I'm worried about Jax losing the Jaguars.

[RiversideGator]

I just bought season tickets today. Time to put your money where your mouth is, UPers.

The cheapest season tickets can be had for just $280 a year: http://www.jaguars.com/Tickets/SeasonTicketMap.asp

Anyone can afford this with their very affordable payment plan too.

[scongro]

I already have:

Section 142, Row T, Seats 5 & 6

By the way, I was at practice today, and Matt Jones was a pleasure to watch. It is amazing to me to watch someone that big jump that easily.

On the other hand, watching 330lb John Henderson and the rest of the lineman do 30 yard "sprints" was one of the ugliest things I have ever seen.

For those of you who can, you should check out the practices - the schedule is posted on jaguars.com

[mwfsu84]

afh:

You say that things change. Not with contracts, they don't.

Now I could be wrong about this. But I've read a lot on this subject, from the TU, the web posts by knowledgeable posters on the Jaguars website. I've listened to the mayor's speeches on the subject. No one has ever said that contractually, the Jaguars were wrong.

I do, believe that prior to Weaver signing the five year lease extension shortly after the city won the Super Bowl, the Jaguars didn't keep the advertising revenue from the Florida Georgia game. The post-Super Bowl contract allows him to do that, after the current Fla-Ga contract expires. And of course, this contract was signed long before the ACC was talking about a championship game, or for that matter expansion.

So I think the city has failed to honor the contract. Someone - I don't know if it was Peyton or Delaney - used those advertising revenues as a carrot to lure the ACC game here. Did they forget about their contract with the Jaguars? I don't know. What I do know is the city is trying to tap dance around the terms, taking the revenue and offering Weaver concessions in the stadium rent. That wasn't in the terms of the contract.

Outside of building the stadium in 1995, Weaver has never asked the city for money. All he's asking for now is the city to honor it's terms.

[RiversideGator]

Weaver lost money 2 out of the 10 yrs that the team has been in Jax and even the 2yrs is debatable b/c of the whole pre-tax issue.

This is easy to make light of if it isnt your money. But, Weaver (or other owners) could potentially make much more by moving the franchise to LA and reaping the appreciation in team value from being in a bigger market. The downside to LA is they dont have a decent stadium and they have not proven to be supportive of an NFL team in the past (see Raiders and Rams). I think the thing for the mayor to do (which he would do if he were a stand up guy instead of a sycophant to special interest groups and his own future ambition) is to talk with the ACC and Gator Bowl personally (i.e. not through some kind of damn hired consultant), talk with Wayne Weaver personally, and reach a compromise. I know there is a way to make everyone happy. Hasnt Peyton ever negotiated anything?? My suggestion: Instead of the blank screens promised, allow the Jags one sponsor to advertise during the ACC/Gator Bowl games. This seems reasonable.

Then, you renegotiate the stadium lease to defer some rent payments to later years and enhance the penalties for breaking the lease by moving to another city. Again, no one ever thought the Dodgers would leave Brooklyn or the Colts would leave Baltimore, but they did. Teams can move and the Jaguars are important for Jacksonville's future development and city image. Make A Deal, Peyton!

[RiversideGator]

By the way, ultimately this revenue shortfall can be cured if the NFL can reach an agreement among the owners for more revenue sharing. This is what Weaver and Dan Rooney (owner of the Steelers) are trying to do. The point is you want every owner to make money so they can all field competitive teams so you dont have a situation in the NFL like they have in baseball where the Yankees (or other large market teams) win it nearly every year. That would not be good for the sport.

[afh]

afh:

Weaver has never asked the city for money.  All he's asking for now is the city to honor it's terms.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He may have never asked for money in the past but he is asking now. He wants the City to provide the team with money on a regular basis. That is what Weaver is fighting for. As he said himself, the disagreement between the team and the City isn't about the signage. He wants to the City to throw some money towards the team on a regular basis. Does this sound like a good thing to you? Set aside the whole signage issue.

[afh]

This is easy to make light of if it isnt your money.  But, Weaver (or other owners) could potentially make much more by moving the franchise to LA and reaping the appreciation in team value from being in a bigger market.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not making light of the money issue. I'm all for people trying to get the best deal they can, whether you're asking for a higher salary or something else. But my point is that Weaver wants the City of Jacksonville to give the team a money one a regular basis. He isn't satisfied with the concessions that the City didn't even have to offer. So we all know that this isn't about signage or rent. Read his comments carefully. Especially the interview with the reporter I mentioned earlier.

As as the franchise value is concerned, it is worth double what it was when Weaver purchased the team. In fact, it is one the highest valued franchises in the league. If Weaver sells the team he will have made a boat-load of money without even moving it to LA. The only benefits he could possibly reap would be television revenue, but revenue sharing in the NFL has certainly leveled the playing somewhat. But any owner in LA will face the same problem Weaver is facing in Jacksonville. Blackouts on television will occur there and he knows it. He could probably sell 10,000 more season tickets, if he is lucky, but that is it. So what are the benefits of moving the team to LA? Not much!

