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Post by mikecubs on Mar 4, 2016 22:15:31 GMT -6
Stadium adviser Fred Maas working to keep Chargers in San DiegoHired by the San Diego Chargers in February to oversee the tough task of getting a downtown stadium built here, Fred Maas says he’s been down this road before. In his role as head of downtown redevelopment for former San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, Maas helped guide another contentious project through completion, the building of $185 million library downtown. Maas compared the arduous task of completing a controversial, multi-use facility in downtown San Diego to getting the library built. “Folks said to me, ‘How can you build a downtown library?’” Maas said. “‘You can spend public funds for that. The design is too ostentatious, and libraries are obsolete.’ “Well, fast-forward to today and it’s one of the most iconic structures in any of the big cities in America. It’s an incredible success. One of the best use of public funds, and although arduous, it has been well worth all of the criticism we got through the process. So I think it’s a lesson in what we’re exploring here.” The Chargers chose to pursue a multi-use facility and convention center expansion in downtown San Diego through the citizens’ initiative process rather than build a new stadium at Mission Valley, the current site of Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers have to qualify a measure for the ballot by March 24. At that time, the team is expected to reveal a finance plan for the project. Partnering with JMI Reality, the team proposed building a $1.4 billion multi-use facility with a retractable roof that would house a stadium for the Chargers, along with planned expansion of the convention center. Maas would not reveal the amount the NFL would contribute, but did say the number would be “several hundred million more” than the more than $300 million earmarked for the NFL’s contribution when the project was first conceived.The project is slated to be city-owned, but privately run -- so the city would not be responsible for annual maintenance costs. At this time, the Chargers are not scheduled to provide an update at the NFL owners meetings in Boca Raton, Florida, at the end of March. Maas says one of the things being overlooked is by building a stadium downtown, it opens up the Mission Valley site for future development, including the expansion of a riverfront park and off-campus facilities for San Diego State.Here are some of the questions the Chargers will have to figure out moving forward: Why did the Chargers select downtown over Mission Valley? Maas: "As we explored in detail both opportunities -- after having spent a lot of time thinking about both -- we came to the conclusion that there were risks attendant in both locations. But the possibilities of what could be conceived downtown far surpassed the notion of just recreating a 10-day-a-year, football-only stadium on the Qualcomm site." As part of that decision, did the Chargers consider how a multi-use facility can better compete on a national scale for future events with facilities like Cowboys Stadium, Vikings Stadium and a new facility in Inglewood anchored by the Los Angeles Rams? Maas: "There’s no question about it. We thought that going back years ago, when Jerry Sanders first suggested this. We always thought that having a multi-use facility that would have some sort of fabric roof could deliver infinitely more opportunities than an open-air stadium. And that was certainly part of the equation. “We think, if properly delivered with the proper management and marketing, given where San Diego is as a tourist destination, we can attract Final Fours, prize fights and other events, better than the Qualcomm location."Making their case to San Diego voters for a multi-use convention center/stadium will be a challenge for Fred Maas. Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Have the Chargers decided whether to stick with the Citizens’ Plan created by local attorney Cory Briggs, or to implement their own citizens’ initiative effort? Maas: "We haven’t reached a conclusion yet, and given the accelerated time frame, the good news is people probably will not have to wait very long for what we ultimately conclude. "We are obviously exploring the legal issues that relate to two-thirds vs. a 50-plus-one vote. Those will be things that will either be litigated, or will be determined by lawyers, or the courts. But what we’re really focused on is delivering a program and a plan that the voters in the city of San Diego can ultimately support, either because of the vision that we communicated to them, or because they are longtime Chargers fans, or because they realize the long-term economic benefits of what a multi-use, multi-facility can deliver. And that’s going to be challenge, but one we’re willing to accept, whether it’s 50-plus-one or two-thirds." The citizens’ initiative plan is a complex measure. How important is it for you to clearly articulate the message to voters so they know exactly what they are voting for? Maas: “It’s essential. And that’s going to be our mission. The good news is we’re on an accelerated track here, and we’re going to have to have a ballot prepared for signatures in March. And then we’ll be onwards and upwards with our campaign to communicate to people what we’re really talking about. “I think a really important aspect of all this is some misunderstanding or miscommunication about what is being discussed. People have a misconception