NFL may grant new team to same old place
Campus Times
October 9, 1998
When National Football League (NFL) team owners meet later this month
to determine which city or cities are granted a new franchise, the greater
Los Angeles area will have two representatives present to make a case for
the city.
One panel, the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, is led by developer
Edward Roski. Roski and his partners are seeking exclusive rights for an
NFL team to return to L.A. and call the remodeled Coliseum home.
The other group, led by former Disney executive Michael Ovitz, is preparing
to make a proposal for a new stadium in Carson near the Harbor and San Diego
freeways.
Making myself an owner for a day, I can see the NFL would be more profitable
in a new stadium, which, in comparison to other new ballparks, would attract
far more attention and revenue than the tired Coliseum.
The owners are not going to grant Los Angeles a new team to play in
an old place. Roski and his partners know this and are planning to commit
$200 million or more on renovation of the Coliseum. The process would produce
67,000 seats, expandable to about 80,000 seats, including a luxury seating
concourse providing up to approximately 15,000 club seats and up to approximately
150 suites.
But this is L.A. we are talking about. Southern Californians do not
want the polished dreams of yesterday. They want new ideas, new seating
and a new location. They know that no matter how much Roski garnishes the
Coliseum, it is still old.
Really, who wants to go to the Coliseum and watch an expansion team,
assuming the NFL would expand, lose all eight home games when there is so
much more to do in L.A. This concept of recycling only works with aluminum,
paper and glass.
At least with a new stadium, fans can not only go to watch the new team,
even if it does not fare well on the field, but also go to take in the atmosphere
of a new complex.
But imagine what kind of activities a new stadium could feature. Picture
this: two hours prior to the kickoff of the season, fans pour in from every
corner of L.A. Yes, the crowd would include the fat guy with the painted
belly. But instead of the usual tail-gate parties in the parking lot, visitors
are drawn in to dine on exotic and classic foods, while testing their skills
of football in a permanent NFL Experience complex, complete with an arcade.
So not only would the die-hard football fans come for the action, but
children would beg their parents to bring them to the carnival-like scene.
Los Angeles has been without football since 1995, when both the Raiders
and Rams left for greener pastures, allegedly. But more football games are
shown on television, so who knows, maybe no NFL team in the L.A. area equals
more football in the long run. The owners will decide whether Los Angeles
can enjoy the NFL in person or on the big screen in some sports bar.
Clearly, the Coliseum group has an uphill battle to fight. They need
to improve more than just the appearance of the old stadium to improve attendance
and revenue. But miracles can happen, right?
And as for the Carson site, the sky is the limit. New is always better:
new cars, new clothes, new stadium. If the NFL owners approve Ovitz's proposal,
Sunday will be a day of gathering in Los Angeles.
Greg MacDonald, a junior journalism major, is sports editor of the
Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at gmacdona@ulv.edu.
