Cities the NFL should consider

Post #1 » by **bleu** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 3:55 am

I don't imagine we have an NFL expansion for a very, very long time, but say the NFL announced tomorrow that they were going to add four new teams. Which cities do you think that they should consider?

The four I first think of (in no order):

Las Vegas - This is an obvious and easy one, as there has already been a ton of talk about a team moving to Vegas, and it is probably the front runner at this point. I don't think that Vegas is the most deserving or most sensible place to put a team, but selfishly I want a team closer than Denver.

Toronto - Toronto has proven that they have diehard, dedicated fans for their basketball and baseball teams. Football is getting bigger and bigger in Canada, and I think that Toronto would make a fine home for the first Non-US NFL team.

Portland - Why not Portland? The Pacific Northwest loves football, and a team there would likely have a die hard fan base. I think Portland would be a great place for an NFL team.

Salt Lake City - This shouldn't be a surprise, coming from a Utah resident. Salt Lake is one of the quickest growing cities in America, and you might be surprised at how huge football is in Utah. UofU and BYU regularly sell out stadiums of 50,000+ and I have no doubt that an NFL team would do very well here.

goober · Post #2 » by **goober** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:11 am

I'd love to have an NFL team in Salt Lake City, but I can't see it happening in this lifetime. A team relocating might be a different story, but no way we get an expansion team, we don't have someone wealthy enough to buy and maintain an NFL team. Also can't see Portland getting a team either. Paul Allen already owns a team.

I have to think that San Antonio would be an intruiging city for the NFL, Vegas maybe but it's an unknown. Toronto would be a great city if they're ready to give up on the CFL.

Post #3 » by **bleu** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:21 am

Goober wrote:I'd love to have an NFL team in Salt Lake City, but I can't see it happening in this lifetime. A team relocating might be a different story, but no way we get an expansion team, we don't have someone wealthy enough to buy and maintain an NFL team. Also can't see Portland getting a team either. Paul Allen already owns a team.

I have to think that San Antonio would be an intruiging city for the NFL, Vegas maybe but it's an unknown. Toronto would be a great city if they're ready to give up on the CFL.

I'm not looking at this in a realistic way, I don't think that the NFL adds expansion teams for at least 15 years, maybe more. I just think Salt Lake and Portland would be fine homes for NFL teams if someway, somehow they were able to get one.

San Antonio would be a good city as well, I imagine they are towards the top of the list for possible relocation cities.

Post #4 » by **Cactus Jack** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:42 am

It looks like Vegas may be getting the Raiders. Portland is a no go. San Antonio I think is the most realistic outside of Vegas going forward.

Post #5 » by **jwise44** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:47 am

I know Spurs are big in San an, but I lived there recently for a few months and the entire city is full of DIE HARD cowboys fans. Worse than bluejersey haha...Texans fans already had the oilers and hated the Cowboys which is why we worked as an expansion

I mean it's cowboy country there. I wore a Texan hat while working one day and I got bitched at (more like told how much the Cowboys would kick our ***) more than a few times

I don't see enough people switching allegiances for a while...sure some people would go to games, but I just don't see it working personally

Stromile12 · Post #6 » by **Stromile12** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 5:14 am

I would LOVE if Toronto got a NFL team.

RavenMad31 · Post #7 » by **RavenMad31** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 12:21 pm

I'd be curious to see a team play in actual NYC. Brooklyn is a city that, on its own, is almost as big as Chicago and is several times larger than some of the smaller market teams. I don't know if there is anyone from Brooklyn that can confirm this, but I imagine that it's hard for a team located in NJ to even feel like a home team.
This is also why I thought it was stupid that the Jets chose to latch on to the Giants home stadium again when they tore down the Meadowlands. A move back to Queens would have returned them back to the heart of a city of over 2 million people...again, multiple times larger than a few other NFL markets.
I had thought SLC would have been a great market, but I didn't realize just how small it was. I assumed it was a top 20, 25 city in terms of population, but it'd be the equivalent of putting a team in a city just over half the size of Buffalo.

Mich3006 · Post #8 » by **Mich3006** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 12:41 pm

A 2nd team in LA or Chicago or cities like Louisville, Austin, Anaheim or a canadian franchise in Toronto or Vancouver would be great.