of how a hotel tax means residents of San Diego are going to be taxed to pay for a football stadium and convention center. And nothing can be farther from the truth. What we’re considering right now and looking at is really something completely different, which is a visitors tax, akin to what you pay in New Orleans, Houston or Minneapolis -- a number of other places that have delivered new stadiums -- where visitors and tourists of a city who stay in a hotel for a night will have to pay some additional transient occupancy tax. But if you live in the city of San Diego and are a resident here and don’t stay in a hotel, it is unlikely you’d ever pay a dime to deliver this facility.” Is there one of those stadium models that more closely aligns with what you hope to accomplish in San Diego? Maas: “There have been a bunch of them. I’ve been around so many NFL cities. But I know Indianapolis, for example, had that. Minneapolis is going to have it. It was proposed in Missouri. I believe both Houston and New Orleans used a hotel tax. I’m pretty sure Glendale [Arizona] used it. So it’s been a common vehicle to generate dollars for those folks who come to use the facility. “Generally speaking, the TOT (transient occupancy tax) that we pay here in San Diego is less than you pay in Los Angeles, Anaheim or San Francisco.” How do you convince San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, county supervisor Ron Roberts and the hotel industry to support a project they’ve been opposed to for several years? Maas: “The best thing we can offer is an open, honest dialogue. And I look forward to working with both the mayor and the supervisor. I’ve enjoyed a working relationship with both of them for a long time, and we hope to continue that by maintaining a dialogue, and hope that as we begin to work through plans and are sensitive to their issues and concerns, we ultimately reach some commonality and can stand together on a proposal that works for everybody. “But we’re not dismissive about how difficult that’s going to be, and the hard work we have to do to not only repair relations from the past year, but more importantly to have them understand what we are doing, and how we’re going to go about doing it downtown. Winning their support is ultimately going to be important to winning the public’s support. So we don’t give up.” espn.go.com/blog/san-diego-chargers/post/_/id/15268/stadium-adviser-fred-maas-working-to-keep-chargers-in-san-diego
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Post by mikecubs on Mar 4, 2016 22:25:51 GMT -6
How Jerry Jones is changing game with Cowboys' new training facilityBy Jean-Jacques Taylor ESPN.com The sounds of construction seemingly never stop at the site of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' latest revolutionary project. The Ford Center at The Star, scheduled to open this summer in this suburb 25 miles north of downtown Dallas, is changing the paradigm for NFL training facilities. The Cowboys will be moving from Valley Ranch, their home since 1985, to a modern complex that's much more than just a team headquarters and place to practice. The Star will be home to the Cowboys' offices, two outdoor practice fields and a 12,000-seat indoor stadium that will be shared with the Frisco Independent School District. It will include retail shopping and an upscale 16-story Omni hotel with a convention center that is expected to open in the summer of 2017. The complex will also feature a Baylor Scott & White Health sports medicine facility and a fitness center that will house the studio of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, which means the gym will undoubtedly be crowded when the world's most famous cheer squad practices. Then there's the exclusive Cowboys Club, which already has sold out its 800 memberships. For a one-time payment of as much as $4,500 plus a $350 monthly fee, club members will be able to watch portions of the Cowboys' practices from terrace views overlooking the facility's outdoor fields. Membership also includes access to the fitness center and a host of other benefits, including scheduled talks with players and coaches. The complex will generate millions in revenue, and the Cowboys will get a percentage of that cash, whether it's from charging rent, partnerships like the one it has with the Omni or selling memorabilia from its pro shop. The Cowboys, who sold naming rights to their new headquarters to Ford Motor Co., will also have considerable office space to rent out in a booming community with a population that has grown from around 33,000 to over 150,000 since 2000. In a way, it's is not much different than when Jones showed his fellow NFL owners how to earn hundreds of millions more in the mid-1990s with stadium sponsorship agreements instead of relying solely on the league's deals. Or when he reset the standard for sports palaces with the opening of AT&T Stadium in 2009. "What we've done with our stadium and this project creates a cache that also reflects in [television] rights fees and lot of other things," Jones said. "People want to deal with successful and progressive entities. That's who they want to partner with." Plans for the Cowboys' groundbreaking project were officially announced in August 2013, and ground was broken at the site a year later. The copycats already are popping up. Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke spent time with the Cowboys in Oxnard, California, at the 2015 training camp to get a better conceptual understanding of what the Cowboys were going to do with The Star. Now, the Rams are planning on creating a similar concept with their training facility after they resettle in California.The Green Bay Packers have unveiled plans for a Titletown District adjacent to Lambeau Field that will have a hotel, a 10-acre public plaza, retail shopping and many of the same types of amenities the Cowboys are planning. The Minnesota Vikings recently purchased land in Eagan, Minnesota, that was formerly Northwest Airlines' headquarters with an eye on building a development that houses the team's corporate offices and training facility, has retail shopping and creates an economic boon for the area. Cowboys executive vice president and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones Anderson said there also have been inquiries from other owners about how to do something similar to The Star."The question is, do they have the resources to do it?" said Jones Anderson, who oversees much of the project. "Can they develop the resources to do it? And can they develop the partnerships to do it? Every team is in a different situation." How did it happen in Frisco? Depending on whom you ask, either Frisco approached the Cowboys about moving their headquarters because of an attractive parcel of land they believed would fit the club's needs or the Cowboys inquired about moving because they had outgrown Valley Ranch and relocating made more sense than refurbishing. Jones believes one of the reasons the Cowboys became known as "America's Team" -- and maintained their popularity despite just three playoff wins over the past 20 seasons -- is because they constantly look for new and better ways to connect emotionally with fans. His goal has always been to give his team's supporters once-in-a-lifetime experiences at some level, from letting sponsors watch practices to having throngs of fans attend training camp for an up-close-and-personal view of their heroes preparing for the season. Valley Ranch doesn't have room for spectators, so the Cowboys have been taking training camp on the road each year, either at various locations around Texas or in Oxnard, California. That routine is likely to continue -- their current agreement with Oxnard runs through 2017 -- but the Cowboys expect to hold at least a week or two of training camp at The Star, finally allowing the local fans to attend those practices without traveling. Once the regular season starts, Frisco will become a new travel destination for out-of-area Cowboys fans, who could fly in on a Friday morning, watch a portion of practice from their room at the Omni, eat and shop for two days at the complex, attend Sunday's game and fly home on Monday. Jerry Jones Mayor Maher Maso welcomed Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones to Frisco, which hopes its partnership with the team brings tourist dollars into the city. "We've been trying to develop reasons for tourists to come to Frisco to keep the city energized and keep the sales-tax dollars and hotel-tax dollars flowing," said George Purefoy, Frisco city manager since 1987. "We've been actively looking for several years for opportunities to attract major attractions that would persuade people to stay for several days and spend money in town." Frisco already is home to an MLS team (FC Dallas), the Texas Rangers' Double-A club (Frisco Roughriders) and the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Development League affiliate (Texas Legends). In addition, the NHL's Dallas Stars have their training facility there. The city is investing $115 million to add the Cowboys to that list, and the team is covering the remaining costs. The training facility carries a price tag of around $250 million, although Jones said he has spent about $700 million on the overall development, a number that will continue to swell because ground has been broken on only 30 of the 90 acres the team owns.The partnership with the Cowboys couldn't have come at a better time for the Frisco Independent School District. The growing district opened its eighth high school last year and needed a third stadium to accommodate its football teams, which will get to play at The Star on Thursday and Friday nights. Teaming up with the Cowboys on the indoor stadium allowed the city to save about $500,000 a year in operating costs and between $10 million and $15 million in capital costs. Frisco ISD also recently agreed to a multiyear, $1.74 million deal that will make Nike the sole uniform and equipment provider for all of its schools. Nike will have a branded gear shop and a track adjacent to the fitness center at The Star. "It joins at the hip Friday night lights and the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said of the facility. "Literally, the quarterback at Frisco High School could be visiting with Tony Romo or Jason Witten or Dez Bryant as they're walking off the practice field and he's getting ready for a ballgame." espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14878969/how-jerry-jones-dallas-cowboys-changing-game-new-training-facility
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Post by mikecubs on Mar 12, 2016 9:36:15 GMT -6
