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Sid Hartman: Vikings-to-L.A. threat is real one
Star Tribune ^ | Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Posted on 02/08/2011 8:07:14 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

In an image provided by AEG, a proposed NFL football stadium, to be named Farmers Field, was depicted next to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke called the 30-year naming-rights deal with Farmers Insurance Exchange for the planned $1 billion stadium "the most significant step forward in the last 15 years in our efforts as a community, as leaders, to return the NFL to Los Angeles."

Sid Hartman: Vikings-to-L.A. threat is real one

With Los Angeles looking for two NFL teams to move to its new stadium, don't be surprised if the Wilfs look for one of the spots.

The Twin Cities lost the Lakers in 1960 and the North Stars in 1993 because of the lack of decent facilities being provided and because the political climate wasn't right for building those decent facilities. And we almost lost the Timberwolves in 1994, and the Twins were up for elimination in 2001.

The Lakers moved to Los Angeles, where they remain one of the NBA's showcase franchises. The North Stars won a Stanley Cup as the Dallas Stars in 1999. The Wolves remained at Target Center only because NBA Commissioner David Stern wouldn't allow the team to move to New Orleans, and a Hennepin County judge's injunction helped ensure the Twins would play the 2002 season.

Now it's pretty evident that with the Anschutz Entertainment Group having secured a $700 million naming deal from Farmers Insurance for the Los Angeles football stadium that AEG plans to build, there is greater danger than ever of losing the Vikings if a new stadium bill isn't passed by the current Legislature.

(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: chat; sidhartmansidhartman; sports; vikings
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To: MinorityRepublican

“The Los Angeles Drag Queens”?


41 posted on 02/08/2011 10:25:22 PM PST by OrangeHoof (Washington, we Texans want a divorce!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Um football sucks. I live in LA and no one misses it. Look at the kids that are 12-16 do they give a crap? NOPE. Useless.


42 posted on 02/08/2011 10:35:51 PM PST by Walkingfeather
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To: A.A. Cunningham

A lot.


43 posted on 02/08/2011 10:36:56 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: MinorityRepublican
LA or Minnesota. What a crappy choice.

I'd vote for none of the above.

How about San Antonio? The mascot doesn't really fit though.

44 posted on 02/08/2011 10:39:54 PM PST by GunRunner (10 Years of Freeping...)
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To: conservativebuckeye
Naw...Not in to any of that stuff either.....If ya watch the academy awards and other mindless gawdy pap you'll note most of those that show up for those tacky events are from place like Ohio etc...Like the Rose Parade...It's for tourist...

Most people that live here pay little or no attention to that garbage...It's for easily impressed tourist.

If ya like watching football fine...But it's not important as you seemed suggested buckey. There are much better things to do. You should get off the couch and get out more bucky.

45 posted on 02/08/2011 10:47:46 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Richard Kimball

Sacramento? Portland? Salt Lake City? Seriously, yes I get your point. The market is becoming saturated.


46 posted on 02/08/2011 10:59:12 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Don’t bring Brett, Okay!


47 posted on 02/08/2011 11:41:46 PM PST by STD (Stock Up on Precious Metals While You Still Can)
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To: dragnet2

Then what is there to do? Southern California has always struck me as pretty but an absolute liberal cesspool. Southern Californians have always struck me as incredibly self-absorbed and from your posts, you strike me as being no different. Unlike your state, my state threw the dems out on their ass.


48 posted on 02/09/2011 4:07:19 AM PST by conservativebuckeye
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To: Walkingfeather

If football sucks so much and people care so little about it, why have the last two Super Bowls been the most watched television programs in American history?


49 posted on 02/09/2011 4:09:16 AM PST by conservativebuckeye
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To: Red Steel

Great picture. Those guys were in shape...


50 posted on 02/09/2011 4:37:19 AM PST by Senator_Blutarski
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To: conservativebuckeye
"Yeah. Drugs, plastic surgery, and celebrity gossip are just so much more important than football."

Important? Football? I'm a fan, played the game for many years, and I would use many terms to describe football. But, I don't think "important" ever crossed my mind.

51 posted on 02/09/2011 4:39:03 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: conservativebuckeye

Just because people may watch it, does that mean it is followed as it was 25 years ago? Sports have become businesses. How do they base their add revenue? By the number of people watching. What happened when newspapers were finally brought to task on their real circulation and readership numbers? Ad revenue plummeted. The super bowl is not about bringing 2 teams together, its about creating an expectation of viewers so add sales can be driven. I just dont think it has the pull as it did before.