RavenMad31 · Post #9 » by **RavenMad31** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 1:08 pm

Ayatollah wrote:A 2nd team in LA or Chicago or cities like Louisville, Austin, Anaheim or a canadian franchise in Toronto or Vancouver would be great.

I think we might want to slow our roll on the LA market. There's a reason two teams left there and it wasn't because LA was enthusiastically throwing money and cherry stadium deals at them. Plus, the Rams have returned to remind Los Angelenos why they didn't give a crap about them the first time around. I'd suspect that Chicago is too firmly entrenched with the Bears, but I could be wrong. Other than 1985 and a somewhat lucky run in 2006, I'd be pretty disgusted if I were a fan of theirs.
Louisville and Austin are good ideas. Vancouver might develop a nice rivalry with Seattle. My hunch is that Buffalo ownership would fight tooth and nail to keep a team out of Toronto.
I wonder if a full on merger with the CFL would be plausible and if it would have long term viability. I can't imagine a January playoff game in Saskatchewan would be much fun.

goober · Post #10 » by **goober** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 1:28 pm

RavenMad31 wrote:I'd be curious to see a team play in actual NYC. Brooklyn is a city that, on its own, is almost as big as Chicago and is several times larger than some of the smaller market teams. I don't know if there is anyone from Brooklyn that can confirm this, but I imagine that it's hard for a team located in NJ to even feel like a home team.
This is also why I thought it was stupid that the Jets chose to latch on to the Giants home stadium again when they tore down the Meadowlands. A move back to Queens would have returned them back to the heart of a city of over 2 million people...again, multiple times larger than a few other NFL markets.
I had thought SLC would have been a great market, but I didn't realize just how small it was. I assumed it was a top 20, 25 city in terms of population, but it'd be the equivalent of putting a team in a city just over half the size of Buffalo.

Salt Lake and Utah county if you combine them have about 1.7 million people.Thats at most a 30 minute drive between them if I remember correctly.

One interesting thing about a potential team in Salt Lake City, is there's a perfect spot for a stadium in the city of Draper that's part of the metropolitan area of Salt Lake City. The state prison that's there is being torn down eventually, and it's by lots of restaurants, hotels, and other things like that, it's right off the freeway and it's very scenic with the mountains.

I've even heard that since the state owns that land they might want to make a pitch for another professional sports team.

bluejerseyjinx · Post #11 » by **bluejerseyjinx** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:15 pm

bleu wrote:
Goober wrote:I'd love to have an NFL team in Salt Lake City, but I can't see it happening in this lifetime. A team relocating might be a different story, but no way we get an expansion team, we don't have someone wealthy enough to buy and maintain an NFL team. Also can't see Portland getting a team either. Paul Allen already owns a team.

I have to think that San Antonio would be an intruiging city for the NFL, Vegas maybe but it's an unknown. Toronto would be a great city if they're ready to give up on the CFL.

I'm not looking at this in a realistic way, I don't think that the NFL adds expansion teams for at least 15 years, maybe more. I just think Salt Lake and Portland would be fine homes for NFL teams if someway, somehow they were able to get one.

San Antonio would be a good city as well, I imagine they are towards the top of the list for possible relocation cities.

Houston and especially Dallas will never let a city in Texas become part of the NFL family. Jerry will never give up his fan base or let anyone take a chunk away from him.

Post #12 » by **bleu** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:17 pm

Yeah, Salt Lake itself isn't the largest city, but when you consider the metropolitan area surrounding it, and Utah County/Weber County (which are 20-30 minute drives), you actually have a pretty decent sized population, and one which is constantly growing. I live about 90 miles outside of SLC, and you had better believe that I'd be one of the first in line for season tickets if a team were to move here.

New York, you guys don't want the Jets any more, do ya?

bluejerseyjinx · Post #13 » by **bluejerseyjinx** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:20 pm

Outside of Las Vegas, It wouldn't surprise me if Canada doesn't get a team or two eventually.