Sanders’ shift significant, signals stadium progress Former mayor, chamber president says he is open to stadium-convention center planIt is happening. Just like Dean Spanos hoped when he appointed Fred Maas to head the Chargers’ stadium effort, glaciers are beginning to thaw downtown. “We need to do something in San Diego,” Jerry Sanders said Wednesday. “We need to do something big if we’re going to keep the Chargers and expand the convention center. If I need to change my position on contiguous expansion, at least for this period of time, I can do that.” RELATED: Waterfront center expansion doomed, Sanders says The former mayor and current president of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce spoke a day after his Tuesday radio interview caused a stir. In the interview on the Mighty 1090, Sanders indicated a shift from his longtime stance as a proponent of a contiguous expansion of the existing convention center to being a proponent of the proposal by the Chargers and others to build a stadium-convention center annex in the East Village.“I’m open to the alternative,” he said Wednesday. Sanders clarified that he is not yet endorsing the plan put forth by the coalition headed by the team and JMI Realty. Fact is, we don’t know what the plan will be. Sanders acknowledged that he doesn’t know how such a project would get done. “I think it’s a difficult thing, but I think there is a path to it,” he said. “Everyone is going to have to be open to it.” That’s the thing: Sanders thinks everyone will be. He’s one man, but he’s the man who at one point ran the city and still runs in the city. Forecasting the business, legal and political climate in San Diego, particularly as it pertains to the as-yet-unknown Chargers’ proposal to get public funding for a stadium, is a bit like predicting the weather. Yet, in Sanders’ altered stance we see a break in the dark clouds that have threatened to dampen the chances citizens will get to vote on whether we will commit to help keeping the NFL team in town. Said Sanders: “A month ago, I was a little more pessimistic.” That goes for most of us. There remain many questions about how funding for a stadium-convention center annex will get approved. But there seems no way to interpret Sanders’ shift as anything other than significant. And there was acknowledgement Wednesday among some in and around city hall that Mayor Kevin Faulconer may not be entrenched as an inflexible opponent to the Chargers-JMI plan.
“I’ve spoken to Kevin several times,” Sanders said. “I think he’s open to all alternatives.”This can get done. There is still a lot to be determined and not a lot of time to determine it. The Chargers have said they will have a proposal for public consumption this month. Should their coalition do this right, there seems to be a chance all the parties will cooperate, united at least to some extent toward the cause. Sanders said the convention center has to be expanded. He also thinks a new stadium should be downtown. His belief that the latter will create “positive economic development” and “energy” was sown in his days exploring stadium options while Mayor. His current position is a result of his belief that legal and political wrangling will not allow the contiguous expansion to succeed at this time. So while he is pretty much as unsure about the particulars as the rest of us, he figures the best idea is to support a non-contiguous expansion that comes with a stadium. “There are roadblocks,” he said in reference to contiguous expansion. “You can want it as much as you want. If you’re not going to get it in the near future you have to start trying to get something else done.” Sanders, by the way, thinks it is possible both the stadium-convention center project and, later, a contiguous expansion could be completed. “I still support the contiguous expansion,” he said. “It’s just the phasing of it.” Yes, it is almost like every answer brings a new question. But that’s the nebula in which we exist prior to gaining specifics about the Chargers-JMI plan. The important element to Sanders’ modification, really, is that there was a change in thinking. Consider the rude inflexibility that has characterized this process until recently. People on all sides say it cannot be underestimated how important the presence, persistence and personality of Maas is to any progress.“I consider Fred a good friend, an honest broker, someone who is willing to talk with everybody,” Sanders said. In other words, not Mark Fabiani, who continues to work behind the scenes but isn’t overtly angering anyone at present.Much like a long-term forecast in the middle of an El Niño, we ought not get too excited about the drought being over. We’re not quite to “Hallelujah!” But we’re to a point where something is happening. www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/mar/09/sanders-shift-significant-signals-stadium/?chargers
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Post by mikecubs on Apr 1, 2016 11:48:23 GMT -6
The Chargers stadium plan was reveled this week. It goes like this The stadium itself will cost $1B. The team and NFL will pay for $650M of it If the vote passes the public would pay $350M The public would pay 100% for the land($200) and non continuous convention center expansion($600M) In all counting everything the public would pay $1.15B. The money will come from raising the hotel tax from 12.5% to 16.5% A California court ruled this week that with a citizens initiative you only need 50%+1 for it to pass, to raise taxes you normally need 2/3rds% vote. This is being appealed. www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/mar/26/considering-chargers-stadium-chances-highly/
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Post by mikecubs on Apr 1, 2016 12:53:55 GMT -6
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Post by mikecubs on Apr 22, 2016 18:30:33 GMT -6
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Post by mikecubs on May 13, 2016 21:17:45 GMT -6
