best owner and the city didn't bow to Al Davis' every whim, but, still, it seems logical that a market this big would support one if not two NFL franchises.

Nonetheless, a combined average of 150,000 people attend UCLA and USC home games and the area just doesn't seem to need or want an NFL team. This article comes as close as any I have read to explaining why. Maybe I just don't get it, but I'd still bet a cold beer that there will be an NFL team playing out of the LA area in five years.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

SoCal is bandwagon central. What would *you* rather do on a Sunday in late November? Sit in a stadium (or on your couch) and watch a crappy team or take a stroll on the beach? Your decision is pretty much made for you in the northeast. Plus, don't underestimate the demographics of people in SoCal that really kicked in in earnest in the late 1970s...everyone is a transplant. Sure, there were transplants prior to the late 1970s, but after Prop 13 passed in CA the influx was insane. Now you don't see generations of Raiders/Rams fans within families anymore (at least not enough to establish a solid season ticket base that will weather the down years). And if you think Taxachusetts is communism at its finest, you haven't seen CA with its 9.3% state income tax (a bracket that doesn't take long to hit) and 7.75% sales tax (that gets bumped usually to 8.25% with county sales taxes); No wonder the CA taxpayers don't want to fund a public stadium.

Regards,
Chris (San Diego resident '92-'94)

 

[PatsSteve1]

Now why can't Globe writers write liek that. There's a link to one about Tony Dungy there too.

 

[rabthepat]

SoCal is bandwagon central. What would *you* rather do on a Sunday in late November? Sit in a stadium (or on your couch) and watch a crappy team or take a stroll on the beach? Your decision is pretty much made for you in the northeast. Plus, don't underestimate the demographics of people in SoCal that really kicked in in earnest in the late 1970s...everyone is a transplant. Sure, there were transplants prior to the late 1970s, but after Prop 13 passed in CA the influx was insane. Now you don't see generations of Raiders/Rams fans within families anymore (at least not enough to establish a solid season ticket base that will weather the down years). And if you think Taxachusetts is communism at its finest, you haven't seen CA with its 9.3% state income tax (a bracket that doesn't take long to hit) and 7.75% sales tax (that gets bumped usually to 8.25% with county sales taxes); No wonder the CA taxpayers don't want to fund a public stadium.

Regards,
Chris (San Diego resident '92-'94)

True...so true.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

SoCal is bandwagon central. What would *you* rather do on a Sunday in late November? Sit in a stadium (or on your couch) and watch a crappy team or take a stroll on the beach? Your decision is pretty much made for you in the northeast. Plus, don't underestimate the demographics of people in SoCal that really kicked in in earnest in the late 1970s...everyone is a transplant. Sure, there were transplants prior to the late 1970s, but after Prop 13 passed in CA the influx was insane. Now you don't see generations of Raiders/Rams fans within families anymore (at least not enough to establish a solid season ticket base that will weather the down years). And if you think Taxachusetts is communism at its finest, you haven't seen CA with its 9.3% state income tax (a bracket that doesn't take long to hit) and 7.75% sales tax (that gets bumped usually to 8.25% with county sales taxes); No wonder the CA taxpayers don't want to fund a public stadium.

Regards,
Chris (San Diego resident '92-'94)

I love SD but I'd rather do football than the beach scene here in Aug Sept when it's still quite warm. You are right about CA as the leading bastion of commie bastids in the US of A.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I love SD but I'd rather do football than the beach scene here in Aug Sept when it's still quite warm.

True, as would I. But here's the thing...once October comes around in the northeast, the weather puts you in football mode. Because of that, you're a fan from the start of the season when it's warm. Who can just turn on their football fandom like a switch once the weather turns cold? With only 16 games, each one is huge so you need to be on board even in a summer-like September. In CA, the weather isn't going to steer you towards football in October or November (or December, January or February). So in CA, most people are in beach mode unless there's a bandwagon to jump on.

