A survey e-mailed yesterday to L.A.-area residents on behalf of the NFL "seems most interested in gauging recipients’ interest in season tickets and luxury suites in a potential stadium in that market," according to Kevin Acee of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. The survey was sent by Convention, Sports & Leisure Int'l, a "sports facility planning and advisory firm that has conducted previous stadium studies for teams and leagues." It "begins by asking whether the recipient is a fan of the NFL." Recipients later are asked "their (or their company’s) attitude toward an NFL franchise" in L.A., "whether the identity of that team would affect that attitude and to quantify their (or their company’s) interest in attending NFL games in a new stadium in L.A." Recipients also are asked to "identify their favorite NFL teams, how many games they attend each year and whether they (or their company) are season ticket holders for any NFL team." It also "asks, in separate questions, whether recipients (or their company) hold general season tickets or a luxury suite for any college or professional teams" currently in L.A (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/22). In California, Todd Harmonson reports the survey "wasted little time getting to some key elements." The 11th page of 108 "covered what can make or break a stadium in the area." Those surveyed "were asked to assign a numerical importance to the following: Stadium location; Stadium accessibility from freeways; Availability of on-site parking; Stadium proximity to public transit; Ability to tailgate." The survey "introduces the notion of a $6,500 PSL for an upper-level sideline seat with an annual cost of $1,500 (or $150 per game)." To "get a feel for where fans are most likely to buy, it asks about the likelihood of buying that seat at that price point down to a $3,250 PSL and annual cost of $1,000." The survey also "asked about a preferred stadium location, offering four choices: in or around downtown L.A., Orange County, the Inland Empire and Other" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/22).
WILL IT WORK IN L.A.? NFL Network’s Judy Battista said she did not believe the
NFL will let a team moving to L.A. "not be a success." Battista: "I don’t think they'll go unless they’re convinced, unless all the studies show that there's sufficient fan support and sufficient corporate support. Let’s face it, you got to sell a lot of luxury suites in those new stadiums. I don’t think they'll let it fail. It’s too important a market to let it fail.” Bears WR Brandon Marshall said, "From a player's perspective, I think we'll love it. There's so much that you can do in L.A." However, he said the "problem is there are so many people from different walks of life." Marshall: "When you have that, I think you create a fickle fan base. I think the place is going to be amazing and it will be rocking if they're winning. If not, I think it will be a struggle to give away tickets” (
“Inside the NFL,” Showtime, 10/21). CBS Sports Radio's Kyle Brandt said, "You go to any sports bar in L.A. on an
NFL Sunday, this is what you'll see: Actors in Steelers jerseys, screenwriters in Pats jerseys, stuntmen in Jets jerseys. They don't care about an L.A. team. They're L.A. transplants who care about their hometown team and they're not sweating gridlock on the 110 to come see some transplanted tomato can lose by 20-plus" (
“Rome,” CBS Sports Network, 10/21).
DEARTH IN THE DOME: In St. Louis, Jim Thomas notes the Rams, one of the teams reportedly interested in moving to L.A., have "averaged 57,000 tickets distributed per game" this year in the 66,000-seat Edward Jones Dome. Since '07-11 -- when the team's combined 15-65 record was the "worst five-year stretch for any team in league history -- the Rams have had trouble getting that last 5,000 to 10,000 fans back in the building." Still, those attendance numbers "hold up well compared to the last few years" when the Rams previously played in L.A. The L.A. Rams from '92-94 "had 16 crowds of fewer than 50,000 in their last 24 games" at Anaheim Stadium. Former
NFLer Isaac Bruce, who played with the Rams in both L.A. and St. Louis, said to fans, "The biggest way to show a team that you love ’em is to show. Show up. Even in the worst of times. Show up. Say, ‘We need a team.’ I mean, you don’t want to be a city that’s been marked with losing two franchises" (
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/22).