In reality, its a boring game. Think about it, LA is the largest media market in the world, and we have been without a football team for 15 years. How do you explain that? Here in southern california we have millions of things we are involved in, rather than to give our time, money and attention to a sports team. I mean seriously, fan loyalty is a contrived marketing gimmick. That team is not “loyal” to you, it doesn’t give a crap how you feel about them, just buy their stuff. You don’t own a piece of the team. You have no impactful say in who gets traded where, or how some dope performs or doesnt, regardless how much you talk about it with your buddies. I mean really at the end of the day, what does it possibly matter?.... It doesn’t. It has all be created as an illusion of importance. Marketing baby.


52 posted on 02/09/2011 6:27:46 AM PST by Walkingfeather
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To: conservativebuckeye

Just because people may watch it, does that mean it is followed as it was 25 years ago? Sports have become businesses. How do they base their add revenue? By the number of people watching. What happened when newspapers were finally brought to task on their real circulation and readership numbers? Ad revenue plummeted. The super bowl is not about bringing 2 teams together, its about creating an expectation of viewers so add sales can be driven. I just dont think it has the pull as it did before.

In reality, its a boring game. Think about it, LA is the largest media market in the world, and we have been without a football team for 15 years. How do you explain that? Here in southern california we have millions of things we are involved in, rather than to give our time, money and attention to a sports team. I mean seriously, fan loyalty is a contrived marketing gimmick. That team is not “loyal” to you, it doesn’t give a crap how you feel about them, just buy their stuff. You don’t own a piece of the team. You have no impactful say in who gets traded where, or how some dope performs or doesnt, regardless how much you talk about it with your buddies. I mean really at the end of the day, what does it possibly matter?.... It doesn’t. It has all be created as an illusion of importance. Marketing baby.


53 posted on 02/09/2011 6:27:59 AM PST by Walkingfeather
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To: ARepublicanForAllReasons
Say all you want about Gene Autry's notorious inability to run a baseball franchise. At least he had the sense to get the ANGELS out of Los ANGELass!

And yet now they're officially called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The other posters are correct, Californian don't care about pro sports teams unless they're winners. Even then we're a jaded lot.

54 posted on 02/09/2011 6:37:23 AM PST by newzjunkey
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To: MinorityRepublican

1980 Sid: “You have to have a domed stadium in this market, no one will go to games outside when it’s 40 degrees.”

2005 Sid: “Why are they(the Twins) playing indoors? Baseball was meant to be played outside.”

This dinosaur is a panderer to his uber-rich buddies’ whims.


55 posted on 02/09/2011 7:51:53 AM PST by Fireone (Liberals are just overschooled, undereducated, adult children.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

1980 Sid: You have to have a domed stadium in this market, no one will go to games outside when it’s 40 degrees.
2005 Sid: Why are they(the Twins) playing indoors? Baseball was meant to be played outside.
This dinosaur is a panderer to his uber-rich buddies’ whims.


56 posted on 02/09/2011 7:53:10 AM PST by Fireone (Liberals are just overschooled, undereducated, adult children.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

A few years ago this would have concerned me, since an L.A. team would soak up game coverage on Southern California TV stations. Whereas without a team, I got to see a lot of Green Bay Packers games. Now, with NFL Sunday Ticket on Direct TV, I get to see all the Packers games no matter what.

Of course I’ll still get hosed as a taxpayer if Los Angeles ponies up for a stadium. Not directly, since I live just outside of L.A. County, but one way or another they’ll shift some of the burden onto the state government and hence onto all taxpayers in the state.


57 posted on 02/09/2011 7:54:32 AM PST by dpwiener
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To: Fireone

My solution is to send the MN. Legislature to play in L.A.
That way, there would be enough money left in MN. to build a hundred stadiums, race tracks, boat harbors, etc.


58 posted on 02/09/2011 7:57:02 AM PST by Fireone (Liberals are just overschooled, undereducated, adult children.)
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To: dfwgator
LA has two MLS teams and no NFL teams, says it all.

Interestingly, LA--which had its last snowstorm in 1949--has two ice hockey teams.

59 posted on 02/09/2011 8:01:42 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: conservativebuckeye
Then what is there to do? Southern California has always struck me as pretty but an absolute liberal cesspool. Southern Californians have always struck me as incredibly self-absorbed and from your posts, you strike me as being no different. Unlike your state, my state threw the dems out on their ass.

It wasn't always that way. You may recall that in 1964, California Republicans put Barry Goldwater over the top in his bid to be the party's presidential standard-bearer, and it was Southern California that provided him the margin. In the 1960's and 1970's, Los Angeles mayor Sam Yorty was perhaps the most conservative big city mayor in the country. And in 1982, George Deukmejian, a conservative Republican from Long Beach, won two terms as governor.

Although economic and demographic change--especially the influx of illegal aliens--has weakened the conservatives and the Republicans, we still have a potent tea party movement, and conservatives have scored some notable successes down-ballot.

60 posted on 02/09/2011 8:23:21 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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