San Antonio lands UFL team

[spursncowboys]

Jerry Jones is one of the most powerful, if not THE most powerful owner, and I can tell you that he will NEVER support San Antonio having a team. Yes, I know what he's said about it. He lied. We are probably THE most pure play secondary market in the league. He's not giving that up. Ever.

great take. I agree 100%

[DMX7]

great take. I agree 100%

Yeah, but it doesn't have anything to do with whether we'll actually get a team. He may not want that, but he doesn't have command over what the rest of the league wants. His influence may be to push away from giving us a team but if the league wanted to, it could easily do it anyway. We just have to give them enough reason to come here (which isn't easy).

What we have to do:

1.)find a way to get a new $500 million dollar stadium built
2.) convince them we a an NFL ready market
3.) find an owner willing to relocate a team here or start one via expansion

[bresilhac]

“We've got to invest in things we think are going to be long term,” John Clamp from District 10 said. “I'm not sure the UFL is one of those.”

I totally agree with John Clamp's statement. Help build UTSA Football now for a brighter future for our city tomorrow. I see a bleak future for the UFL, and will only hinder UTSA's pace to joining some great NCAA Football programs. We as a city should consider ourself flattered to be seen as a great football market by the UFL, and tell them, "Thank You, But No Thank You" for now. "Come back when you can prove to us you can help us gain a NFL caliber team and/or be an asset for UTSA to build a strong football program". Because right now the UFL needs us more than we need them.

As for The NFL, it is the only league that I see as long term. And San Antonio can support a team. But the league doesn't need to place a team here to cash in to our market, we are viable to the league. San Antonians purchase alot of NFL merchandies, majority of it is Cowboys crap. San Antonians purchase Cowboys game tickets, and take charter buses to Dallas for the Cowboys game. San Antonians help the NFL TV ratings for games, no matter what teams are playing , but especially follow The Cowboys. And don't forget the Super Bowl and NFL Network. Even the NFLPA is intrested in our market...


By Tom Orsborn - Express-News
A college all-star game planning a 2011 debut wants to call the Alamodome home.
The NFL Players Association will sponsor the game along with the same group that produces the Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. the Nation game in El Paso.
“San Antonio is our first choice,” said Kenny Hansmire, president and chief executive officer of the Texas vs. The Nation game.
“San Antonio is a good union town, the largest union member town in the state of Texas, and the NFLPA is the union arm of the NFL.”
With the NFLPA involved, the game could draw several of the top draft prospects.
“San Antonio is a great sports city that really deserves an NFL team,” Hansmire said.
“If we can’t get an NFL team down there, we can at least hopefully get the future players of the NFL in San Antonio.”
Jim Mery, the city’s assistant director for convention, sports and entertainment facilities, confirmed that Hansmire has contacted the Alamodome about negotiating a lease agreement.
“The people at the Alamodome have been very good to work with, really first class,” Hansmire said.
Hansmire said the target date for the game is Feb. 4 or 5 and that the NFLPA is expected to negotiate broadcasting rights with Fox.
“We’re hopeful that some of the player representatives like Drew Brees and Peyton Manning will come down to help promote the game,” Hansmire said.
The game’s format hasn’t been determined yet, Hansmire said.
“We’re not sure yet whether the new game will be an East-West format, or North-South or Big 12 versus the nation,” he said.


Perhaps if San Antonians countinue this path of merely whining about not having a team. The NFL may allow us to host a Pro Bowl if only to help countinue to build us up as Dallas' secondary market. And as a bonus, Jerry Jones might even bless us with more Cowboys Training Camps, WOW...

As for me, I will not grovel to the NFL and Jerry Jones. Since the days when we hosted The Saints in their time of need. I recall the then NFL Commissioner Taglibue dismiss the San Antonio market, he wasn't even present at any of the Saints games at the Alamodome. Not even a THANK YOU to the fans who supported and attended the Saints games. Since then I have never purchased an NFL merchandise, game ticket or attended a Cowboys Training Camp.

I'm tired of people analyzing why we don't have a team. People whining about not having a team. And blaming Jerry Jones. The NFL doesn't need to place a team here for us to root for, because we went out and got a team to root for. The Cowgirls, I mean Cowboys. The NFL and Jerry saw a market to cash in without even playing a game there. We did this to ourselves. When we as a city stop caring about the NFL and/or Cowboys, and care about our community such as UTSA we will move away from the Cowboys shadow and become a bright market that will attract intrest from other NFL franchises. Ownership, stadiums, and investments in our community will all fall in place over time and on there own.

San Antonians should do the same as me. Boycott the Cowboys Stores, stop buying NFL Merchandise, Game Tickets, and riding Charter Buses. Demand the City to stop hosting Cowboys Training Camps. When the NFL sees this, it is then when the NFL will miss and want us.

