NFL

[Breadburner]

to Oklahoma....Discuss....

[jacobi]

I always has struck me as odd that football wasn't the first sport to make it to the state at a pro level.  Oklahoman's lust for the OSU/OU rivalry demonstrates there is an audience.  It would be interesting to see how those programs would react to having a pro team in the state.  I'm sure there would be alot of wrangling involved in getting a team here, but at least OK is known as a place where pro sports happen.  It would mean us building them a stadium.  *gulp*



Personally I rank pro sports as follows:

Cycling>Baseball>Hockey>Soccer>Rugby>Football>Basketball

I wouldn't mind the NFL coming but any local increase in the first four or five (at least my fave has a big event here) would make me happier.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Seems like basketball has done ok, so football might.

One would think that if someone was that much into either, the teams surrounding us in Dallas, KC, and St Louis (little bit of stretch) would satisfy that craving.  Guess not, though.  We will be fans up to about 120 miles (OKC road trip).

If they are gonna do that, then how about baseball?


Seems like the proliferation of teams (expansion in quantity) is diluting the talent pool to where it doesn't seem like there are the "Superstar" Teams from the past.  Since I am not that big a sports fan, this may just be an invalid impression...

[erfalf]

Is the NFL considering expansion. If not, no way Oklahoma gets a team, UNLESS we steal someone like St. Louis, which I think is unlikely. Outside of a few stragglers, attendance is over 90% for the NFL. And competition levels are extraordinarily good, very evenly matched for the most part.

The reason OKC has the NBA is because someone with OKC ties with deep pockets was in the right place (Seattle) at the right time to buy a struggling team in a city that wouldn't build a new arena.

I have an interesting question, does anyone here think that if Bennett were a Tulsan, and he stole the exact same team under the same circumstances, and moved to T-town instead; do you think the outcome would have been similar? Mostly I am interested if the fan interest would have been the same, because I think they could have made similar personnel choices and they already had KD from Seattle. Just curious what you all think?

[Hoss]

Is the NFL considering expansion. If not, no way Oklahoma gets a team, UNLESS we steal someone like St. Louis, which I think is unlikely. Outside of a few stragglers, attendance is over 90% for the NFL. And competition levels are extraordinarily good, very evenly matched for the most part.

The reason OKC has the NBA is because someone with OKC ties with deep pockets was in the right place (Seattle) at the right time to buy a struggling team in a city that wouldn't build a new arena.

I have an interesting question, does anyone here think that if Bennett were a Tulsan, and he stole the exact same team under the same circumstances, and moved to T-town instead; do you think the outcome would have been similar? Mostly I am interested if the fan interest would have been the same, because I think they could have made similar personnel choices and they already had KD from Seattle. Just curious what you all think?

With the two university B-Ball clubs here (ORU, TU) I'm not sure the NBA would have thrived the same way it has in OKC.  OKC got the test run with the Hornets; it wasn't as much of an unknown.

My opinion is it wouldn't have been as viable.  But I also have a bit of a dislike for the NBA in general now.  I stopped caring about the NBA about 1996 or 1997.  That, coincidentally, is about the time my interest in hockey increased.  I find it a more physical and intricate game than round ball.  I'm actually beginning to like baseball again (not on TV though; I like going to the park).

I know Express Personnel was lobbying to move the Penguins here when they were threatening to leave Pittsburgh while they were negotiating about a new arena.  I don't think the NHL is much more viable but with the right people in place and a good enough marketing campaign...maybe in 10 years.  We need to move out of the Circus Hockey League first....

[Breadburner]

Erfalf is on the right track with the St.Louis comment......

[Hoss]

Erfalf is on the right track with the St.Louis comment......

St Louis fought like hell to get the Rams from LA...somehow I doubt they're going to relinquish the Rams like they did the Cards.  But the baseball Cardinals will always rule in St. Louis.  I think it's a tossup between the Rams and the Blues for the next popular.  I've been to a Blues game.  Very fun atmosphere but the ScotTrade, while it has a huge arena, the concourses are tiny.  18,000 in those concourses during the intermissions for hockey is not a fun experience...

[rdj]

With the two university B-Ball clubs here (ORU, TU) I'm not sure the NBA would have thrived the same way it has in OKC.  OKC got the test run with the Hornets; it wasn't as much of an unknown.

My opinion is it wouldn't have been as viable.  But I also have a bit of a dislike for the NBA in general now.  I stopped caring about the NBA about 1996 or 1997.  That, coincidentally, is about the time my interest in hockey increased.  I find it a more physical and intricate game than round ball.  I'm actually beginning to like baseball again (not on TV though; I like going to the park).

