Handicapping the field for Los Angeles, with one surprise team

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on May 27, 2011, 5:28 PM EDT
AP

During his appearance on PFT Live Friday, the conversation with NFL Network’s Albert Breer naturally gravitated towards his recent story about Vikings ownership meeting with AEG.

That segued into a discussion regarding what team could eventually wind up moving to Los Angeles.  The whole conversation is worth checking out below, but I was especially surprised to hear one name mentioned.

“Chargers are at the top of the list,” Breer said. “One dark horse is the Carolina Panthers.”

For the entire segment, head to the PFT Live homepage.  You can also download the show  at iTunes.

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85 responses to “Handicapping the field for Los Angeles, with one surprise team”

  1. Get fuggin real! The Panthers aren’t going to LA. Mr Richardson would never approve of such a move. Besides the fact that it would be a total d$ck move, he is an aging owner who would want to stay close to his SC roots. He is a graduate of Wofford University(where the Cats hold camp every year) aaand he has nothing invested in LA. Just doesnt make sense. Dark horse? more like dead horse.

  3. If the NFL was really that serious about having a franchise in L.A. wouldn’t it have made sense for the league to do more to keep one of the two teams that left in 1994 out there?

  4. If you move any team to L.A. WITHOUT the consultation of Al Davis & the Raiders – THERE WILL BE A LAWSUIT

    THE NFL tried to block the move to LA for good, Al sued , and Al won.

    LA is still the RAIDERS TOWN, you will see the flags, jerseys, bumper stickers, etc…

    Ice Cube dont want no Chargers playing in LA, ICE CUBE WANT THAT SILVER AND BLACK BABY!

    move any team to LA, & pay the Raiders compensation or get sued…

    or

    DO THE RIGHT THING AND PUT THE RAIDERS BACK IN LA!

    Al Davis 4 Life

    Raiders – 3 rings (shoulda been 5) – tuck rule, pitt icing the field, too many to name

    Broncos – 2 rings (PROVEN salary cap violations- cheated- Terrell Davis contract)

    Chiefs – 1 ring (LEGIT)

    Chargers – 0 rings

    why put a loser in a town that thrives off winners – lakers, dodgers, usc, ucla

  5. Just because the Panthers had a bad season shouldn’t make them the frontrunner to move across the country to the nation’s black-hole of NFL franchises.

    If the NFL wants to move a team to L.A., add two teams and put them both in L.A……restructure the schedule to accomodate this via luck of the draw bye-weeks and an 18 game schedule…..this is a far better suggestion than moving a team and crushing an existing fan base.

    I wonder if the NFL realizes that the rest of the country doesn’t give a damn about L.A. An existing franchise shouldn’t need to move to give L.A. another chance to make a joke out of itself again.

  6. Albert Breer needs to check his facts. He mentioned the Panthers’ lease. Well, the Panthers own the stadium. There is no lease to get out of, but there would be the question of what to to do with the stadium.

    Also, with his heart problems, I am sure that Jerry Richardson has worked up some plan for succession and it is not a “no succession plan” operation as Breer says.

  7. Panthers are not leaving, have you been to a game in Carolina? Out of all the stadiums I have been to, it is one of the best experiences with the nicest people.Southern hospitality is fantastic.

    The stadiums are just too big in the NFL in most markets. NFL has outpriced the average fan in favor of corporate dollars, but it doesn’t mean fans aren’t watching their teams. Greed is truely killing the sport or business.

  9. I would be fine with Carolina. At least I would be guaranteed to see my precious Saints once a year. I like the Chargers too. I just hope it’s not the Crykings.

  10. Thats just dumb. Leave a 72000 seat sold out stadium for the unknown. May be able to get more on the high end tickets, but overall the Panthers are above average in ticket revenue now. So that means there are atleast 16 other teams you should be talking about. Just dumb.

  11. Word is the Panthers to L.A. is a done deal.

    Jerry Richardson: a real class act. Enjoy that heart transplant, Jerry.

  13. lol the Panthers in LA? Never gonna happen. This guy needs a CT scan. No way the NFL would let one of it’s 16 in attendance move to a city that probably has never sold out an NFL game.

