NFL teams in multiple cities?

[Todd4State]

I read an article about the NFL in Los Angeles and how the Rams owner is building a stadium and then the Raiders AND Chargers are building a stadium as a joint venture in Los Angeles. The Raiders and Chargers going in together on a stadium was interesting to me, and so it made me wonder if the NFL is possibly going to have teams that play in two cities?

It makes some sense because the NFL wants to expand internationally as well. I could see something like:

The Rams, Chargers, and Raiders splitting their home games between St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland respectively.

The Jaguars playing 2-3 games in London and then the rest of their home games in Jacksonville.

The Bills playing 2-3 games in Toronto and then the rest in Buffalo.

By doing this, they could keep their divisions and schedule pretty well organized and they wouldn't water down their product by expanding to more teams.

Doing this would also potentially increase the demand of tickets for those teams splitting venues because they would cut down the opportunity to see those teams in half.

The bad thing is the NFL would run the risk of alienating some fan bases potentially.

[smootness]

I can't imagine this is what they're doing, as that is a horrible idea and would kill the league, or at the very least those franchises.

[Dawg61]

I read an article about the NFL in Los Angeles and how the Rams owner is building a stadium and then the Raiders AND Chargers are building a stadium as a joint venture in Los Angeles. The Raiders and Chargers going in together on a stadium was interesting to me, and so it made me wonder if the NFL is possibly going to have teams that play in two cities?

It makes some sense because the NFL wants to expand internationally as well. I could see something like:

The Rams, Chargers, and Raiders splitting their home games between St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland respectively.

The Jaguars playing 2-3 games in London and then the rest of their home games in Jacksonville.

The Bills playing 2-3 games in Toronto and then the rest in Buffalo.

By doing this, they could keep their divisions and schedule pretty well organized and they wouldn't water down their product by expanding to more teams.

Doing this would also potentially increase the demand of tickets for those teams splitting venues because they would cut down the opportunity to see those teams in half.

The bad thing is the NFL would run the risk of alienating some fan bases potentially.

No it just means LA is a disaster to try and build multiple stadiums so they are thinking outside the box. Giants and Jets share the same stadium. It's weird but it's necessary because of all the people in that area. The owners see what the LA market has done for the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers and Angels and they'll do whatever it takes to get their franchise in that huge cash cow situation.

[Reason2succeed]

A huge problem with that scenario is season tickets. The NFL lives off of corporate suites and season tickets and that would suffer tremendously under that plan because they would have to sell packages in all of those locations which would double or triple their work for the same or less profit.

[Dawgowar]

The bad thing is the NFL would run the risk of alienating some fan bases potentially.

Like they care.

My understanding is that the league has decided that LA will support two teams. The Bills are now set in Buffalo for the long-term. It was a condition of the sale after Ralph Wilson died. That was important because St Louis and/or San Diego are about to get screwed. Waxing eloquently about how important the Bills are to upstate New York allows the NFL to feign like they give a rats ass while ripping two teams away from their loyal fan bases over stadium deals in their current locations.

The NFL took one of the weapons that could be used against them by Congress when they waived their tax exempt status. They did that to take away leverage from anyone demanding to see their financials.

Smooth move.

Hopefully congress will pull their damn Anti-Trust exemption and let these municipalities go into attack mode on the league. The league leadership has PC'd, lawyered, and watered-down the sport to the point it is barely enjoyable.

I understand the real world and that facilities have to make money for teams. Right or wrong that is the way sports works. That said, for everyone like Jones who put massive amounts of his own money into the project, others who get corporate deals to couple with the cities, there are those who just demand from the taxpayers.

Pull the anti-trust exemption, the draft would become illegal overnight. The salary cap unenforceable. The collective bargaining agreement would turn into a death match for the league. Let the league deal with the same crap these cities have to. A fight is not as fun when the other guy can hit back.

[Mutt the Hoople]

The Anaheim Packers.

[Dawgowar]

The Berkley Redskins just to see the perpetual protests.

[Quaoarsking]

If the NFL wants a team in Los Angeles (or London, Las Vegas, etc.), it should expand and add a team. There's enough talent out there to support more teams -- population has grown, the football player pool has grown, coaching has gotten better all around, etc., since 2002, when the NFL hit 32.

No need to rip out the hearts of St. Louis and San Diego fans just to get a team to LA. Bump the NFL to 36 teams (6 divisions of 6).

Also, if the NFL ever wants into Toronto, just get the CFL's Toronto Argonauts to switch leagues (and obviously nuke their roster and start over) rather than putting an expansion team there and letting a team that's been around since 1873 die.