Untill then, I will merely watch a few free NFL games on TV and wait for the NFL to come to me. San Antonio is growing market and it is inevitable that San Antonio will become a World Class Sports City... I'd like to hear back from others, if you have any ideas in growing a movement towards freeing San Antonio from the Cowboys clutches. Start some kind of movement to help San Antonio get their own team.

Agreed. I've been trying to make people around here aware that they've been swindled by the Dallas Cowboys for years now to no avail. You're right, football fans here buy up Cowboy merchandise and watch their games with great enthusiasm which is a shame and a sham. And I also agree with the fact that the Cowboys should hold their training camps somewhere other than San Antonio. I don't know if boycotting their wares is the answer though. I would say that San Antonio will continue to support the Cowboys because there is no other viable alternative.

Although, very similar to San Antonio, Phoenix was a Dallas Cowboy stronghold for a long time also but eventually got their own franchise. And so I think it will be with San Antonio. Eventually the league will realize, if it hasn't already, that San Antonio is truly a viable spot for NFL football and allow a team to be placed here.

And these posters on here that credit Jones with having so much power that he could actually prevent the league from placing a team here is so totally ridiculous that it's nauseating. Jones is one man. There are 31 other owners with opinions of their own and votes of their own when it comes to allowing an expansion or another team to relocate. If Jones had the actual power that some of these fearful souls credit him with the Texans would never had been allowed to come into existence.

[samikeyp]

Agreed. I've been trying to make people around here aware that they've been swindled by the Dallas Cowboys for years now to no avail. You're right, football fans here buy up Cowboy merchandise and watch their games with great enthusiasm which is a shame and a sham. And I also agree with the fact that the Cowboys should hold their training camps somewhere other than San Antonio. I don't know if boycotting their wares is the answer though. I would say that San Antonio will continue to support the Cowboys because there is no other viable alternative.

Although, very similar to San Antonio, Phoenix was a Dallas Cowboy stronghold for a long time also but eventually got their own franchise. And so I think it will be with San Antonio. Eventually the league will realize, if it hasn't already, that San Antonio is truly a viable spot for NFL football and allow a team to be placed here.

And these posters on here that credit Jones with having so much power that he could actually prevent the league from placing a team here is so totally ridiculous that it's nauseating. Jones is one man. There are 31 other owners with opinions of their own and votes of their own when it comes to allowing an expansion or another team to relocate. If Jones had the actual power that some of these fearful souls credit him with the Texans would never had been allowed to come into existence.

I am a Cowboys fan from San Antonio and my support of them is neither a shame or a sham. No one tricked or duped me. I became a fan by choice. I am curious, some people in SA support the Texans in the same way or the same reasons that others support the Cowboys...is there support equally a shame and a sham..or is it just Cowboys fans and just because they are fans of a team which you hate?

That being said, I agree with you (and have on several occasions) about SA being able to support an NFL football team. There is nothing wrong with people in San Antonio supporting the Cowboys or Texans or Redskins or anyone else. SA doesn't have a team so why not root for who you want? If things change and San Antonio gets a team both you and I have said on this board that the new team would be our #1 team...I would imagine there would be others who did the same. People in SA have been fans of Dallas and Houston (Oilers and Texans) because we had no hometown team to root for. That doesn't make their fandom a sham. This whole argument of "you can only root for a team from your city" is crap (not that you have said that, because I don't think you have) Fans in SA have had no choice but to look elsewhere and I firmly believe that if San Antonio got a team, the people there would have no problem supporting it.

[samikeyp]

Also, I agree with you about Jerry Jones. I think he carries some weight among the NFL owners but with all the issues he has had with the NFL, I doubt he has any pull with the commissioner's office.

[exstatic]

Yeah, but it doesn't have anything to do with whether we'll actually get a team. He may not want that, but he doesn't have command over what the rest of the league wants. His influence may be to push away from giving us a team but if the league wanted to, it could easily do it anyway. We just have to give them enough reason to come here (which isn't easy).

What we have to do:

1.)find a way to get a new $500 million dollar stadium built
2.) convince them we a an NFL ready market
3.) find an owner willing to relocate a team here or start one via expansion

Coupla things working against SA in your list. The NFL has enough shaky franchises that they won't be expanding anytime soon. Also, there's NO WAY IN that another stadium is being built in SA without a team here first. We got burned once already. There are teams with bad stadiums where the A-Dome would actually be a step up, like J-ville or SD. You'd have to try to lure one of them to play in the A-Dome for a couple of years. I think at that point, a new stadium could pass a vote. Not likely to happen, though.

[fyatuk]

Latest UFL article from Orsborn"http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Bradley_supports_UFL_in_San_Antonio.html

Basically states nothing new, except Bradley wants to be HC.