  14. L.A. has had their chance and they blew it. Then they had another chance, and blew that.

    Only a state like California could disregard past history and demand YET ANOTHER professional sports franchise.

  15. The Panthers rumor is BS. You guys need to check your facts. The Panthers own the Stadium, they don`t have a lease. The get revenue from the stadium year round. Because of the PSL`s they are guaranteed to Sell close to 67K tickets to every game. People may not show up, but the tickets are sold. They are not looking to get out of a lease they are looking to purchase land to build another stadium 10-15 years in the future.

  16. I will say it is funny to read yet another city that got an expansion team over Baltimore is mentioned in rumors linking their team possibly relocating to LA.

    And I thought the NHL was the worst professional sports league when it comes to choosing new/recycled markets to stick a franchise by a mile. Well the NFL is climbing the list.

  17. People seem to forget that no matter what team agrees to go to L.A, their owner will be splitting revenue. I cant imagine any owner is willing to do that with the current situation the NFL is in.

    The only other option is to sell the team, and I dont see the L.A group bucking up a billion doallars for a stadium and close to another billion to buy a team.

  18. goombar2 says:
    May 27, 2011 6:02 PM
    And that’s why I see the vikes in Mexico City. They will be renamed the Fish Taco.
    ————
    Why do you see them in Mexico City? You like throwing out random cities? Perhaps you are just an uneducated person who speaks when he shouldnt. Either way, you are of no concern.

  19. LOL, Breer’s credibility goes down the drain with this whole “Panthers to L.A.” thing… purely from a business standpoint, why would the Panthers consider moving anywhere when they own their stadium here in Charlotte and have PSL sales such that every home game is a guaranteed sellout no matter what?

    Beyond that, they just bought a large lot near the current stadium to use as the potential site of a future stadium 10 years down the road.

    Meanwhile, you have the Chargers (who started in L.A.) in a constant pissing contest with San Diego over the stadium, the Jaguars getting blacked out for the majority of the season, the Vikings struggling to turn a profit and everybody thinks the Panthers are moving… LOL, typical

  20. Just listened… so the Panthers have “stadium problems?” they have a 16 year old stadium and enough PSL’s sold that they are guaranteed a sellout even if only 1,000 people show up to a game.

    The Panthers are not “trying to get a stadium built” anytime soon, Breer is talking out of his ass.

  21. No team is moving to LA. LA doesn’t want a team and the league would no longer have LA to hold over every other city’s head to get a new stadium built.

  22. Well the Panthers appear to have the darkhorse’s ass on board at least. Newt will really be baring his fangs if they go Hollywood.

  23. God please end the lockout so these sports hack writers can get back to writing about actual sports and quit spreading rumors about this team or that team moving to LA. No one gives a tinkers darn about LA EXCEPT sportswriters !! They want to be able to sit in the press box and look up Paris Hilton’s skirt at halftime and also look at the ” Beautiful ” people file out of the stadium before the game ends like they did when they had two teams. Do us all a favor and quit writing anything about LA, We all are sick of it PERIOD !!

  24. RANDYSAVAGE, Im no raider fan, but I think the raiders are where they belong; back where they started in Oakland not L.A. They belong up in Nor-Cal in the Bay.

  25. SAVAGE, what makes you think the raiders should have had a ring because of the tuck rule game? That wasnt even the AFC Championship! It was the divisional round.

  27. “Darkhorse” would be the appropriate word. It’s what comes to mind when I look at Newt drawing his upper lip back from those massive equine teeth set in the front of that bizarrely elongated muzzle

  28. I said it before and I’ll say it again. How they should deal with LA is to not move a team there, but have LA be the site for the Super Bowl every year.

    LA doesn’t strike the average sports fan as an NFL city. Football won’t work there no matter how much the team may win. So you compromise. You get the LA market involved in the championship every year, but not have to go through moving a team there or even worse, expansion.

    I think that’s the best compromise. No city has to lose their team, and at least you get something, a very big something, out of the LA market rather than nothing at all.

  30. The panthers are one of like 4 teams that actually own there stadium…..get real, panther will always be the carolinas, smh this lock out is causing people to just start creating stupid rumers!

