Doomsday101
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LOS ANGELES -- The company behind a plan to lure the NFL back to Los Angeles said Tuesday that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills are the first teams it will try to relocate to Southern California.
Majestic Realty Co. managing partner John Semcken said the company is still considering at least seven franchises for a new stadium in the city of Industry, some 25 miles east of Los Angeles. They also include the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders.
However, Semcken said the Jaguars and the Bills are at the top of the list because they play in small markets that tamp down their earning potential and because they have little hope of building larger venues in their home regions.
"Jacksonville and Buffalo are two teams in very, very small markets," Semcken said. "They are teams that have either outdated stadiums or are having trouble filling their stadiums or both."
The Jaguars have struggled for years to fill Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and had seven of their eight regular-season games blacked out on local television this season. The Bills have played some home games in Toronto in an effort to expand their market.
Messages were left seeking comment from the Jaguars and Bills.
Jaguars majority owner Wayne Weaver and Bills owner Ralph Wilson have steadfastly dismissed any suggestion that they will sell or move their teams.
Semcken said Majestic will not approach the 49ers, Chargers or Vikings as long as those teams are seeking stadium plans of their own. He said it wouldn't be fair to interfere with their efforts to remain in their home markets.
Semcken also said Majestic chief executive Ed Roski's preference is to find owners willing to sell their franchise to a consortium of investors that he would lead, rather than buying a minority stake in a team that would move with its existing majority owner at the helm.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8158865c&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
Majestic Realty Co. managing partner John Semcken said the company is still considering at least seven franchises for a new stadium in the city of Industry, some 25 miles east of Los Angeles. They also include the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders.
However, Semcken said the Jaguars and the Bills are at the top of the list because they play in small markets that tamp down their earning potential and because they have little hope of building larger venues in their home regions.
"Jacksonville and Buffalo are two teams in very, very small markets," Semcken said. "They are teams that have either outdated stadiums or are having trouble filling their stadiums or both."
The Jaguars have struggled for years to fill Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and had seven of their eight regular-season games blacked out on local television this season. The Bills have played some home games in Toronto in an effort to expand their market.
Messages were left seeking comment from the Jaguars and Bills.
Jaguars majority owner Wayne Weaver and Bills owner Ralph Wilson have steadfastly dismissed any suggestion that they will sell or move their teams.
Semcken said Majestic will not approach the 49ers, Chargers or Vikings as long as those teams are seeking stadium plans of their own. He said it wouldn't be fair to interfere with their efforts to remain in their home markets.
Semcken also said Majestic chief executive Ed Roski's preference is to find owners willing to sell their franchise to a consortium of investors that he would lead, rather than buying a minority stake in a team that would move with its existing majority owner at the helm.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8158865c&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
