The Chargers "may try to block the entry of an NFL team" into L.A., "contending a relocated franchise there would significantly threaten the team's business," according to Daniel Kaplan of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. With two other teams, the Raiders and Rams, "free to move after this season" and eyeing L.A. "amid long-standing NFL efforts to find a stadium site there, the Chargers are now speaking up publicly for the first time." Chargers Chair & President Dean Spanos said, "Over the last 20 years, there hasn't been a team in the L.A. market. We have reached out into that market and 25 to 30 percent of our business comes from the L.A. (and) Orange County areas. Putting a team there right now, or two teams, would have a huge impact on our business going forward. So we are trying to protect our business in San Diego. ... It would really be harmful to us." Kaplan notes this "marks the first time that the Chargers have revealed the amount of business they generate" from the L.A. market. It also is the "first time that Spanos has been so vocal publicly about opposition" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/13 issue). Chargers Special Counsel to the President Mark Fabiani said, "Allowing another team to move into those markets would be economically harmful to the Chargers, to say the least. Especially if it's a team that has voluntarily vacated that market in the past, such as the Rams or the Raiders -- that would be particularly objectionable to the Chargers." ESPN.com's Eric Williams noted the Chargers have a "year-to-year lease with the City of San Diego for Qualcomm Stadium." The Chargers and the city "hope to have a tentative plan for a new stadium emerging by the end of the year," and they also would like to "place a measure on the ballot for a countywide vote" by the November '16 presidential election. The Chargers are proposing to build a roughly $1B facility that "could seat as many as 70,000 for Super Bowls" (ESPN.com, 10/9).
L.A. STORY: L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday said it is "highly likely" an NFL team returns to the city in the next year. On an "Ask the Mayor" segment on KNX-AM, Garcetti said that though L.A. "doesn't want to subsidize a stadium, he thinks the NFL is 'finally interested'" in the city again. But in L.A., Karlamangla, Zahniser & Farmer note previous mayors also have "predicted the imminent return of the NFL to the city." Asked how much the city would be willing to cough up to attract a team, Garcetti said, "Exactly zero dollars." He added that he "isn't personally spending any time on efforts to bring a team to L.A., but that he has good people on it." Garcetti: "Football is something a big city should have." Garcetti made his comments as the L.A. City Council's Economic Development Committee on Friday "considers a six-month extension of an agreement" with AEG to find an NFL team to "play at a downtown stadium" (L.A. TIMES, 10/10).
RAM TOUGH: SPORTING NEWS' Tom Gatto wrote the Rams are "rightly keeping their options open with regard to where they'll be playing next season." A possible return to L.A. "gives the franchise leverage in its negotiations with St. Louis officials on a replacement for the Edward Jones Dome." But Rams Exec VP/Football Operations & COO Kevin Demoff on Thursday was "less than reassuring" when asked about the team's prospects for '15. Demoff: "I am an optimist, I am hopeful, I will always remain hopeful that we will find a solution and be able to move forward. ... As it stands now there are no promises after this year, and I don't think from our viewpoint it does any good to make those promises or to not make those promises. We've said where we're at and I know it's frustrating for fans. I know there are no hard and concrete answers, but our focus has to be to put ourself in the best position possible to move forward" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 10/9).
SURVEY SAYS: San Antonio Convention, Sports & Entertainment Facilities Dir Mike Sawaya said that the city has teamed with the Raiders to "hire a sports industry consultant that's in the process of polling local residents about a potential relocation." In San Antonio, Josh Baugh noted an e-mail poll has "already circulated among some 50,000 people who have attended events at the Alamodome, asking questions about the purchase of season tickets, ticket prices and other issues." The research is being jointly "funded by the city and the Raiders." The survey's key question is, "Would you support the Raiders were they to move to San Antonio?" The poll, conducted by California-based Barrett Sports Group, also will "reach beyond people who are already on the Alamodome's mailing list." Barrett Sports Group Founder & Principal Owner Dan Barrett said that the results of the survey "should be known by late November or early December" (MYSANANTONIO.com, 10/9).
ENGLISH CHANNEL: NFL U.K. Managing Dir Alistair Kirkwood said that the prospect of a London-based NFL franchise at Wembley Stadium "will be explored in detail." He added there was "real momentum" around a team in the U.K. Kirkwood: "Moving from one game to three games in a couple of years is a sign of real momentum and fan growth. ... We're very interested in exploring the idea of a British-based franchise and seeing if we can pull it off. That's the way of making our sport much more mainstream." Kirkwood warned that there was "still much work to do before a plan could be put in place." He added, "It's not just about the logistics of where a team might come from or whether it would be a new team, it's also scheduling, air travel, a tonne of other logistics" (PA, 10/9).