  31. Carolina fans, don’t worry – these same clowns have had my Jags moving as a “done deal” for the last 3 years. Rag a*s, no journalistic ability website. (I read it for the witty comments)

  32. California Black Panthers has a nice ring to it. Especially if the Raiders reclaim Los Angeles and the Black Panthers opt for their original Oakland stomping grounds.

  33. norcaleagles says:
    May 27, 2011 6:51 PM

    Im no raider fan, but I think the raiders are where they belong; back where they started in Oakland not L.A. They belong up in Nor-Cal in the Bay.
    ———————————————
    I agree. The Raiders belong in Oakland. They never should have moved to LA in the first place, but it was back when Al’s mind was still sharp and I’m sure it brought in more revenue and helped to expand the Nation, so he probably had a method to his madness. Now it’s just madness.

  34. it makes sense to me, richardson, brown and others are the worst owners in sports look at there teams they never won a Superbowl and don’t care if they do. but spanos and the chargers are the team that is moving there IMO. there is a few owners that their teams would be better off because AEG would own a third of the team and bring at least some part of ownership that wants to try and win a championship.

  35. It makes you wonder if the NFL was wise with where they awarded franchises back in ’95. Both the Jags and now Panthers are at least rumored to be interested in moving.

    The Raiders and Rams left L.A. for a reason and there hasn’t been NFL there for what, 17 years? Anyone who thinks a group will be able to get through all the red tape and headaches L.A. (and California in general) presents by 2012 is fooling themselves. The ONLY reason the Chargers can’t get a new stadium in SD is because of the economy and the city of SD, much like the state, is bankrupt. A group in L.A. will face the same challenges the Bolts are facing in SD.

    There is no money in the NFL’s G3 fund (or whaterver it’s called) and with the lockout and potential loss of revenue, its only going to make things harder to relocate a franchise to L.A.

    If the Chargers do move they would be wise to call themselves the Southern California Chargers. Calling them the L.A. Chargers will piss off their loyal fanbase who would be less likely to travel up north if the team abandons it SD roots.

  36. Cheer up, Carolina. Maybe Richardson will sell the Panthers to the McCourts. You’ll have them back in a year or two.

  37. Randysavage4ever

    …..Bitter!!..party of one…Bitter…party of one.

    This post is about the potential of teams moving to L.A…. not a pro-raiders…slam their opponents opportunity. The Vikings, Chargers, Jaguars, and a little bit Panther fans are all intrigued by this news… or someones postulations.. Last I checked, nowhere in the article did it say “Lets talk about the Raiders, their super bowls, the tuck rule, and how their division rival super bowls are not legit”.. Look up the definition of Tangent… You went off on a few there

    Quite a few posts on here have substance and intelligence within their posts. Even more are quite hilarious… You could even try going that route.. To throw your monkey-poo labels and non-researched facts (see divisional playoffs rather than AFC Championship) makes you the target of several more posts….

    Ya might wanna think about what to write, and subject at hand before making this your soapbox about your Raiders.

  38. In my opinion the only team that would sit well with me moving to LA, would be if the Rams went back. It would make a true NFC west, and force the Rams to deal with the same travel issues as the rest of the division. Plus there’s a history…dont even need a new name.

  39. The NFL has a considerable amount of value in keeping L.A. as the bogeyman everytime an existing team wants a new stadium.

    With the exception of 2 – 3 cities, the threat of moving to L.A. is a very legitimate threat

  40. georgeanderson 2 says:
    May 27, 2011 5:47 PM
    Panthers are not leaving, have you been to a game in Carolina? Out of all the stadiums I have been to, it is one of the best experiences with the nicest people.Southern hospitality is fantastic.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++
    And those empty seats starting at mid season are pretty friendly as well.

    Southern hospitality is great, if it’s from a local Waffle House waitress. The fans I listen to on the radio (WFNZ-AM out of Charlotte) are the biggest fair weather fans I ever heard of……or the most delusional. I have been to a game in Charlotte. There is no game day atmosphere to speak of (I did go to a Monday night game a few years ago so maybe day games are different).

  41. LOL glen1904, check your facts – the Panthers are thriving… haven’t had a blackout since ’02, in part because more than 80% of the stadium is sold out through PSL’s. 12th most valuable franchise in the NFL according to Forbes. Panthers are in a TOTALLY different boat than the Jags.

