The Vikings have "cemented their intent to remain in Minnesota" for the '12 season by announcing they will not file an NFL-required "intent to relocate" by today's deadline, according to a front-page piece by Doug Belden of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. It was "pretty clear already that the Vikings wouldn't be moving for this coming season." Vikings VP/Stadium Operations & Public Affairs Lester Bagley said that yesterday's announcement "shouldn't mean momentum toward a stadium bill should slow down." Bagley: "We feel we're making good progress toward a solution" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/15). ESPN Radio 1500 Twin Cities host Judd Zulgad said the “odds are very low” the Vikings would leave Minnesota because “everybody’s banking on the fact the Vikings have no options” to relocate. Zulgad: “There have been no threats from the Vikings or the league that this team will leave, and we know Los Angeles is not an alternative for 2012." Zulgad said the fact the Metrodome lease “is finally up should lead the local politicians to get a little bit nervous and get moving quicker.” Zulgad: “Until somebody from the Vikings side or the league side says, ‘Hey, look folks, here’s your deadline and if you don’t meet it this team could leave,’ everybody here remains very confident that the whole thing is bluff, even if it’s not" ("NFL Live," ESPN, 2/14).
L.A. STORY: ESPN's John Clayton noted the “earliest” a team could play in L.A. would ’15 or ’16, because “you’ve got to get the big stadium built downtown or at least in Los Angeles to really get a team to move there.” ESPN's Trey Wingo said, “Clearly the NFL wants a team in L.A. Roger Goodell talked about it Super Bowl week.” ESPN's Mark Schlereth said L.A. does not really deserves a new team. Schlereth: "When you look at the Los Angeles community, they’ve never supported the NFL to the degree it needs to be supported.” ESPN's Antonio Pierce: "Do they deserve it? No city deserves it. But that’s L.A.” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 2/14).
