Los Angeles NFL Vikings?

[Gil Dobie]

A little tidbit from the Scott LeDoux interview. Anoka county has been mentioned as a possible Vikings stadium site. Sounds like an inkling that the Vikings may be headed to LA. The Metrodome lease runs out in 2011, a possible NFL strike season, after that who knows. With the Stars winning the Cup after leaving Minnesota, it would further the karma if the Vikings win the Super Bowl after leaving for LA.

Pioneer Press Link (http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_12086524?nclick_check=1)

BS: Have you cut back your duties as an Anoka County Commissioner?

SL: I go to every committee meeting and board meeting. I go into work as a county commissioner, and I went to the fights (Saturday night) and did the weigh-ins the night before, and I was by myself. Got it all done. I got re-elected this last fall (as a county commissioner) and won every precinct, so I think I'm doing a good job. We're the fifth-lowest-taxed county in the state. Hennepin County is taking on a lot of burden because of the baseball stadium, and (Vikings owner) Zygi (Wilf) wants to build a football stadium. I don't think Zygi is going to do it in Minneapolis.

BS: Do you think he'll consider Anoka County?

SL: I think he's going to do it in Los Angeles.

[Cobblestone]

I can't possibly see the Vikings ever leaving Minnesota. I do think they need to go back to an outdoor stadium. They gave away the best home field advantage in the NFL when they moved into a dome.

As for LA...SCREW THEM! That city had two NFL teams at the same time and did not support either of them. Why would anyone think they'd support a new team?

[Gil Dobie]

I can't possibly see the Vikings ever leaving Minnesota. I do think they need to go back to an outdoor stadium. They gave away the best home field advantage in the NFL when they moved into a dome.

As for LA...SCREW THEM! That city had two NFL teams at the same time and did not support either of them. Why would anyone think they'd support a new team?

I don't know what to think. The Vikings have a good fanbase and a good tradition, but the area might not be able to come up with a plan to build a stadium and keep them in Minnesota.

[jstate83]

No NFL team is going to work in L.A.
Ain't no way 60,000 plus people will fill a stadium each week, year after year in that place for a pro game.

Their fake sport's attention span last only as long as the TV spotlight is on. xlolx
Paris Hilton buying some new size 16 shoe's would knock a NFL team off the front page in LA. xlolx

I know it's the second largest TV market in the country, but this futile waste of resources need to stop and let a deserving city have a team that will support it no matter what.

[Thunderstruck84]

So the Vikings would leave the Twin Cities due to a stadium conflict to play in a renovated craphole known as the LA Coliseum? They aren't going to be building any new stadiums there either and that's why no pro teams have moved to or sprung up in LA. Zygi is going to have to ride out the recession in Minnesota and if he still doesn't have a stadium after the state gets it's economic footing back, then he could plausibly move the team.

[appmaj]

As for LA...SCREW THEM! That city had two NFL teams at the same time and did not support either of them. Why would anyone think they'd support a new team?



Totally agree!

[Cobblestone]

No NFL team is going to work in L.A.
Ain't no way 60,000 plus people will fill a stadium each week, year after year in that place for a pro game.

Their fake sport's attention span last only as long as the TV spotlight is on. xlolx
Paris Hilton buying some new size 16 shoe's would knock a NFL team off the front page in LA. xlolx

I know it's the second largest TV market in the country, but this futile waste of resources need to stop and let a deserving city have a team that will support it no matter what.

Well said!

xthumbsupx

[JayJ79]

The NFL (and other pro sports leagues) make all sorts of money with tv deals, licensing, merchandising, and of course ticket sales and whatnot....

yet they still beg for government handouts in the form of stadiums and facilities.
:pumpuke:

[CrusaderBob]

No NFL team is going to work in L.A.
Ain't no way 60,000 plus people will fill a stadium each week, year after year in that place for a pro game.

Their fake sport's attention span last only as long as the TV spotlight is on. xlolx
Paris Hilton buying some new size 16 shoe's would knock a NFL team off the front page in LA. xlolx

I know it's the second largest TV market in the country, but this futile waste of resources need to stop and let a deserving city have a team that will support it no matter what.