    And to the person who said they don’t care about winning, so a SB appearance in ’03 is the mark of a team that doesn’t care about winning?

  43. Being a Houstonian I know what it’s like to lose a team. Im still pissed about bud adama taking my Oilers and not letting us use the name after he left. I say screw LA. Nobody deserves to have their team stolen.

  44. Being a Houstonian I know what it’s like to lose a team. Im still pissed about bud adams taking my Oilers and not letting us use the name after he left. I say screw LA. Nobody deserves to have their team stolen.

  45. I got news for all the Panther fans who think the team can’t move. If the Browns could leave Cleveland, the Colts Baltimore, and the Rams LA – then the friggin Carolina Panthers can move too. This is a franchise with less than 20 years of tradition to stand on.

    Fact is teams in bigger markets, with tons more tradition and deeper, more dedicated fan bases have moved. Hell, the Vikings are rumored to be an LA possibility, and they have more tradition and deeper roots than the Carolina effing Panthers will ever have.

    The Panthers are a bad team, in a small market, with zero tradition and no presence on the national market radar, and a small, shallow-rooted fan base.

    Could the Panthers move? You bet. And I hope they do, if only to prevent a team with a real, multi-generational fanbase such as Minnesota from leaving. If the Panthers leave Carolina, so what? Like anyone outside of Raleigh would care.

    And you know it’s true.

  46. Let’s handicap where the new LA team will move to when LA fan loses interest. Again.

  47. goombar2 says: May 27, 2011 6:02 PM
    And that’s why I see the Vikes in Mexico City. They will be renamed the Fish Taco.
    ——————————————————————–

    I don’t know why I think this is so funny, but every time I read it, I burst out laughing again.

  48. If you move any team to L.A. WITHOUT the consultation of Al Davis & the Raiders – THERE WILL BE A LAWSUIT

    THE NFL tried to block the move to LA for good, Al sued , and Al won.

    LA is still the RAIDERS TOWN, you will see the flags, jerseys, bumper stickers, etc…

    Ice Cube dont want no Chargers playing in LA, ICE CUBE WANT THAT SILVER AND BLACK BABY!

    move any team to LA, & pay the Raiders compensation or get sued…

    or

    DO THE RIGHT THING AND PUT THE RAIDERS BACK IN LA!

    Al Davis 4 Life

    Raiders – 3 rings (shoulda been 5) – tuck rule, pitt icing the field, too many to name

    Broncos – 2 rings (PROVEN salary cap violations- cheated- Terrell Davis contract)

    Chiefs – 1 ring (LEGIT)

    Chargers – 0 rings

    why put a loser in a town that thrives off winners – lakers, dodgers, usc, ucla

  50. here comes the ether…

    @fitnesstrainer6788

    hey buddy, pats won the tuck rule game and then won the whole SB. So in essence, yeah it was jerked from us. Actually an entire DYNASTY was spawned from it, not to mention the career of HOF QB Tom Brady.

    You realize your talking to a Raider right?

    Which means I play by my own rules. If I wanna have a pro Raiders & slam AFC West opponents – I will. I’ll do whatever I want & say whatever I want.

    your mad corny, you use the term “monkey poo”… enough said.

    Non researched facts? – I’ll go 1 on 1 football knowledge all day with you bro, trust me, I was just havin’ a lil fun on PFT, dont make me bring the toys out….HUH? haha

    And I’m not talking opinion fan stuff whos better Manning or Brady, I’m talkin show me how cover 2 works and lets lock ourselves in the film room Gruden style for a few days…HUH? haha

    @norcaleagles

    see above, & ofcourse I know it was a divisional game, but still the winner of that game won the SB that year, fine F that game, a respected bay area columnist already wrote about the TEN OTHER GAMES – divisional round, SB, & AFC title game, where the Raiders were jerked.

  51. dont worry world, goombar is a POS – he also wants to vote no for a new vikings stadium even tho he is only living in the state for 1 year & thinks he as the rite to determine what happens in the state for the next 30 years

  52. What’s the NFL going to do when LA finally does get a team? Wheres the next threat? San Antonio? Bah…
    Thats all LA is, a threat and leverage. Theres more questions about locating a team in LA than answers. And PFTY is saying they think they will get two teams? Really? wow…

  53. The issue isn’t whether the people of L.A. want a football team or whether L.A. is a good city for football.

    The issue is what the people with the unholy sums of money want. Oklahoma City is not a better NBA town than Seattle; but a selfish billionaire wanted something, and he got it.