[bresilhac]

Latest UFL article from Orsborn"http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Bradley_supports_UFL_in_San_Antonio.html

Basically states nothing new, except Bradley wants to be HC.

Essentially the governmental powers that be around here are dead set against this fledgling league. Also included in the nay group is UTSA. This league is not a viable NFL replacement nor will it ever be. For San Antonio or anybody else. The best course of action for San Antonio to take as well as UTSA is to tell this fly-by-night outfit to go away.

[fyatuk]

Eh? Nothing they've said has given me the impression they are dead set against the UFL. Most of the people that have been quoted in the city government have said they wanted to hear what the UFL has to say. Others seem to focus primarily on the city not wasting money on it.

Obviously they're skeptical, but they've hardly shown a "dead set against" at ude. Even UTSA's at ude has seemed more of a "I'd rather not, but I'll do it if I have to" at ude more than dead set againt.

Also, the UFL is obviously not fly-by-night, at least not in the typical use of it. They've already played one season, will play another, have paid fair prices for everything, etc.

[bresilhac]

Eh? Nothing they've said has given me the impression they are dead set against the UFL. Most of the people that have been quoted in the city government have said they wanted to hear what the UFL has to say. Others seem to focus primarily on the city not wasting money on it.

Obviously they're skeptical, but they've hardly shown a "dead set against" at ude. Even UTSA's at ude has seemed more of a "I'd rather not, but I'll do it if I have to" at ude more than dead set againt.

Also, the UFL is obviously not fly-by-night, at least not in the typical use of it. They've already played one season, will play another, have paid fair prices for everything, etc.

If I read you right Fyatuk, you're actually in favor of this money losing mess coming to San Antonio? I'm surprised. And yes the league did hold it's inaugural season last year but it was unmitigated failure. Attendance and support for the measley few teams in the league was a joke and the league absolutely hemmoraged millions of dollars.

So this risky venture would actually benefit San Antonio and UTSA in some way? Hmm. I don't see it.

[fyatuk]

Yes, I am in favor of it. No, I don't think it will last longer than another season or two (or at least odds are it won't, even though I want it to).

unmitigated is incorrect. Their losses and attendence in LV and Orlando were just slightly below what they expected, and they were experimenting with a lot of things. They never expected the first season to be a "success" as most people would judge it, but it helped them figure out what works and what doesn't so they can apply it to the next season. Since that was the goal of last year, they judge it as a moderate success.

They didn't hemmorage money, because that money was already set aside to be lost.

And I didn't say it would bring any benefits to San Antonio. I've scoffed at the UFL's argument of 30 jobs and $10 million in outside money being any sort of benefit.

The only benefit comes from managing the Alamodome's costs. Another tenant for a building that has bled red ink since the AT&T Center opened, and a tenant that has proved willing to spend money updating the facilities they use. If the UFL succeeds (a big if, and highly doubtful), you have a tenant willing to help us keep the Alamodome up to date, or even improve it so we can, say, get the Final Four back, etc.

The UFL has also expressed a desire to form as strong of a working relationship with UTSA as NCAA regulations allow (which I have no idea what that would be). They certainly want to support UTSA, as they do with all the colleges in the towns they are in.

The UFL, as far as anyone can tell, has paid fair prices for everything they've used and been a good resident in the cities they've called home. They strive to create an affordable, family friendly environment for their games, and truly want to be integrated into the community besides being "the football team." Personality wise, the UFL is an excellent fit for San Antonio.

So, it won't cost the city a dime to let the UFL play here, and could very well have real benefits for the dome (though I find it more likely the dome would just break even).

I doubt there will be much fighting over fans between UTSA and the UFL (aiming for different demographics, for the most part), and there probably won't be much overlap in the sponsors they go for either. The UFL is more likely to be competing with the Rampage and Silver Stars for sponsors than UTSA.

I just don't see any real downside to letting them play here. All the risks are on the UFL's side, not the city's.

[jb4g]

Has anyone considered Alamo Stadium? SS&E wants to take over control, remodel, and place a mls team there, why not buy a stake in the ufl and have both??? seats 25k, perfect size for both leagues.

[fyatuk]

Has anyone considered Alamo Stadium? SS&E wants to take over control, remodel, and place a mls team there, why not buy a stake in the ufl and have both??? seats 25k, perfect size for both leagues.

"Take over control" is not entirely accurate, neither is MLS. The Spurs want the booking rights for when SAISD is not using the stadium (aka outside of football season), and what's been talked about has been USL1, not MLS. MLS hasn't really been talked about since the Alamodome fiasco.

There also is the time frame issue. The UFL plays on Fridays and Saturdays in the fall. Since Alamo Stadium is SAISD's primary stadium, it has a LOT of games booked there in the fall and it's unlikely it could fit the UFL without moving some HS games.

