San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg is "banking on a new study" to be commissioned in hopes that it reveals the city is now "better positioned to land another major league franchise to pair with the Spurs" than in the past, according to Tom Orsborn of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. San Antonio's most recent study on "whether the area could accommodate another pro sports team" was conducted in '11 by advisory firm Premier Partnerships. The report found that the city "wasn’t ready for the NFL or MLB in part because it fell short on the number of Fortune 500 companies and on median household income." San Antonio in '11 had five Fortune 500 companies, but since then that "number has dwindled," making a corporate base the city's "most significant hurdle" to landing another franchise. A source said that a second team "taking slices out of that small corporate pie would hurt the Spurs," and that even with the NBA club's "years of championship-laden success on the court and excellent management, it’s 'hard as hell' for them to thrive financially." Nirenberg has "stressed that the outpouring of fan support" for the now-defunct AAF San Antonio Commanders has "enhanced the city’s standing with the NFL." However, some obstacles "wouldn’t wind up on the pages of a feasibility study." Perhaps "chief among them is the long-held belief in NFL circles" that Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones is "opposed to San Antonio having a team because it would infringe on his turf" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 5/17).
