We posted last night an item pointing out that rumors are surfacing of another potential stadium plan in Southern California, with downtown L.A. as the intended location. Linebacker Shawne Merriman of the Chargers tweeted in response that it’s more than a rumor.
And he’s right.
Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times puts some meat on the bone, explaining that Tim Leiweke of Anschutz Entertainment Group and Casey Wasserman are investigating the possibility of building a stadium behind Staples Center, where the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center currently is located.
Per Farmer, the plan is in the “preliminary stages,” but it’s far enough along for the NFL to be aware of the proposal and monitoring its progress.
Farmer believes (accurately, in our view) that there will be only one new stadium in Los Angeles. Thus, the new proposal will be in direct competition with Ed Roski’s project in the City of Industry (not to be confused with the “city of Industry” or “Industry” or “place that thinks it can improve its crappy name simply by putting ‘City of’ in front of it”).
Roski mouthpiece John Semcken disagrees. “It doesn’t change what we’re doing at all,” he told Farmer. “Doesn’t influence anything we’re doing one bit.”
I love the smell of denial in the morning.