    The amount of money taken in by NFL teams these days must be titanically greater than it was 17 years ago. There are billionaires waiting out there, drooling in anticipation. That is what matters.

    Personally, I think it sucks. If these people had honor, they’d be pushing the NFL for an expansion franchise. Instead they want to use their cash to buy a shortcut, and the expense of tens of thousands of fans. Screw ’em, I say.

  54. Panthers to LA? This is the dumbest thing I’ve heard yet. There is no lease on their stadium because the Panthers actually OWN it. They are one of the more financially sound teams in the league (worth over $1 billion). When the Panthers are doing well, it’s one of the better atmospheres in the league. Can’t really fault anyone for being fed up with a 2-14 team.

    @tednancy said: If the Panthers leave Carolina, so what? Like anyone outside of Raleigh would care.

    You just proved you have no clue there buddy. The Panthers are in Charlotte, not Raleigh.

  55. Goombar is seriously obsessed with the Vikings. He must’ve gotten pillaged by them or something when he was growing up

  56. It’s hilarious that you vike fans think Zygi gives a crap about you. He’s a freaking “realtor” – all he cares about is making money. If you don’t give him a stadium, I could easily see him trying to move the team. Not sure the NFL would go for it – 50 years without a Super Bowl victory is quite impressive, but you never know…

  57. Tednancy,

    If the Vikings are such a great franchise with such deep rooted tradition, then why can’t they get a stadium built? We own our stadium and it was paid for by the fans through the sale of PSL’s… over 80% of the seats in the stadium are PSL-owned by someone who was willing to plunk down a couple thousand bucks just for the right to buy a season ticket… lets see that kind of commitment from your deep-rooted fan base in Minnesota. Panthers are the 12 most valuable franchise in the NFL with a net worth of over 1 billion, Vikings are 30th… almost at the bottom, only the Raiders and Jaguars are less valuable. Panthers had 247 million in revenue in 2010, Vikings had 221, so if there is a weak link in the NFL, it’s the Vikings… 50+ years as a franchise and you are at the bottom of the barrel, pathetic. Minnesota already lost one purple and gold team to LA, might as well lose two.

  59. Jerry Jones agrees that the Vikings are pathetic:

    Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered his perspective on the Vikings need for a new stadium. “Right now, we are subsidizing this market,” Jones said of NFL owners. “It’s unthinkable to think that you’ve got the market you got here – 3 1/2 million people – and have teams like Kansas City and Green Bay subsidizing the market. That will stop. “That’s going to stop. That’s on its way out.” Jones was referring to revenue sharing, which may end after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires next year.

    Read more: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/117537-jerry-jones-tired-of-supporting-vikings#ixzz1NcYEttlE

  60. What a crock!

    Look, the team that moves to LA will either be The Chargers or The Raiders. That is it! Period! End of story!

    NOBODY else is moving to LA. NOBODY

  61. Let’s be clear about something with the Vikings…. Zygi has already stated repeatedly that he would sell the team, not move them. Yes, he is a developer. He wants more than just a stadium, he wants development opportunities. That’s why he targeted Blaine a few years back and Arden Hills now, because he wants to develop the land around the new stadium. What is he going to develop in LA? The sites are already set and the development opportunities already claimed. He will keep at it until he decides that a new stadium won’t happen, then sell the team and take his profits elsewhere.

    Think real hard….. Why would an east coast real estate mogul buy a midwest football franchise? So he can move it to the west coast? What kind of business sense does that make? Whatever profits he makes will get spent in jet fuel going back and forth.

    Look at the Arden Hills site. Now look to the north. He’s thinking a lot bigger than just a stadium, and as a businessman, he will do what he has to do to get it. Lino Lakes lakeshore resorts anyone?

  63. contra74 says: May 27, 2011 6:21 PM

    goombar2 says:
    May 27, 2011 6:02 PM
    And that’s why I see the vikes in Mexico City. They will be renamed the Fish Taco.
    ————
    Why do you see them in Mexico City? You like throwing out random cities? Perhaps you are just an uneducated person who speaks when he shouldnt. Either way, you are of no concern.

