Thursday, November 10, 2005

"See you sometime?" or "Morse Code to Saints"...

So, I get home moments ago to read the headline that the NFL and various Los Angeles officials have "reached a preliminary agreement on terms to bring a team back to the Los Angeles Coliseum", according to Commissioner Tagliabue.

Read here.....

There could only be two outcomes here, I would think:

1) This was about as monumental as when you see an old friend for the first time in years and tell them, "You know, we really should do lunch sometime....", and they agree. Then, of course, it never happens, but, technically, this could be labeled a "preliminary agreement".

2) Smoke signals, morse code, encryptions, whatever----are being sent to New Orleans via San Antonio via Baton Rouge.

In other words, San Antonio shouldn't even think of getting "comfortable" with having an NFL team even temporarily playing in the Alamodome.

This has to be the first domino in the fall of the New Orleans Saints to be replaced by the Los Angeles Whoevers.

Of course, and rightfully so, New Orleans will scream and holler. It's not like they requested Katrina to come in and destroy the city, and their own dome.

There's been talk of a "Cleveland deal" for New Orleans. But how would that ever work?

The NFL is perfect at 32 teams. Perfectly symmetrical. Go to 34? Then who gets the other team? Does one conference have 18 teams and the other 16, or do both have 17? Playoff expansion, since only 12 of 34 teams would make it under current rules??

Then there's always the "dilution" of quality players across the league theory, which I'm not so sure is merited.

So, I'm going to sit back, watch, pray for football fans in Louisiana (after praying much more and much harder for the people and their recovery!!!!), and think to myself...

....why does the NFL think they still need L.A.? Their best 10 years have been the last ten in terms of popularity, $$$, etc.....and L.A. was nowhere to be found.

THOUGHT: If they DO go to 34 teams, for heaven's sake, put the 34th team where God intended football to be played.....IN COLD WEATHER!

I'm trying to think of a nickname for their expansion franchise in Bangor, Maine...

....got any ideas??

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