The Economist has a Very Good Article on the NFL

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...It is little wonder, then, that Art Modell, the former owner of a franchise that moved from Cleveland to Baltimore, once referred to NFL team owners as ?32 fat-cat Republicans who vote socialist?...

NFL owners understand one concept about socialism that college kids can't grasp: In a socialist system you can't just let anyone get their hands into the cookie jar. You have to protect the system and keep leechers far away. Sure it's mean, but you didn't think socialism was about being nice and fair did you?

Like any good syndicate, the NFL under Mr Tagliabue has also mastered politics. Mr Vrooman points out that the league likes to leave one prominent city without a football franchise, ?like an empty seat in musical chairs?, so that teams in other cities can threaten to move if they do not get their way. This invariably prompts state and local governments to contribute public money to help teams that replace old stadiums with new ones.

And that's why LA and Las Vegas still don't have teams... or Baltimore for over a decade :|

I think it's a fun read, not too political, enjoy.

 

[Jeff7]

Like any good syndicate, the NFL under Mr Tagliabue has also mastered politics. Mr Vrooman points out that the league likes to leave one prominent city without a football franchise, ?like an empty seat in musical chairs?, so that teams in other cities can threaten to move if they do not get their way. This invariably prompts state and local governments to contribute public money to help teams that replace old stadiums with new ones.

Dance puppets, dance.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Like any good syndicate, the NFL under Mr Tagliabue has also mastered politics. Mr Vrooman points out that the league likes to leave one prominent city without a football franchise, ?like an empty seat in musical chairs?, so that teams in other cities can threaten to move if they do not get their way. This invariably prompts state and local governments to contribute public money to help teams that replace old stadiums with new ones.

It's hard to believe that the NFL has deliberately kept LA empty. It's not a secret that they want a team there. It's the second largest TV market in the US. Every other major sport has at least two teams there. NHL, NBA, MLB... They all have two teams in the market.

Now it may be true that teams have scored stadium deals by threatening to leave for LA... But that doesn't mean that the NFL has intentionally left the city vacant. The Seahawks would be there now if not for the Behrings selling out to Paul Allen. Al Davis thumbed his nose at the NFL, packed up and left and survived a lawsuit brought by the NFL in the process. The NFL did ot want him to leave. The Rams were allowed to leave because St Louis was promised a replcement franchise for the Cardinals.

Good grief... The easiest thing in the world would have been to move the Saints to LA this year. But that isn't going to happen. In fact, if the Saints were to move today, they would likely end up in San Antonio, not LA.

There will be a team in LA in the next few years. The Chargers are the most likely candidate right now but they have to get out of their current lease. The Colts are another potential team as well as the possibility of an expansion team.

We'll see...

But this talk of a conspiracy to use LA as a wedge to create stadium deals for other teams... I'm not sure I buy it. The numbers just don't work out. LA is too valuable.

 

[KB]

I guess they aren't stupid. Everyone wants power and when they get it, they don't want to lose it. It is the same reason some people want unions. You can't blame them for wanting it.

 

[techs]

But wait....the 'free market' determines who gets sports teams.
HA HA.
Just like the 'free market' is determining the price of gas or my cable bill.