Don't get me wrong, for there are diehard Raiders, Rams and Chargers fans in SoCal. Just not enough to fill a stadium on a weekly basis when the team is bad or mediocre.

Regards,
Chris

 

[PromisedLand]

I love how a photo of the Brady Bunch could be slipped into the article.

Oh. That Brady Bunch.

 

[QuiGon]

Great article about why there is no pro football in LA. When you read it you will notice certian similarities with the Bruins


http://ruthlessreviews.com/reviews.cfm/id/1291/page/_____million_for_what_.html

They'll probably get one sooner or later... Minnesota, Buffalo, KC, SF, SD and maybe even NO stand out as candidates...

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Now why can't Globe writers write liek that. There's a link to one about Tony Dungy there too.

I don't think that the editors would like them dropping the f-bombs every paragraph or so. I will however Google " **** Grabowsky" to see what else he's written....

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Well written, if slightly over the top.

One quibble: His assertion UCLA and USC sell out 100,000 seat stadiums every Saturday. I watched many USC games on TV in the late 80s and 90s (during the 15 years or so USC stunk on ice) with more than half the seats empty. UCLA has been more or less the same way at the Rose Bowl. The point is, USC is winning and it's a hot ticket. If they're on the skids 5 years from now there will be plenty of seats to be had. But either way, both stadiums aren't being sold out every week. Not even close.

 

[DaBruinz]

L.A. is Laker's town. The Mighty Ducks won the cup and nobody in SoCal noticed. Like 40% or more of the people at Charger's games are for the opposing team.

The NFL has used L.A. to extort new stadium deals out of municipalities for decades now.

Actually, quite a few people in Orange County noticed. You also have to realize that, contrary to the idiots running the Angels, Anaheim is NOT a suburb of Los Angeles. Just like Fort Worth is NOT a suburb of Dallas. Its almost like saying that Worcester, Lowell, Methuen or Providence are suburbs of Boston. They aren't. The only reason I know is I still have plenty of friends who are hockey fans out there.

As for what happens at Chargers games, that has more to do with the transient nature of the San Diego population than anything else. Heck, I'd put money that at least 15% of San Diegans are New England transplants...

 

[DaBruinz]

Just read the article and I have to say that the author goes over-board on some things. Heck, he is pretty damn crass, over-all.

A few things that I find somwhat disengenuous.

1) In the 80's and 90s, ALL teams were allowed to keep luxury box receipts, concession receipts, and parking revenues.

2) The writer fails to mention the taxes that teams have to pay for the land their on. They still pay property taxes and business taxes.

3) Its also disengenuous to keep mentioning the fans footing the bill. That is how it is regarless. Whether its through the forementioned revenues or through taxes (which hits all the populace) the fans still pay. Just like Pats fans are paying for Gillette. Kraft raised prices on tickets and parking to pay for his loans.

4) This guy clearly is a huge supporter of the LA City Council and LA Mayor's office and that automatically makes him as much of a huge piece of garbage as Al Davis is. Two of the most corrupt city agencies outside of Louisiana.

5) Los Angeles "doesn't care" what the NFL things, but they still turn on their TV sets to watch Raider games or games of other teams. In fact, I seem to remember that the Raider games get priority in Los Angeles on major networks. Ooopss.. guess the writer didn't want to mention that....

6) The writer also fails to mention that most of the highways in Los Angeles are considered deficient in regards to capacity as well as signage so it makes getting anywhere in LA tough to begin with.

7) What about the revenue that is generated locally? Doesn't that go back to helping the community?

 

[Fencer]

The Dodgers got what was probably one of the earlier and best sweetheart deals to relocate way back when. I.e., they own Chavez Ravine outright (I think the whole ravine and not just Dodger Stadium, not that the distinction matters). They also spent a lot of years as the best-drawing team in baseball, although I don't know what the situation is now.

Of course, they were by most measures (genuine success, PR, etc.) the second-leading franchise in baseball for many decades, which may have helped a bit ...