Post #14 » by **Latrell** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:38 pm

As an American who spends a lot of time in Canada I'd hate the thought of the NFL coming to Toronto. I'm a big fan of the CFL and would hate to see an NFL team kill the Argos. Honestly pisses me off the attitude Toronto has towards the CFL. Obviously the NFL is the superior league but the CFL product is underrated. Great athletes in CFL and actually some pretty quality QB play. Some great rivalries out west too. The rest of Canada loves the CFL it's just Toronto that thinks their too good for it. But they'll gladly support a 5th rate soccer team like TFC. Just bothers me all around. I NEVER want an NFL team here.

Post #15 » by **Latrell** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:44 pm

Goober wrote:I'd love to have an NFL team in Salt Lake City, but I can't see it happening in this lifetime. A team relocating might be a different story, but no way we get an expansion team, we don't have someone wealthy enough to buy and maintain an NFL team. Also can't see Portland getting a team either. Paul Allen already owns a team.

I have to think that San Antonio would be an intruiging city for the NFL, Vegas maybe but it's an unknown. Toronto would be a great city if they're ready to give up on the CFL.

Toronto has given up on the CFL a long time ago. They struggle to draw 20,000 ppl per game, place is half empty most of the the time. By far the worst CFL fan base in Canada. Their rivals from Hamilton which is 40 mins away and a city which dwarfs Toronto in size sells out every game.

Post #16 » by **bwgood77** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:48 pm

Stromile12 wrote:I would LOVE if Toronto got a NFL team.

I was going to say Toronto.

Wo1verine · Post #17 » by **Wo1verine** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 3:14 pm

Latrell wrote:
Goober wrote:I'd love to have an NFL team in Salt Lake City, but I can't see it happening in this lifetime. A team relocating might be a different story, but no way we get an expansion team, we don't have someone wealthy enough to buy and maintain an NFL team. Also can't see Portland getting a team either. Paul Allen already owns a team.

I have to think that San Antonio would be an intruiging city for the NFL, Vegas maybe but it's an unknown. Toronto would be a great city if they're ready to give up on the CFL.

Toronto has given up on the CFL a long time ago. They struggle to draw 20,000 ppl per game, place is half empty most of the the time. By far the worst CFL fan base in Canada. Their rivals from Hamilton which is 40 mins away and a city which dwarfs Toronto in size sells out every game.

Many in Toronto struggle with supporting minor league teams, unfortunately. If they happened to get an NFL team, they would sellout for sure.
Reason why the Hamilton ti-cats are such a draw is because it's pretty much all the city has sports wise.

With regards to the TFC, i think they play in the strongest league in North America? ( don't follow soccer ) Expanding into the BPL isn't realistic do to the expected travel, so MLS is the best they can have, right?

RavenMad31 · Post #18 » by **RavenMad31** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:17 pm

Latrell wrote:As an American who spends a lot of time in Canada I'd hate the thought of the NFL coming to Toronto. I'm a big fan of the CFL and would hate to see an NFL team kill the Argos. Honestly pisses me off the attitude Toronto has towards the CFL. Obviously the NFL is the superior league but the CFL product is underrated. Great athletes in CFL and actually some pretty quality QB play. Some great rivalries out west too. The rest of Canada loves the CFL it's just Toronto that thinks their too good for it. But they'll gladly support a 5th rate soccer team like TFC. Just bothers me all around. I NEVER want an NFL team here.

I used to get CFL every Saturday night on some crappy broadcast station down here. I'd always go get a 12 of Molson and tune in. It really is a great football product. The Argos had a pair of WRs around that time named Mookie Mitchell and Jimmy the Jet Cunningham.

bluejerseyjinx · Post #19 » by **bluejerseyjinx** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:43 pm

On the other hand, L.A. might need a new team within 3 years. LMAO.

Post #20 » by **Cactus Jack** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:47 pm

Are the Raiders headed to Vegas?

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17555854/committee-recommends-750-million-public-money-las-vegas-stadium-raiders

LAS VEGAS -- A plan to build an NFL stadium in Las Vegas and lure the Raiders from Oakland cleared a major hurdle Thursday when a Nevada oversight committee voted unanimously to recommend $750 million in public funding for the project.

"We are excited and thanks to the committee," Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a text message to USA TODAY Sports.