    Wow, Contra. Lost your sense of humor somewhere? Kind of obvious the guy’s joking. Dude, you are taking things waaaaay too seriously.

    RandySavage:

    The Raiders belong in Oakland. The LA experiment was a bust. I am no Raiders fan but they clearly belong in Oakland where their core fan base is. And by core, I mean hard core. Those folks mean it when they dress up like that. To the L.A. folks, that’s just another night out on the Strip.

  64. Lol, but think about it. Would finally put Al Davis in the grave if the team that he filed a lawsuit against for “stealing” his colors moved into his old market. His head would blow off.

  65. Look Catman74, I know you’re upset about this report, but whether you are talking about Raleigh or Charlotte or Durham or Greensboro – you’re still talking about a small market. While other small markets work for the NFL, such as Green Bay, they work in part due to the fact that such teams have national fan bases, are considered a part of Americana, and have very deep roots.

    You can talk all you wish about PSL percentages and how much the franchise is “worth” but the bottom line is that Carolina – be it Charlotte or Greensboro – is not nearly as good a market as LA.

    And I’m a Browns fan, pal, not a Vikings fan. But as a football fan, it would kill me to see a team with the tradition and support that the Vikings have end up leaving their fans.

    Life in the NFL for so many fans – especially those in Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit – would be damaged were the Vikings to leave. The Carolina Panthers? I don’t think it would matter much at all. They may be relevant to you, but not to the rest of us. They are one of the few teams in the NFL that could move without changing the culture of the NFL for the worse. They have zero significance outside of their small market.

    As a Browns fan, I experienced a completely unjustified move in 1995, and I know what it looks like when it’s about to happen. Trust me, if the CLEVELAND BROWNS could even think about leaving, then the blasted Panthers could leave in a heartbeat.

    Franchise moves suck, but some are worse than others. Colts leaving Baltimore? Horrible. Browns and Cleveland, even worse. But if Carolina lost the Panthers? NFL fans would hardly notice.

  66. randysavage4ever says:
    May 27, 2011 5:42 PM

    Ice Cube dont want no Chargers playing in LA, ICE CUBE WANT THAT SILVER AND BLACK BABY!

    RS4E-When Ice Cube made “Are We There Yet?”, all credibility was lost.

  67. @ tednancy

    You’re correct in that any team can move if an owner wants to and is approved to do so. Fans don’t matter in this business, its always about the better deal. The only team that cannot is Green Bay, unless approved by the shareholders, and they are fans who have a voice, which is so unique. Too bad every team doesn’t have the fans history when making decisions. Teams mean more to cities than the bottom line. Everything should be done to keep teams in their cities, an owner should not be able to just leave, they should be forced to sell if it comes to that. The owner is just the guy holding the keys temporarily for a franchise.

    Carolina was picked as an expansion franchise ,so the NFL can piggyback on the souths historic love of college football, and this gave the league an opportunity to unite their passions and get their money. Carolina is what they call a regional team, drawing fans from NC,SC,TN, GA & VA. They do have a strong fan base and paid attendance is not an issue. Like most fans, why waste your time at the stadium ,if the team stinks. A good product is rewarded with fans attendance.

    The more and more we hear about LA, it does feel like it is a leverage city. LA will get a team when the league decides to expand. Wouldn’t shock me if the league officials are salivating over the NBA’s popularity in OKC and we start hearing about them becoming a potential city.

  68. The tradition of the Cleveland Browns has been dieing for years. Cleveland has been irrelevant in the last 20 years. 3 winning seasons since 1990. It’s been since the 80’s since the majority of other team’s fans hasn’t automatically written the Browns as a “win” when looking at their upcoming schedule.

    To be honest tednancy, it sucked Cleveland left the NFL for awhile but they weren’t missed either but non Cleveland fans. The team that left and the team that showed up is a disgrace to what it meant to be a Brown.

  69. panther17 says:
    May 28, 2011 2:46 PM
    The tradition of the Cleveland Browns has been dieing for years. Cleveland has been irrelevant in the last 20 years. 3 winning seasons since 1990. It’s been since the 80′s since the majority of other team’s fans hasn’t automatically written the Browns as a “win” when looking at their upcoming schedule.

