Report: Weaver trying to sell Jaguars

[Spott]

http://news.jacksonville.com/justin/...-sell-jaguars/

The Jaguars had no immediate comment Wednesday night on a Philadelphia Daily News report that team owner Wayne Weaver is negotiating to sell the team to billionaire C. Dean Metropoulos, who could move the team to Los Angeles.

Team spokesman Ryan Robinson said Weaver was traveling on Wednesday and wouldn’t be available until today.

Metropoulos, 61, the former chairman and chief executive officer of New Jersey-based Pinnacle Foods, denied the newspaper’s report.

“I must tell you I haven’t had any such discussions,” Metropoulos was quoted in the Daily News. “I wouldn’t know how to give you any credibility to that because I don’t know anything about it.”

The Daily News reported that discussions between Weaver and Metropoulos are being brokered by Sal Galatioto of the New York sports investment firm Galatioto Sports Partners. The newspaper reported that Metropoulos previously has tried to buy two other NFL franchises — the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins — but was unsuccessful.

Metropoulos, according to the report, is interested in a 100 percent purchase of the Jaguars immediately, though unnamed sources told the paper he would keep Weaver on for two years while he learns how to operate an NFL franchise. The sources told the newspaper that Metropoulos would bring in minority partners with him, and that the Jaguars would be a candidate to move to Los Angeles, which is seeking an NFL team.

Weaver has consistently denied any interest in selling in the team, though he acknowledged last year that has was looking for additional investors for the franchise.

The Jaguars, who joined the league in 1995, reached the second round of the AFC playoffs last season, but had three of their eight home games blacked out because they weren’t sold out. They’re consistently mentioned in media reports as a candidate to move to Los Angeles, but Weaver has consistently denied that the team is for sale.

[bogey]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Entertainment $$$ is the most obvious money to cut out of ones budget during hard times.

Im sure all aspects of the entertainment industry are hurting right now Dane.

No disrespect, but I totally disagree. If they can get to the entertainment, they'll pay for it.

[cdcox]

Has anyone considered if LA would support a team?

[cardken]

Originally Posted by Redrum_69

they should move to vegas and change the name to "Las Vegas Gamblers"

The Las Vegas ACES, would never happen , Hell NFL would'nt even let the Vegas.com people advertise during the Super Bowl in fear of being linked with gambling. Biggest rouse in the NFL is that they are'nt in bed with Gambling, not nessesarly "fixing" but the built in marketing of it all. First of all at the very least the "home team" would have to removed from the "boards" in the Casinos, like the UNLV teams are'nt on the boards now. Do you think the Casinos would take even one game off their boards, you're crazy. I lived there I understand how it all works. The Mayor of Las Vegas has been trying for years to lure a team, any sports franchise there, to no avail. Hell, the Maloofs who own the Sacromento Kings have'nt even moved there, and they own the Palms Casino in Vegas, and in need of a stadium. Las Vegas is essentially Los Angeles East, huge Raiders base there, and just like L.A. everybody there is from somewhere else, like someone else said in this thread their loyalties lay somewhere else. Besides the weather is god awful, and the city has to interest in football outside of gambling, the Arena2 team left last year due to lack of interest. The middle schools there don't even have football programs, but plenty of Soccer, i'll let you figure out how that all plays out in the lack of interset in Football there, Football Americanos?

[Deberg_1990]

The NBA All Star Weekend Shenanigans a few years ago pretty much put the final nail in the coffin of whatever chance Vegas had of landing a Pro Sports franchise.

[cardken]

Originally Posted by bogey

I agree with most everything you've said. But come on, Vegas is not dying. It's being hit by the recession just like the rest of the nation. It's taking a hit, but it's not dying. That's just silly.

He's not lying Vegas is hurting bad, jobs are being cut at Casino after Casino. New ones are being built but most of all Gambling revenue is from Overseas visitors, and we all now how well the NFL Europe did? Anyways, locals there can't afford $80plus game tickets they did'nt go to the Arena 2 games and they practically gave those away. The housing market is the worst in the nation 1 in 200 houses are in foreclosure. It's bad, that's why I left, saw it first hand.

[cardken]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

The NBA All Star Weekend Shenanigans a few years ago pretty much put the final nail in the coffin of whatever chance Vegas had of landing a Pro Sports franchise.

Here Here

[88TG88]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Has anyone considered if LA would support a team?

not the Jaguars

[Mojo Rising]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Most of LA are not "transplants". Are you implying that 15 million out of the 20 million that live in this basin are from elsewhere? If that's what you think, you're very uninformed.

And the right team, right owner and right stadium? Absolutely. I think that goes for any city that's either moving a team or is a start up franchise. An owner like Bill Bidwell will not succeed in Los Angeles. Jerry Jones? Absolutely. Eddie DeBartolo? No question.

As far as the stadium, Los Angeles has its own issues with traffic to deal with. A five mile drive can take an hour. If the stadium isn't located in the perfect area, people won't attend. Would you drive 2 hours to watch the Chiefs every Sunday? I realize that many people do just that but that won't fly in Los Angeles. Los Angeles needs a state-of-the-art stadium that's convenient for fans. Again, that could be said for anywhere.



In today's NFL, it would be very unlikely that a team would "fail" for 5-7 years, so that's a moot point. As far as money, the wealth in Los Angeles county alone is absolutely staggering. There are over 250,000 millionaires (that means people earning more than $1,000,000 per year, not net worth) and millions more who make in excess of 500k per year. The money is here. The studios are here and will most certainly (like they do with the Lakers, Kings and Dodgers) own plenty of luxury boxes and seats. There are also so many companies who are headquartered in Los Angeles that will own seats and boxes.

Filling a 65,000 seat stadium will not be the issue.

I agree. There have been rumors of Eddie D buying a new team for LA. The question would be how effective he would be in the salary cap era. I think he would succeed and the LA Jags under Eddie D would prosper.

I don't know much about the guy they referenced who would buy them. Weaver came out this afternoon and said the TV is not for sale.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Mojo Rising

I agree. There have been rumors of Eddie D buying a new team for LA. The question would be how effective he would be in the salary cap era. I think he would succeed and the LA Jags under Eddie D would prosper.

I don't know much about the guy they referenced who would buy them. Weaver came out this afternoon and said the TV is not for sale.

I just hope that if the NFL moves an existing team to Los Angeles, that the new team is renamed for Los Angeles. (unless it's the Rams).

It's time for Los Angeles to have its own team.

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I just hope that if the NFL moves an existing team to Los Angeles, that the new team is renamed for Los Angeles. (unless it's the Rams).

It's time for Los Angeles to have its own team.

Los Angeles Lizards?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Skip Towne

Los Angeles Lizards?

Los Angeles Lounge Lizards