LOL St. Louis fans got trolled by a cruel Rams ad during the Cardinals gameSt. Louis fans are still coming to terms with the loss of their NFL team after the Rams were relocated to Los Angeles earlier this year. A cruel twist of advertisement fate Wednesday night did not help heal the raw wound for many St. Louis fans. The Cardinals were in L.A. on Wednesday to face the Angels, and an on-screen advertisement in the bottom of the first provided an unfortunate reminder of St. Louis's NFL loss. www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/st-louis-cardinals-rams-los-angeles-angels-cruel-advertisement-051216
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Post by mikecubs on May 23, 2016 15:44:12 GMT -6
Super Bowl could be enticement for San Diego stadium ballot measureLast month, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told fans of the San Diego Chargers he was confident owners would back a new stadium supported by a Super Bowl. Goodell may be ready to firm up that commitment. During this week’s quarterly NFL owners meetings in Charlotte, owners are expected to consider guaranteeing the return of a Super Bowl to San Diego if a stadium is built here.The Los Angeles Times was first to report the news. NFL owners will hear a progress report on the stadium issue in San Diego, which will include a summary on whether a citizens’ initiative ballot measure in November will require a simple majority or a two-thirds vote. If a new stadium is built in San Diego, a Super Bowl may not be far behind. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The Chargers plan to build a $1.8 billion stadium and convention center expansion downtown, next to the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park. Fred Maas, stadium adviser for the Chargers, said the team remains on target to collect 100,000 signatures by the first week of June, creating a buffer in order to have enough signatures certified. The Chargers have to qualify the measure for the ballot, which requires 66,447 valid signatures certified by the office of the registrar by mid-June, and present it to the San Diego city clerk’s office before ultimately having it approved by the city council. According to California state law, measures requesting an increase of a special tax for a single purpose in local government require a two-thirds vote. However, a recent court decision involving the city of Upland ruled a citizens’ initiative is not a measure by the local government, but by the citizens. And therefore since the tax is imposed by the citizens, that constitutional provision does not apply.
The city of Upland is appealing the decision to the state Supreme Court, which means the Chargers will have to wait for a decision to gain clarity.Also, neither San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer nor the local hotel community has declared if they will support the downtown stadium project. The Chargers continue to have meetings with both parties to gain support. “This initiative, if approved by voters, calls for the largest public bond offering in San Diego’s history -- so it’s only fair that the public knows all the facts,” Faulconer said in an email to ESPN.com. “The Chargers are making their consultants available to the city’s financial staff to scrub the numbers and assumptions that make up the financial model behind the proposed stadium-convention facility. “We must continue to peel back the onion on this plan so the public has a chance to see all the layers. We’re going to be fair but we’re also going to continue asking tough questions.” Faulconer is up for reelection in a June 7 primary. If he does not receive more than 50 percent of the vote, Faulconer would be forced into a runoff in November. One key issue with the mayor’s office is the value of part of a property that would house the stadium, a local bus yard run by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), with an appraisal expected to be completed in July. “We’ve had ongoing conversations with his office, which that issue is one among many,” Maas said. “We want to have an ongoing dialogue to try and come up with a resolution. And I think the mayor, as someone who represented downtown for years, understands that, irrespective of the Chargers, it’s important to find a solution for MTS. “It’s a huge impediment to realizing the promise of downtown, and it needs to get fixed.” espn.go.com/blog/san-diego-chargers/post/_/id/16251/super-bowl-could-be-enticement-for-san-diego-stadium-ballot-measure
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Post by mikecubs on May 25, 2016 16:09:38 GMT -6
NFL awards 2021 Super Bowl to Los AngelesFour months after giving the Rams the green light to return to Los Angeles, NFL owners on Tuesday awarded the city the right to host the Super Bowl in early 2021, after an absence of 28 years. The game will be played at the soon-to-be built $2.6-billion Inglewood stadium, which is scheduled to open for the 2019 season. In what could be a first, L.A. – in head-to-head competition with Tampa – received a super-majority consensus in the first round of voting. That means it got at least 24 of 32 votes on the secret ballot. The league does not disclose the exact results because the process pits owner against owner. Atlanta was awarded the game in 2019 and South Florida in 2020. New Orleans and Tampa were unsuccessful in their bids. The next two Super Bowls will be played in Houston and Minneapolis. “I think it’s very much a reflection of the excitement the ownership has