Eagles owner says decision on where team plays won’t be made on “a geographical basis”

When the Philadelphia Eagles broke ground on their new publicly funded stadium 25 years ago, team owner Jeffrey Lurie exulted, “For the first time in the 68-year history of the Philadelphia Eagles franchise, we will have our own stadium. No longer will we be a secondary tenant.” Having your own place loses its luster once the new car smell is gone, though, so of course Lurie has spent the last year or so pondering when it’ll be time to get a new one. And with his 30-year lease expiring after 2032, Lurie seems to have decided that that time is soon, and the best way to get a really shiny one with lots of other people money is to get a good old-fashioned move threat going:

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said Wednesday in his annual news conference at the league meetings that he “would hope in the next year or two, we’ll have some more definitive approach to where we’re going.”

Where we’re going? Are you threatening to move the Eagles, Jeff?

“It’s a long process. When we researched Lincoln Financial Field, it probably took us… 2-3 years of exploratory research,” Lurie said. “Now, our exploratory research is very much on looking at stadiums around the world and domestically. Is there anything we can learn from Nashville and Buffalo? Is there anything we can learn from the renovations in Madrid and Barcelona? It’s really important. We want to maximize fan amenities and attract the best possible environment for Philadelphia. And to do that, you’ve really got to do the exploratory research. Don’t rush into it. This is a big decision. Where’s the team going to be?”

And what will be the basis of this decision, pray tell?

“Whatever’s best for the fans,” Lurie said. “We’re not really (going) on a geographical basis. It’s whatever’s best for the fans. I can’t tell you where (Cleveland’s new stadium) is, Barcelona is, I don’t know. It’s just, honestly, the bottom line is whatever is best for the fans.”

It’s just a little weird that Lurie keeps referencing F.C. Barcelona‘s renovation of one of the most famous soccer stadiums in the world, which is of course in Barcelona, but I guess geography isn’t everyone’s thing.

Lurie didn’t actually say whether he would move the Eagles out of Philadelphia proper — and he did mention that extending his current lease beyond 2032 is possible, so he’s not entirely in hardball threat mode. But it’s still hard to believe he didn’t at least intend to drop a move outside of Philly as a hint. And NJ.com picked right up on it, asserting that “moving to New Jersey or Delaware remains a possibility,” citing no sources at all.

It should be no surprise that Lurie at least wants to plant the idea of a possible move outside Philadelphia proper in local officials’ heads, especially after the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears owners’ stadium subsidy demands got shot down until they created interstate bidding wars — as did, closer to home, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ dalliance with New Jersey. If his next public statement is “Delaware? I haven’t even heard of that, is it a place? Do they like football there?” then we’ll know the game’s truly afoot.