A possible solution to that might be to work UIW into the deal to move a game or two a week to Benson Stadium (will have 6k+ seating by fall), but I doubt they'd agree and I'm not sure how feasible that is, anyway.

Of course, if the UFL works out, I expect SSE will end up with at least a share of the UFL team. I keep waiting to see SSE buy the Missions. Holt wants to control SA's sporting world! MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[jb4g]

I didnt realize the Spurs were looking at minor league soccer, I automatically assumed MLS...my fault. I hope something can be worked out, Alamo stadium is a treasure that needs to be saved. Im sure if someone stepped forward to assist with the costs, say a UFL team for instance, the district would be willing to work with them on dates. Whats the alternative, do nothing and watch the stadium face the wrecking ball one day??

Its too bad we pissed of MLS.....would be a fabulous venue for soccer with the city skyline in the background.

[fyatuk]

The UFL isn't in position to offer enough to appreciably affect the renovation plans. The stadium needs $30mil in work, at least. If the Spurs get their managerial contract, they'll probably contribute a little, but most of that is going to have to come from a bond for the school district (and they're working on a large bond to pay for renovations of a lot of facilities). The UFL would be able to contribute a little bit, and would gladly do so if it meant they had a place to play.

It might be more likely the UFL rents someplace from SAISD as a practice facility and those funds get funneled to the Alamo Stadium refurbish.

I agree that the money needs to come from somewhere as soon as possible, though. I'd hate to see Alamo Stadium get lost.

And yeah, I'd love to see MLS here, even though I'm not a soccer fan. That Alamodome deal for them was horse dung, though, so I'm glad that got killed. It's a shame they got their panties in such a wad over it, though.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Report: UFL wants NFL to invest
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 19, 2010 1:10 PM ET
Last month we mentioned that rumors were flying in the pro football world that the NFL recently tried to buy the UFL. The NFL denied that it had done so.

Today Chris Mortensen of ESPN has a report saying that the UFL wants the NFL to become an investor.

According to Mortensen, the latest proposal from the UFL is to sell a 30 percent stake to the NFL. But that proposal has not reached a point where it will be discussed at next week's NFL owners' meeting.

Mortensen writes that sources disagree on whether a deal is likely or not.

Although Mortensen writes that there's no word on how much the UFL would expect the NFL to pay for a 30 percent stake, the rumors we passed along last month were that the NFL offered $50 million for 51 percent of the one-year-old minor league, and the UFL responded by offering 49 percent for $49 million.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, who said last month that the rumor of the NFL trying to buy the UFL was "flat wrong," told Mortensen, "We decline to comment."

It doesn't look like this is going to be a money losing venture.

KEep in mind the NFL has shown a desire to have a development league in the past. The UFL is marketing itself as such.

[frankstanks2]

At it's state right now, why would the NFL want to buy into the league? It's a money losing asset. If they wanted a minor league, wouldn't they just start one up. I mean I could see this in a few years, but right now the UFL is nothing.

[fyatuk]

Well, the point would be that the infrastructure, etc, would already be set up. It'd probably be more cost effective to buy out the UFL than to start one from scratch.

[AndyG]

There has been rumors of the NFL wanting to get control of the UFL by offering to buy a 51% share; also rumors about the NFL Network broadcasting UFL games this Fall, and the now Mortensen story. There seems to be interest by the NFL ; despite the 30 million dollar expected loss. Some NFL teams have also seen the advantage of having the UFL ;by signing players that are game ready at the end of the UFL season. So it very possible that a deal can be worked out that would benefit both leagues.
I'm not convinced of the UFL survival ; but that has nothing to do with the UFL having a positive effect by paying its bills at the Alamodome.
I do however belief they have a business plan that gives it a better chance of succeeding than previous leagues.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Phoenix Az has more Cowboys fns than the Cards.

That's just because Phoenix has tons of Mexicans and it's in blood to be a bandwagon Cowboys fan.


lol Buddy Holly getting pissed at anyone in this thread who doesn't agree with his fantasy that San Antonio is actually a nice city people want to visit.

[AndyG]

I guess this message board allows racist stuff.

[Buddy Holly]

lol Buddy Holly getting pissed at anyone in this thread who doesn't agree with his fantasy that San Antonio is actually a nice city people want to visit.

What? You're such a racist moron.

When did tourism come into conversation in this thread, dumbass? Oh, you just needed something to call back on so you could segway into dissing San Antonio, even if that something was made up. Bravo.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

What? You such a moron.

lol irony.

[Buddy Holly]

lol irony.

Oh noes, you got me. Not much to do in Phoenix or something? Nah, too easy.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Oh noes, you got me. Not much to do in Phoenix or something? Nah, too easy.

How's the nsync forum going?