for returning to Los Angeles, and the importance of having a Super Bowl back there after several decades,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We’re all interested in coming back with a great deal of enthusiasm.” The NFL, which has staged 50 Super Bowls, will celebrate its 100th season in 2019, meaning Super Bowl LV in Inglewood will be the end of its 101st season. last L.A. last hosted the game in 1993 when Dallas beat Buffalo at the Rose Bowl. “The first Super Bowl was held in Los Angeles, and to have one come back and be the first of the next century is fantastic,” said Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who was angling for the third of the three games awarded so the development surrounding the stadium would be further along. “The Los Angeles region is built to host the Super Bowl,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts said in a combined statement. “We helped forge this great American tradition at the Coliseum when it began in 1967; and we’re thrilled to bring it back where it belongs for Super Bowl LV.” Although L.A. had originally intended to bid on both the 2020 and 2021 games, thereby increasing its odds to host one, the city’s bid committee bowed out of the competition for the earlier game Tuesday and turned its attention to 2021. The Super Bowl proposals were due April 15, allowing four of the bidding cities/regions to have since last summer to work on them. Because the Rams didn’t win approval to relocate from St. Louis until mid-January, however, the NFL didn’t make a request for an L.A. proposal until early March, leaving the L.A. bid committee less than six weeks to pull together its pitch. That bid committee was composed of Chairman Casey Wasserman, who is also spearheading the effort to bring the 2024 Olympic Games to Southern California; Connor Swarbrick of Wasserman Media Group; Kathy Schloessman and Bob Graziano of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission; Ernest Wooden of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board; Michelle Kerrick of Deloitte; and Rams executive Kevin Demoff. “Everybody back in L.A. was standing by and waiting for this decision,” Wooden said. “For us, it was extraordinary. It was like waiting for your first-born baby. We were all just jumping up and down.” Making the 15-minute pitch on behalf of L.A. to the owners Tuesday were Wasserman and Renata Simril of the LA84 Foundation, the nation’s leading funder of youth sports programs. “We emphasized what these types of sporting events mean for our young kids,” Simril said. “The popularity of the Rams is a lasting legacy, and being able to build off of that with our youth programs just gives us a tremendous opportunity to expand that platform.” The true value of a Super Bowl to a community is subject to much debate, with some experts arguing it’s worth as much as $500 million and others saying those estimates are wildly inflated. Not in question is that hosting a Super Bowl is an expensive endeavor. A city’s host committee is required to privately raise about $35 million through sponsorships and donations. That money pays for a wide range of expenses, including the hotels and practice sites for both participating teams, as well as Super Bowl transportation, security, promotion, accreditation centers, and media events. In order to make a qualifying bid, a city must ensure at least 22,000 hotel rooms will be available during Super Bowl week. The L.A. bid committee estimates that the week leading up to and including the game would generate at least 100,000 hotel room nights, which would make the Super Bowl the largest event Los Angeles has hosted since the 1984 Olympics. The plan calls for events throughout Southern California during the week leading up to the Super Bowl, including at various beaches, and downtown. “Los Angeles is a really unique place to tell the NFL’s story,” Wasserman said. The pitch to owners included two brief videos, one touting L.A. in general and the other featuring fans – many of them Hollywood celebrities – talking about the importance of hosting a Super Bowl. “Everything about this is a natural fit,” Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. “The most popular entertainment entity is the NFL. To be in the entertainment capital of the world, it should have been that way for these past several years. Now we’ve got to make up for time lost.” www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-0525-la-super-bowl-20160524-snap-story.html
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Post by mikecubs on May 27, 2016 8:18:07 GMT -6
Raiders have made progress in Vegas, now owners want the factsMark Davis is dead serious about moving the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas, but he's playing it slow with his fellow NFL owners. That may be the best way for him to end up getting what he wants. "Until we have more information, it's pure speculation at this point," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday night, as the spring owners meeting concluded. His words echoed those of the owners and team presidents informally surveyed Monday and Tuesday in the hallways and lobbies of the Ballantyne Hotel. Could they imagine voting, at some time in the future, to allow Davis to move to Las Vegas? Sure. Just like they could imagine letting Davis move his team to London or Mexico City or Beijing or Venus if he could convince them such a thing were viable and, more importantly, profitable. "I haven't heard anybody say no," Davis said Tuesday evening, and you'd