I know Express Personnel was lobbying to move the Penguins here when they were threatening to leave Pittsburgh while they were negotiating about a new arena.  I don't think the NHL is much more viable but with the right people in place and a good enough marketing campaign...maybe in 10 years.  We need to move out of the Circus Hockey League first....

You forget OKC has OU & OSU (30-40 minutes) in their market.  They attendance at their games has plummeted.  Some of that is due to the poor quality of play but many believe it is related to the Thunder.

NFL stadium in Stroud?  Connected to Tulsa & OKC by passenger rail?  Large shopping district sporting an IKEA sprouts nearby?  Is that crazy?

[heironymouspasparagus]

NFL stadium in Stroud?  Connected to Tulsa & OKC by passenger rail?  Large shopping district sporting an IKEA sprouts nearby?  Is that crazy?

Yes, it is crazy, but sounds like it would work.  Wouldn't that be about the same travel distance as from most of Dallas to their football games?

[Conan71]

You forget OKC has OU & OSU (30-40 minutes) in their market.  They attendance at their games has plummeted.  Some of that is due to the poor quality of play but many believe it is related to the Thunder.

NFL stadium in Stroud?  Connected to Tulsa & OKC by passenger rail?  Large shopping district sporting an IKEA sprouts nearby?  Is that crazy?

Yep, it's crazy. 

You know as well as I do that OKC would attract the team, tease us with an "Oklahoma" name, let Tulsa pay for 1/2 the stadium then build it just south of the Oklahoma River in OKC or on the site of the old speedway at the OKC fairgrounds.   

[Breadburner]

You forget OKC has OU & OSU (30-40 minutes) in their market.  They attendance at their games has plummeted.  Some of that is due to the poor quality of play but many believe it is related to the Thunder.

NFL stadium in Stroud?  Connected to Tulsa & OKC by passenger rail?  Large shopping district sporting an IKEA sprouts nearby?  Is that crazy?

rdj nailed the rumor I heard.....

[Conan71]

rdj nailed the rumor I heard.....

Here's why I don't think it would fly- most NFL stadiums are either near the center of the city or in a pretty central suburb of a major metro area.  The infrastructure requirements and labor requirements for the rail plus a shopping area simply is not there.  I don't think you have enough population base for all the service and retail jobs in the immediate Stroud area and I doubt they would pay well enough to attract many workers beyond a radius equal to the distance from Stroud to Chandler or Bristow.

Certainly if people are willing to drive 2 hours to Norman for an OU game or 1 1/2 hours to Stillwater for an OSU game there is no doubt people from OKC and Tulsa would drive 50 miles for the NFL.  Just not sure you'd get 70,000 to 80,000 for every home game if they weren't at the top of their division.

[heironymouspasparagus]

But think of the growth and economic activity from the infill between Tulsa and OKC.  We could outdo Dallas/Ft.Worth!!  Cheap land, cheap labor, cheap utilities...

ALL THOSE JOBS!!!!!!

[TulsaRufnex]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2012/04/20/losing-minnesota-vikings-stadium-battle-would-be-costly-for-nfl/

The fact is the league wants to expand and would get much more (probably in excess of $1 billion) for new team in Los Angeles that it would get from Wilf as a relocation fee (maybe $200 million) to move the Vikings to L.A. Expansion and relocation money is divvied up among the league's owners, so an $800 million difference would amount to $25 million per team.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/cowboys/article/S-A-a-great-place-to-practice-but-tough-sell-as-1631868.php

Franchises, worth on average more than $1 billion in the NFL, require stadiums, costing at least $400 million and financed at least 70 percent by public money.

The study shows San Antonio lags behind major sports markets in critical areas.

For example, it found the average NFL host metropolitan area includes 18 Fortune 500 companies, ranks 18th as a media market and has a $53,800 median household income. The San Antonio region, in comparison, has six Fortune 500 companies, ranks 37th as a media market and has a $48,000 median income.

Major League Baseball host areas average 17 Fortune 500 companies, average 13th as a media market and have a $71,800 median household income.

[jacobi]

For example, it found the average NFL host metropolitan area includes 18 Fortune 500 companies, ranks 18th as a media market and has a $53,800 median household income. The San Antonio region, in comparison, has six Fortune 500 companies, ranks 37th as a media market and has a $48,000 median income.

We're boned - Bender Rodriguez