Menu
Franchises

NFL GIVES IRVINE NFL HOPES A STIFF ARM; HOUSTON TALKS DRAG?

          Irvine, CA's NFL expansion hopes received a "serious
     setback" Friday when the league refused to allow the plan to
     be heard by league owners at a meeting in October, according
     to Harmonson & Luna of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.  NFL
     VP/Communications Greg Aiello: "They won't be a part of the
     meetings and there are no plans for any further meetings on
     the issue at this time."  Irvine Mayor Christina Shea was
     "stunned and angry" at the news: "It would be completely
     inappropriate for them not to meet with us."  Former USC
     player and leader of the proposal, Anthony Davis, said he
     had received positive feedback from the league and would
     continue his efforts to bring a team to Orange County. 
     Davis: "I know we'll be talking with them in the next couple
     of weeks.  People might think we're behind, but we know
     we're in a good position."  The NFL has invited two L.A.
     groups and one from Houston to make presentations at
     meetings in K.C. on October 27-28 (O.C. REGISTER, 9/19).
          TAGLIABUE'S TIMETABLE: NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
     said "there's a general assumption that [expansion] may be
     in the fourth [2001] or fifth year [2002] of the television
     contract," according to T.J. Simers of the L.A. TIMES. 
     Simers: "That would mean the NFL would have to award the
     32nd franchise to Houston or Los Angeles sometime in 1999 to
     allow for the construction of a new stadium to open in
     2002."  Tagliabue added that a 32nd franchise could be
     awarded at the owners' meetings in March (L.A. TIMES, 9/19).
          PROBLEM, HOUSTON? In Houston, John Williams reports
     that local officials looking to finish a stadium proposal
     for the October meetings are "considering adding a $2 ticket
     tax and $1 parking tax for football games and other sporting
     events."  If a deal is not finalized soon "between a variety
     of interests," including Harris County execs, who have taken
     over a "bigger part of the negotiations," a deal may be in
     jeopardy.  Williams: "Because of recent delays, Houston has
     likely lost a golden chance to remain far ahead of [L.A.] by
     having its presentation ready to present to the NFL Stadium
     Committee" (John Williams, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/22).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1998/09/22/Franchises/NFL-GIVES-IRVINE-NFL-HOPES-A-STIFF-ARM-HOUSTON-TALKS-DRAG.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1998/09/22/Franchises/NFL-GIVES-IRVINE-NFL-HOPES-A-STIFF-ARM-HOUSTON-TALKS-DRAG.aspx

CLOSE