    To be honest tednancy, it sucked Cleveland left the NFL for awhile but they weren’t missed either but non Cleveland fans. The team that left and the team that showed up is a disgrace to what it meant to be a Brown.
    ——————————————-

    The same could have been said for the Packers after the Lombardi years. Check out ’68-’92….. True fans don’t give up on their teams. You may want to look at who the coach was when they became relevant again.

  70. I find this talk of expansion fascinating….. Let’s go with it. Now, we don’t want unbalance divisions, do we? So that means a minimum of 4 teams added, and a return to 3 divisions, with 6 teams in each. Who are the teams? If LA gets 2, then….what? OKC, San Antonio, Utah, Vegas? The only real geographical gaps east of the Mississippi were filled when teams were put in Charlotte and Nashville. Do we put a team in Memphis?

    So what if the league wants to keep the 8 division format? That would require 8 more teams. If every city listed above got one, then we are still one short. So….what? Portland? Boise? Go outside the US? Is Mexico City really a viable option? Why not go for Havana while we are at it…. Toronto would theoretically hurt Buffalo even more than it already is. Montreal? Edmonton or Winnipeg? Would the cities go for it, considering it would be crippling to the CFL?

    I don’t really think expansion is an option anymore. I agree that LA seems to be more of a leverage threat these days, and I think the league may be realizing that having no team there is not as detrimental from a merchandising standpoint as one would think. Just like a Packer fan in Minneapolis will proudly wear his Rodgers jersey in defiance of those around him, having a fan base that large divided between the Chargers, Raiders and Rams seems like a good play to me. Adding a different team, whoever it may be, is not going to be beneficial overall. How long will it take to get the Raider fans in LA to buy into supporting the Vikings or Panthers or Jaguars or whoever there? I don’t see the benefit.

  71. Should any team move to LA, I hope the league will apply the same rules as those given to STL when the Rams moved: LA forfeits any part of future franchise fees as in the case of Houston (700 million). Or perhaps the league will just write the Rams a check for the share they “forfeited”. I would be particularly upset to see Carolina or Jacksonville get the LA franchise as the NFL stuck it to STL when they were trying to replace the Bidwells. I hope LA gets a team, but “new” franchise owners who screwed up their market should not be able to benefit by their incompetence.

  73. randysavage4ever,

    the newest loser to PFT. Yeah bring it on kid if this post is not past your bedtime?

    Jerked from you? the only thing you jerk everyone on here knows.

    As I have said before it is too bad PFT went hollywood that we have to listen to these internet muscles/mental incompetants with no brains.

    OK bring your toys, what a moron !!!!!!!!!!

    Raider fan, I’m laughing all night long !

  74. brewdogg says: May 28, 2011 3:59 PM

    The same could have been said for the Packers after the Lombardi years. Check out ’68-’92….. True fans don’t give up on their teams. You may want to look at who the coach was when they became relevant again.

    __________________________________________

    Every team has it’s true fans who stick with them no matter what and the fair weather fans that run as soon as it gets a little tough.

    Being from PA and never living in the Carolina region, I can say with certainty that Carolina Panthers has true fans outside it’s small market base. And yes I hate the Pittsburgh Steelers too. As well as Eagles. Hence deciding to go with the Panthers when the expansion team was announced.

    And congrats, you got Mike Holmgren who was a successful Head Coach. That means he automatically is a shoe in for being an outstanding President of a team.

    No where in my first post did I say the Panthers couldn’t be relocated. Looking at the numbers that other Panther fans have pointed out, it is more likely that this reporter is talking out of the wrong end then the Panthers moving. But you never know. All I said was Cleveland’s tradition is dieing and that the Browns of the last 20 years have been a disgrace to what was once a great franchise. Which both statements are true.

  76. Panther…..

    Relax, dude…. All I said was comparisons can be drawn between the Browns and Packers. I wasn’t arguing with your assessment of the Browns, nor am I predicting any future success. I’m a Vikings fan, do you really think I want to see Holmgren have more success? It was just a way of saying not to give up hope, things can change quickly.

