August 13, 2005
California dreaming
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones issued a warning this week that increased revenue-sharing in the NFL could reduce the ability for a relocated Los Angeles franchise to recoup the costs of a new stadium. "I can tell you that the communal check that everybody gets in the NFL will not justify what it's going to take to put a team in Los Angeles," said Jones.
While Jones likely meant this as a shot across the bow against any attempt at increased revenue-sharing - no surprise, since the Cowboys have the second-highest revenues in the NFL - L.A.'s new mayor Antonio Villaraigos seemed to take it as a veiled shakedown for stadium funds, and was having none of it. "In some ways, why we haven't had a team here all these years is they've attempted to leverage us," Villaraigos told KFI-AM radio. "My hope is that they are going to realize there are a lot of people who want a football team, but every year that they are not here is one more year where people start to forget. ... We need a football team here. What I've said, though, is we're not spending public money for it. We're not going to subsidize the building of stadiums."
Jones actually has a point: The whole reason team owners want new stadiums is to capture the new revenue that goes along with them, so if teams, say, had to start sharing luxury-suite revenues with their competitors, they might as well just stay put. Of course, fans in Minnesota, San Diego, and other cities where teams are rumored to be mulling L.A. moves might not consider this such a bad thing, but nobody's asking them.
Mr Jones,
My name is Jake Williams, and I live in Columbia S.C. I recently had a liver transplant last December. Sir I have a brillant idea that can make multi-millions or billions of dollars I have been a true hearted cowboy fan since the sixties. I know you probably hear this sort of thing all the time, but if you would just listen to me you will not regret it. It was given to me while I was in the hospital in Charleston at the Medical University. The first phase of this idea,will pay the Dallas Cowboys payroll. I cannot reveal my idea till its patented and therefore no one can steal my idea. I'm willing to reveal my idea to you. You like money and I like money so lets make a ton of money. Mr. Jones please don't let this idea pass us by. Please respond yeah or nay. Let's make it work. Sir I know this is a great idea.
Thank you
Jake Williams
Posted by Jake Williams on November 24, 2005 07:09 PM