I would also say that the commish of the NFL has made it known that ever since Cleveland left for Baltimore he has been against teams moving to other cities. That is why the league has been in talks with LA metro leaders to get a stadium deal done so that the league can establish a new team there. Weaver knows that is what the NFL is trying to do, so he really has no leverage and he knows it. As soon as the LA officials can come up with a good stadium site, the league will announce a new team there. That has been the plan for the past two years. There is a site in Pasendena and Orange County that the League is interested in. They want no part of the old stadium. New Orleans, Minnesota and other teams have been rumored to be moving to LA but just as is the case with Jacksonville, it all about the owner trying to get leverage.

I think the thing for the mayor to do (which he would do if he were a stand up guy instead of a sycophant to special interest groups and his own future ambition) is to talk with the ACC and Gator Bowl personally (i.e. not through some kind of damn hired consultant), talk with Wayne Weaver personally, and reach a compromise.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Peyton along with Rick Catlett sat down with John Swofford of the ACC to make a deal. He has also talked with Weaver in person plenty of times, but when things break down there is no point of having face to face talks.

Then, you renegotiate the stadium lease to defer some rent payments to later years and enhance the penalties for breaking the lease by moving to another city.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As I've said before, the City has already offered this to Weaver. He doesn't want it! He has come out and said no to the deal. What he wants is money from the City. Not one time money, but money on a regular basis. So I must ask you, do you think that a City should give money to a sports team on a yearly basis? We're millions that could go towards something more useful for all of a city's citizens.

[RiversideGator]

As I've said before, the City has already offered this to Weaver. He doesn't want it! He has come out and said no to the deal. What he wants is money from the City. Not one time money, but money on a regular basis.

AFH: I read the interview with Weaver too. Where did he there or anywhere else ask for the city to give him "money on a regular basis"??

[derrickskugler]

Weaver never said anything of the sort. I have followed this situation very closely, and the only way you could make Weaver out to be the bad guy here is if you already thought he was a bad guy going in. He is simply telling City Hall to start flying straight.

Weaver isn't asking for anything out of line. The truth is, the Jags lack several different revenue sources that other teams in the NFL have, and it puts them at a competitive disadvantage. Weaver wants to level the playing field and give the fans a winner. That costs money, and right now, the Jags get less of it than many other teams in the NFL. It's a wonder they have done as well as they have rebuilding this team under these circumstances.

[scongro]

As far as the LA market is concerned, it would be a bigger moneymaker than the Jacksonville market. That is really undisputed.

Los Angeles is the #2 market in the nation. Honestly, it really doesn't matter about the individual ticketholder in LA; it is the fact that there are a ton of companies that would be able to cover any ticket issues.

The revenue that the NFL would bring in from LA is clear. Now, which NFL city will lose their team. My gut feeling (And my hope) is that it will not be Jacksonville, but New Orleans - their situation is much worse than ours.

[BosTech]

City to back Jags' tickets?

Plan has guarantee of 90% club-seat sales in quest for reaching lease deal

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stor..._19463497.shtml

If this fails..they can always try Ebay or lemonade stand.

[afh]

City to back Jags' tickets?

Plan has guarantee of 90% club-seat sales in quest for reaching lease deal

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stor..._19463497.shtml

If this fails..they can always try Ebay or lemonade stand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

People should look closely at what the Jags rep said or didn't say in his response to the proposed deal. As I've said in this thread all along, the City has made offers to the Jags. However, the Jags are dead set against making any deals. I wonder why? [sarcasm]

The City is doing what it can, but the Jags don't won't to deal.

[FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER]

Let's not forget that the majority of the NFL Teams that relocated at first dismissed or dispelled rumors or the rumor mill when they were asked about "jumping ship" to another City.

We cannot dismiss the fact that if money is involved, and the Jaguars see a much more "business sense" opportunity in another City that will equate to sheer profit, especially substantially more profit than they are now making, they will move in the blink of an eye; they may not sneak out in the middle of the night like the Colts did way back when, but I will guarantee you, when Jax citizens wake up, they could be without a football team.

Bottom line is this: The City of Jacksonville, that is the government, needs to stop, as someone previously stated, playing hardball with Wayne Weaver and the Jaguars. We all must not forget that Wayne Weaver gambled big by choosing to put a football team in such a small, substandard market such as Jax. In addition, Wayne Weaver has been respectful, humble, and putting his a** on the line for Jacksonville and his Jaguars. Let's face it, Jax is not a major league city in any sense of the word; but we did prove to America and the world that we were the "little city that could!"

FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER