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This is funny as , along the lines of "Sierra Leone looks to join EU" or "Dakota Fanning declares for NBA Draft."
NFL border football push gaining steam
Backers enlist advisory firm to draft plan
W. Scott Bailey
While San Antonio's NBA Spurs have captured the attention of much of South Texas -- if not a more global audience -- during their latest championship run, an effort to bring the NFL to Texas' border region has gone mostly unnoticed.
But those pushing hardest for a plan that would have Texas and Mexico share an NFL franchise have quietly continued their march and may have picked up some important momentum.
In November, the Business Journal first reported that McHenry T. Tichenor, former CEO of the Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. (which later merged with Univision), had teamed up with business leaders in the Rio Grande Valley region in an effort to attract an NFL team.
While such a plan may seem far-fetched to many -- especially since San Antonio has so far failed to make any headway on the NFL front -- not everyone is convinced the pursuit is a lost cause.
Former Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs, along with top officials with the San Antonio Spurs, are among those who have been alerted that Tichenor and Valley officials are working on an NFL plan.
McCombs, who has been San Antonio's biggest cheerleader when it comes to the NFL, attempted to acquire an expansion franchise in the early 1990s. He was shocked when the league elected to go to Charlotte, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla., instead.
So could an NFL team wind up in the Valley instead of San Antonio?
"I hope not," McCombs says. "But who knows?"
International appeal
Al Boyle, a representative for South Carolina-based Tichenor & Associates, says momentum for the border NFL project is indeed building. He says the plan would include the construction of a new stadium somewhere between South Padre Island and McAllen, near the Mexico border.
"By concept and by design," Boyle says, "Mexicans can feel the stadium is theirs as equally as (Texans) can."
Tichenor has enlisted the assistance of Conventions, Sports & Leisure (CSL) International to help develop a plan to take to the NFL.
CSL is a leading planning and advisory firm, which specializes in providing consulting services to the sports, entertainment and leisure industries. The company, which maintains offices in Dallas and Minneapolis, assists clients from the earliest stages of project planning, providing in-depth risk-return analysis and alternatives.
It lists some 17 NFL franchises as clients, including the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, as well as the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
CSL also lists as clients nearly two-dozen NBA teams and was involved in the SBC Center project.
Jay Lenhardt, senior project manager for CSL, says Tichenor "brought us in to analyze the market and to draft a plan."
Lenhardt says a final report is due to Tichenor within the month.
"The real key to the deal," Lenhardt explains, "is when you look at the total Valley demographics."
He adds, "The NFL needs to be convinced this can work. But this would open that league up to an international market (with Mexico)."
Border crossing
There are a number of hurdles that could stand in the way of Valley leaders' goal of joining the NFL. One of them is the continued illegal drug-trafficking related violence along parts of the Texas-Mexico border, which could raise a red flag at the league office. Another is ongoing terrorism-prevention concerns, which could hamper efforts to move tens of thousands of potential football fans from Mexico into the U.S. and back again in a timely manner.
But those working to bring big-time professional football to the border region remain convinced it can work.
Boyle says nearly 100 business owners met in Mexico City recently and that the NFL plan presented was well-received by them and the media. He says efforts continue to secure letters of intent to support such a team from businesses on both sides of the border.
For its part, the NFL will stage a regular season game in Mexico City in October between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. It will mark the first time the league has taken a game to that country that was not a pre-season contest featuring a Texas team.
Valley supporters say a deep South Texas team would draw from a population base of more than 7.4 million people. A Gallup survey also found that 85 percent of the 1.2 million potential pigskin fans in Monterrey, Mexico, alone were willing to cross the border to support an NFL team in the Valley.
San Antonio fumble?
The Valley's gain could be San Antonio's loss, as there is no way the NFL will put more than one team in South Texas.
Worse yet, CSL's Lenhardt says Tichenor and his group are "not really counting on San Antonio" to help make their plan a success.
Late last year, Bill Summers, president and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, an association of businesses in the area, said he was not the least bit concerned that a Rio Grande Valley NFL team might hurt San Antonio's own NFL chances.
"San Antonio has had its chances lots of times," Summers explained.
So how serious is Tichenor?
Another of his associates, Bert Coleman, says: "This is a serious effort. Mac (Tichenor) really wants this and has a lot invested."
Boyle says his group needs to guard against too much blue-sky optimism. But at the same time, he points to a quote from Thoreau: "Have your dreams and build a structure beneath them."
He says that is how Valley leaders and others will press on as they pursue their "South Texas/Mexico field of dreams."
© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.
This is funny as , along the lines of "Sierra Leone looks to join EU" or "Dakota Fanning declares for NBA Draft."
That would suck at alot of ass.
would absolutely NEVER work.
Y'all obviously haven't been to the valley lately. The only hurdle I see is that there isn't a lot of corporate money down there. But population wise and average fan ticket money wise, this would definitely work.
Did you even read the article? They're counting on Monterrey citizens to come up and buy season tickets. Absurd. Do tons of Vancouver residents buy Seahawks tickets? Are Torontoans flocking to Bills games? And those Canadian cities are freaking rollin' in it compared to Monterrey. , they're dazzlingly rich compared to most American cities.
But Monterrey is the linchpin of this "idea." Asinine.
The Valley is so small-time they don't even realize how ridiculous this idea is. That's what makes it so funny. Why don't they prepare a bid for the 2016 Olympics while they're at it?
Rubes.
Hey, tell you what. The NFL adds about two teams every decade or so. (Teams move too, but then the next expansion team goes to the city they vacated). There are at least 20 markets that are more attractive than the (snicker) Rio Grande Valley (guffaw.) So maybe this can be a legitimate discussion in 100 years or so.
In related news, my neighbor's kids' lemonade stand is looking to get listed on NASDAQ.
You don't have to hate Extra Stout!! I think it might work! Are you just upset that they passed up on the San Antonio idea?
No, the NFL in San Antonio is a joke too. But in the Valley... it requires some strong drugs to make that proposal with a straight face.
Last edited by Extra Stout; 07-08-2005 at 03:53 PM.
Hey, I just found a $20 bill in my pocket! I think I'll go try to leverage a takeover of GM!
Re: NFL expansion team -- let's make some analogies:
Los Angeles : San Antonio :: Sierra Nevada : Hill Country
Again, if you think it's any sort of a fair fight, you're just too isolated to understand.
There probably are people who think that the Hill Country is comparable to the High Sierra, too.
As for the Valley... you just have to shake your head. Albuquerque will have a team before they get one.
Buddy Holly moved to the Valley?
Extra Stout is tearing this thread up.
The Rio Grande Valley getting a football team?
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
It just wouldn't seem right for the Valley to get one over san antonio. Are you ing kidding me?!!!!! That would be kinda gay.
You morons don't live in a Border Town, San Antonio is nothing like it... so why are you talking to begin with?
Did you even read the article? They're counting on Monterrey citizens to come up and buy season tickets. Absurd. Do tons of Vancouver residents buy Seahawks tickets? Are Torontoans flocking to Bills games? And those Canadian cities are freaking rollin' in it compared to Monterrey. , they're dazzlingly rich compared to most American cities.
But Monterrey is the linchpin of this "idea." Asinine.
The Valley is so small-time they don't even realize how ridiculous this idea is. That's what makes it so funny. Why don't they prepare a bid for the 2016 Olympics while they're at it?
Hey, tell you what. The NFL adds about two teams every decade or so. (Teams move too, but then the next expansion team goes to the city they vacated). There are at least 20 markets that are more attractive than the (snicker) Rio Grande Valley (guffaw.) So maybe this can be a legitimate discussion in 100 years or so.
They can't pay their bills yet can pay for NFL season tickets?
Right.
I live in a border town, if it weren't for Mexico we wouldn't have the we have now...
And what do you mean they can't pay their bills? There's plenty of people in Monterrey that have more money than you, I can guarantee that.
I should hope so.
people are going to drive from Mexico to watch American Football? Right.
They would rather sit back at home and watch their futbol instead I am sure.
San Antonio is way too poor to support an NFL team and so is anything South of San Antonio.
They drive over here to do a load of ... mostly buy stuff..
There's too many people with money coming from Mexico... I'm sure they could do that, plus knowing that Mexico is a part of the team...they would... so right.
I don't know about you, but the fact is the wealthy part of Mexico doesn't like soccer, they like Mexican Football... believe it or not. Therefore you are wrong.
Alright, wonderful.
Then why not just place the team in Mexico completely? If that is where the rich folks are, then why not put the team in Mexico?
I personally would rather watch futbol over football anyday of the week. I love that game.
I do not care one way or another, but when it is all said and done, I would be very surprised if any more cities in Texas OR MEXICO, got an NFL team.
Mexico has Futbol, they know Football as Futbol Americano, it would never work in Mexico.
and I would also be surprised.
Poke fun at the Valley if you must, but Los Angeles is the butt of this joke.
Last edited by Guru of Nothing; 07-09-2005 at 10:06 PM.
The RGV is just smokin' some good herb right now if they even believe they have a shot in .
The only cities in the valley that would even be suitable for tv broadcast is either Corpus or SPI.
Everything is flat and full of farms and water towers.
Corpus isn't getting a team for the simple fact it's a small poor city and SPI isn't getting a team because, well, it's a spring break madhouse and a ghost town for the other 51 weeks of the year.
The people trying to lure the team are relying too hard on Mexico and whether or not they'll get the fans and sponsors.
This thing will not work now, nor 100 years from now. The Valley is too poor as it is and with its growth consisting of illegals, that's not going to get better nor change.
I think while the Valley is on a roll like this, they ought to build a bunch of ski resorts around the sides of their volcano-shaped stadium.
Don't want to disturb the eco-system. The dolphin population is very fragile in those parts.
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