| It's no secret that outgoing NFL commissioner | | | | Even at the risk of some fan apathy.The city |
| Paul Tagliabue has wanted a team back in Los | | | | has picked up on Tagliabue's desire for a |
| Angeles ever since the Rams and Raiders | | | | franchise to go back there. The Los Angeles |
| defected in 1994. It stands as the one goal | | | | City Council just recently voted to spend $25 |
| he hasn't been able to accomplish in an | | | | million dollars on improvements at the |
| otherwise impressive tenure.Despite numerous | | | | Coliseum in hopes of speeding up the process |
| rumors throughout the past decade of an | | | | of getting a team.There is also a proposal on |
| expansion team or even an existing franchise | | | | the table to spend upwards of $800 million |
| moving to the City of Angels, nothing has | | | | dollars for a complete renovation of the |
| become of it. All the while, the cash-stuffed | | | | stadium should the NFL owners approve a |
| NFL owners and management keep hoping that | | | | motion to put a team in L.A. by the 2009 |
| someday the second largest media market will | | | | season.I for one think it would be a good |
| have a pro football team to call its own.Make | | | | idea to bring a team back to Los Angeles. |
| no mistake, Tagliabue and company want a team | | | | It's a city that has had a rich NFL history |
| in L.A. and will put one there before the | | | | since the Rams moved from Cleveland in 1946. |
| decade is out. Even if the Southern | | | | It's a large TV market that will increase the |
| California fan base is somewhat apathetic at | | | | amount of revenue shared between clubs and |
| times to even having an NFL team in the first | | | | will only make the game better and more |
| place.For those who are old enough to | | | | competitive because of it.The problem comes |
| remember when the Rams were strutting their | | | | in deciding what city will lose its |
| stuff in the seventies. A then record seven | | | | franchise. We already have 32 teams so an |
| consecutive division titles, five NFC | | | | expansion team is out of the question. It |
| championship game appearances and even a | | | | would wreak havoc with the schedule. That |
| Super Bowl berth in 1979, weren't enough to | | | | means an existing club will be picked. The |
| bring out the L.A. crowd.Even with all that | | | | most likely candidates are the San Diego |
| success, Carol Rosenbloom's Rams didn't have | | | | Chargers, New Orleans Saints and even the |
| a sellout. Yes they played in that cavern | | | | Colts and Vikings have been included in the |
| known as the Coliseum. But even so, fellow | | | | talks.The choice that makes the most sense is |
| tenant USC managed to out-draw the Rams | | | | San Diego. The franchise started in L.A. back |
| during their Super Bowl year, causing the | | | | in 1960 and with the city council recently |
| first blow that would eventually see the Rams | | | | voting down a tax increase for a new stadium, |
| leave California and call St. Louis home in | | | | Chargers owner Alex Spanos could be on the |
| 1995.No matter. Money is what's driving the | | | | move.The NFL is doing the right thing. Los |
| latest push to get a team in L.A. The NFL has | | | | Angeles needs a professional football |
| grown so rapidly since 1994 that not having a | | | | franchise and the NFL can be even greater |
| team in the second largest media market is | | | | with the City of Angels on board for the long |
| foolish. The revenues are too much to resist. | | | | haul. |