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