    Oh yeah, and I didn’t say anything about the Panthers there….. So chill.

  77. panther17 says: “Personally I would hate to see any team move to LA. No fan base deserves their team moving.”

    Like, I dunno, Southern California Rams fans, maybe?

  79. @tednancy

    Seriously dude, are you really talking to us about irrelevant franchises? Get off your high horse, You’re A Stinking Browns fan. Do you really think anyone gives a rats a** about the Browns or even the city of Cleveland outside of Ohio? I’ll answer that for you, no. Hell most Clevelanders don’t even like Cleveland which is made evident by the fact that thousands of Cleveland natives move to Charlotte and stink up our beautiful city on a daily basis.

  80. catman72 says:
    May 28, 2011 12:59 AM
    Tednancy,

    If the Vikings are such a great franchise with such deep rooted tradition, then why can’t they get a stadium built? We own our stadium and it was paid for by the fans through the sale of PSL’s… over 80% of the seats in the stadium are PSL-owned by someone who was willing to plunk down a couple thousand bucks just for the right to buy a season ticket… lets see that kind of commitment from your deep-rooted fan base in Minnesota. Panthers are the 12 most valuable franchise in the NFL with a net worth of over 1 billion, Vikings are 30th… almost at the bottom, only the Raiders and Jaguars are less valuable. Panthers had 247 million in revenue in 2010, Vikings had 221, so if there is a weak link in the NFL, it’s the Vikings… 50+ years as a franchise and you are at the bottom of the barrel, pathetic. Minnesota already lost one purple and gold team to LA, might as well lose two.

    duece5 says:

    C’mon catgirl/man….whatever….the REASON the Vikes $$value is 30th is DUE TO THEIR STADIUM SITUATION!! Over the last 15 years, it has gone down from the teens to 30th because the metrodome doesn’t and won’t have the revenue capability that teams with stadiums built over the last 15 years. Nothing personal, but the carolina panthers don’t have near the fan base as the vikings. The inability for the vikings to get a new stadium has very little to do with the vikings strong fan base across the country. It’s all about the ridiculous political ineptitude of the lawmakers in that state, not the staunch supporters of the stadium. The legislature for the state kinda holds those cards, and THEY HAVE FAILED TO PASS A STATE BUDGET OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. Not to mention that their previous governor-Pawlenty-didn’t want to get his hands dirty witha stadium contraversy as he attempts his ill-fated presidential bid. Those are the issues. Once they get their stadium, it will catapult them into the upper third as far as gross revenue possibilities due to the PSLs, the suites, the new surrounding retail/merchandising.

    If you comment about the Vikes situation, at least know the facts!!

  81. “Only a state like California could disregard past history and demand YET ANOTHER professional sports franchise.”

    Dude…. No one is demanding a team in LA. Except, possibly, the NFL, which is just as demanding that LA pay for a new stadium.

    That ain’t gonna ever happen. Which, really, should have been clear by now.

  82. panther17 says:
    May 29, 2011 11:59 AM
    You’re right brewdog. My bad. I’m sorry. Lack of real football news makes one a little jumpy.
    —————————————

    No prob. I can imagine that an article about the Panthers moving would be upsetting to a Panthers fan. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

    Check out that thing about Driver’s raffle if you want to feel a little better. I want to hate these guys, but they make it so darn difficult!!!

  83. Dude is stupid. Forbes ranked the Panthers the 17th most valuable sports franchise in the world, not the NFL, the WORLD. The Panthers are in a small market of 1.5 million and have managed to gain a value of 1.05 billion dollars. They own their stadium and Charlotte would bend over backwards to keep them happy. Panther’s fans, you have nothing to worry about they are not going anywhere.

  85. The Carolina Panthers aren’t moving for two reasons.
    1. They own their stadium and are guaranteed a sell out every game by way of 70,000 PSL’s
    2. When Jerry Richardson purchased the franchise Charlotteans were upset because he named the team Carolina Panthers instead of the Charlotte Panther’s. He did this for a reason. The NFL agreed to give him the tv rights for the entire states of NC and SC. Although Charlotte metro area only has 1.5 million people the panthers tv market consist of 14 million people. That’s why forbes ranked them as on of the most valuable sports franchises in the world not just the NFL.

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