The Vikes might move to ... whoa! whoa! whoa!. Paris Hilton bought size 16 shoes?!? What color, style & designer? I must know more! :p xsmiley_wix

[jstate83]

Well said!

xthumbsupx

I was a Ram's fan long before the move to St. Louis.
I remember back in the 1970's and 1980's when the Ram's was alway's in the playoff's but the stadium was not even half full.
Even when they played the Superbowl in Passadena, fan's out there did not start going to games until the season was almost over and they knew the Ram's with Venny Farigamo had a good shot at making the Superbowl.

Ya'll saw what happened when the Laker's started losing after magic Johnson retired.
The Forum was a ghost town with Jack Nickleson sitting in Gucci Row all by himself.
Those fake fans actually jumped ship and started buying CLIPPERS Ticket's. xlolx
Same with USC and the Raiders.

LA fans only show up when Championship's are won.
They just go to be seen.

[otto4pres]

http://www.losangelesfootballstadium.com/

[89Hen]

http://www.losangelesfootballstadium.com/
Interesting that the seats/fans shown in the drawing are purple. xeyebrowx

[89Hen]

LA fans only show up when Championship's are won.
That's true for many teams in many cities. The Redskins are the only ones who can draw in DC when the team isn't in the playoffs...

Capitals went from 13,929 in 2007 to 15,472 last year to 18,097 this year.

Same city, same venue, the Wizards went from 18,372 in 2007 to 17,962 last year 16,566 this year and next year will be sub 16k maybe sub 15k.

BTW, I hear the Caps have sold out of season tix for next year. xeyebrowx


2006 when Tampa won the Stanley Cup they averaged 20,509, this year they were down to 16,497. There are very few non-NFL teams that will stick with a struggling team.

(Of course the Flyers still averaged 19,282 when they set a franchise record for losses in 2007 xsmiley_wix )

[Hammerhead]

The Vikings aren't going anywhere unless there is a brand new stadium with plenty of parking so they can rake in the dough on parking and advertising revenue.

Given the recent budget problems in California (and just about every other state) I don't see too many gov't handouts for $1 billion stadiums in the near future.

While the concourse and concession areas really stink in the Metrodome, it's a better football venue than it is for baseball so it was natural that the Twinkies moved out first.

[Retro]

Funny, This past weekend i had playing an old Rams / Saints game from 1983 (Dickerson's rookie year) and the stadium was not even half full on a beautiful day just 2 games into the season. The people of L.A. only care about the Lakers, Dodgers and celebrity gossip!

[jstate83]

Funny, This past weekend i had playing an old Rams / Saints game from 1983 (Dickerson's rookie year) and the stadium was not even half full on a beautiful day just 2 games into the season. The people of L.A. only care about the Lakers, Dodgers and celebrity gossip!


That's what I was talking about in the earlier post.
I know the LA Coliseum is big but you can tell they don't have 50,000 in that place.xlolx

This is a waste of money for the NFL. xlolx

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

There's no way any NFL owner would move his their team to LA unless the league pays the way. It's just a terrible sports city when it comes to establishing a loyal fan base.

Why wouldn't the Vikings work something out with UM and their new stadium for at least a couple years until the something could be worked out for the Vikings to get their own? There's only 50k seats but it was built to be easily expanded and another 10k by 2012 would seem reasonable. The Metrodome only has 55k seats so the Vikings already play in the smallest stadium in the NFL. I know the Vikings probably want something with their own colors and geared more for the NFL but i think TCF Stadium would only add to an already college like atmosphere they have at the Met.

[Thunderstruck84]

There's no way any NFL owner would move his their team to LA unless the league pays the way. It's just a terrible sports city when it comes to establishing a loyal fan base.

Why wouldn't the Vikings work something out with UM and their new stadium for at least a couple years until the something could be worked out for the Vikings to get their own? There's only 50k seats but it was built to be easily expanded and another 10k by 2012 would seem reasonable. The Metrodome only has 55k seats so the Vikings already play in the smallest stadium in the NFL. I know the Vikings probably want something with their own colors and geared more for the NFL but i think TCF Stadium would only add to an already college like atmosphere they have at the Met.
The Metrodome seats 55,000 for baseball (with expanded seating) but football can get close to 70,000, I think the record is somewhere around 68,000. Anyway, the owner's beef is that it doesn't generate enough revenue from concessions sales and luxury suites.