swear you could hear ringing slot machines in the distance. This was more than a headline-friendly quip, and Davis knew it. He's a heck of a lot farther down the road on this than his fellow owners are, but he knows the best way to get them to say no would be to bring them this idea before it was fully formed. Many of those surveyed this week pointed out that they haven't seen a market study and would need a lot more information about everything -- from demographics to ticket sales to projections for luxury suites, concession sales and personal seat licenses. While team owners Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones have spoken publicly about the appeal of the Las Vegas market in the abstract, it's the details that will get them to pay attention, and no one knows when they'll see those. "Mark hasn't brought forward anything for us to consider at this point," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. That's likely to Davis' benefit. He is one of the league's least wealthy owners and not among its most influential. Finishing a clear third in the race to Los Angeles a few months back reminded him of that, and his late father's litigious history has been mentioned in a few places as a reason some grudge-holding owners might not want to do the Raiders any favors. But more than one owner this week said Mark Davis has shown himself to be a willing and patient partner in ways Al Davis didn't always want to be. Just as old aversions to gambling associations as an obstacle to Vegas seem to be fading away, it's not accurate to assume the current group of NFL owners will hold the sins of the father against the current Raider-owning son.
"There may still be some of that in the room," said one high-ranking executive who requested anonymity on the topic of the league's internal politics. "But I don't think it would be enough to stop a move if people were convinced on the merits."This, as Davis would point out, is far from a "no." Which represents a remarkable step toward the Las Vegas Raiders becoming a reality. Time was, issues that had nothing to do with market viability or stadium amenities would have killed this in the concept stage. But as Patriots owner Kraft has pointed out, the gambling risk is no longer market-specific. While some of the surveyed owners expressed concern about the risks and temptations that Las Vegas would offer their players and team employees, the more significant concerns are big-picture business focused. "That's why we're doing studies on that now to determine whether it's viable," Davis said. "We're not looking to make this something where the fans fly in on weekends for games. We want to have a local fan base." It's on Davis to deliver to the owners a Las Vegas proposal that addresses the issues of viability and sustainability. Those who have spoken to him in recent months say he's absolutely serious about being the first major pro sports owner to put a team in Las Vegas, but there are financial and political hurdles that must be cleared. The Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee met Thursday to debate potential sites and funding for the proposed stadium bill, and the Nevada state legislature could meet in a special session this summer to approve funding. But that approval is no sure thing, as the state could still determine that the proposed $750 million in hotel tax money would be better spent on a convention center expansion. Should that happen, Davis and the Raiders would find themselves having to look elsewhere for stadium funding and, likely, a home. Even if he gets his money, Davis will face questions about stadium location, practice facility construction, a place to play while the new stadium is being built and the distribution of tickets and PSLs. Will the casinos buy up all the premium seats to distribute them to out-of-town guests? Or is there a way to ensure the lower bowl of the stadium will be packed with actual Raiders fans? The earliest an NFL team could be playing in a new stadium in Las Vegas is probably 2019. Davis said Tuesday that he's not in a rush because he wants to get this right. He said he's got a one-year lease in Oakland and two one-year options after that. But if, in the course of the next year, he gets approval to move to Vegas in 2019, playing in Oakland in 2017 and 2018 isn't likely a viable option. That could mean they'd have to camp somewhere like San Antonio in the meantime, but it also means the Raiders could be playing in a temporary home such as Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas as early as 2017. Crazy? Not as crazy as it used to sound. Mark Davis has a lot of things to accomplish before he gets the green light to move the Raiders to Las Vegas. But if the city and state come up with enough money to augment the $500 million he has pledged to the stadium project, and if Davis can deliver his fellow owners a proposal that convinces them this can make them all a ton of money, this could happen relatively soon. It might not be a front-burner issue for the NFL right now, but Davis appears to be simmering it at just the right temperature. His mission is to pique the league's appetite so that it matches up with the timing for bringing this all to boil. espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15746994/nfl-oakland-raiders-made-progress-move-las-vegas-owners-want-facts-stadium
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Post by Bruinsfan on May 28, 2016 5:22:34 GMT -6
If vegas builds a domed stadium they can host wrestlmania, final 4, super bols.
Its a good investment for them.
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Post by mikecubs on May 28, 2016 10:20:17 GMT -6
Not for the deal that is being talked about. If this passes it will be the most team friendly deal in NFL history. Basically after the tax increment financing district kickbacks the Raiders will be given a free 1.4-1.6B dollar stadium. DeMause calls it the worst NFL subsidy ever. Super Bowl brings a ton of hype/attention but most studies show the gains are minimal to non-existent financially. Wrestlmania can be hosted at T-Mobile arena.
The thing is I wonder if Vegas is going to get an arena/entertainment center glut. MSG announced this week they are going to build an arena just for concerts.
Overall even though this is a VERY bad deal I hope it passes for 3 reasons. I want the A's to get a new park. I want the NHL to be more risky if it comes to Vegas. I don't think the NHL is going to expand. I think the Coyotes are going to relocate. I want Quebec to win that. I hope the Raiders gives the NHL pause and they do the right thing. 2 teams at once in what realistically would be the 3rd smallest 2 team market with a crap per capita income with a ton of transplants(who work night shift) should give the NHL pause. Lastly I don't want the Raiders to go to LA if San Diego gets a new stadium. The gang bangers will total the stadium and development around it.
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Post by Bruinsfan on May 29, 2016 5:37:42 GMT -6
Not for the deal that is being talked about. If this passes it will be the most team friendly deal in NFL history. Basically after the tax increment financing district kickbacks the Raiders will be given a free 1.4-1.6B dollar stadium. DeMause calls it the worst NFL subsidy ever. Super Bowl brings a ton of hype/attention but most studies show the gains are minimal to non-existent financially. Wrestlmania can be hosted at T-Mobile arena. The thing is I wonder if Vegas is going to get an arena/entertainment center glut. MSG announced this week they are going to build an arena just for concerts. Overall even though this is a VERY bad deal I hope it passes for 3 reasons. I want the A's to get a new park. I want the NHL to be more risky if it comes to Vegas. I don't think the NHL is going to expand. I think the Coyotes are going to relocate. I want Quebec to win that. I hope the Raiders gives the NHL pause and they do the right thing. 2 teams at once in what realistically would be the 3rd smallest 2 team market with a crap per capita income with a ton of transplants(who work night shift) should give the NHL pause. Lastly I don't want the Raiders to go to LA if San Diego gets a new stadium. The gang bangers will total the stadium and development around it. 1.4 billion subsidy is far too much. shouldbe a 50/50 and if you are the city or state legislature you have to tell them, its worth investing in come up to 50% and you got it.
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Post by mikecubs on May 29, 2016 9:34:25 GMT -6
I totally agree with this.
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 17, 2016 6:54:57 GMT -6
The Los Angeles Rams are having their first event back at the LA Coliseum. LA Rams alumni came out to the Coliseum to support the team. Nolan Cromwell is slinging passes at the Coliseum. Eric Dickerson is taking pictures with and signing autographs for Rams fans at the Coliseum. Vince Ferragamo smiled and said, "It's good to be back" as he walked around the Coliseum in his LA Rams jersey. Old LA Rams jerseys are hanging up inside the home locker room at the LA Coliseum. Eric Dickerson: "I only wish Deacon Jones was here to see this day. He always said the Rams belong in Los Angeles and they're finally back Rams fans in LA are happy to have their team back thanks to Stan Kroenke. The Rams will wear these throwbacks twice next season (the maximum allowed) but are currently asking the league for more games. LA Rams quarterbacks Vince Ferragamo, Jim Everett and Jared Goff are addressing Rams fans at the Coliseum.
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