San Antonio should get a NFL team (Howe: tax, relocating)

[bresilhac]

Originally Posted by west-houstonian

I don't see an NFL franchise coming to San Antonio, anytime in the foreseeable future. Why?

Simple. Two reasons:

#1: Television market share. Way too small for a city this big. NFL doesn't want any of that. No money to be made there, and as a previous poster stated, the NFL is not a charity case! They're out to make money. You know, the first rule of business.

#2: Lack of vision. So-called "leaders" in San Antonio today (Phil Hardberger, are you listening?) are absolutely clueless and apathetic about bringing more professional sports teams to San Antonio. The exceptions are former mayors Nelson Wolff and Ed Garza. Nelson wanted to expand Wolff Stadium (where the minor league San Antonio Missions play) to MLB standard capacity (39k-40k), but his drive to get that done was promptly ignored. Former mayor Ed Garza had busted his butt, and obtained an agreement with Major League Soccer to bring a team to San Antonio. However, mayor Phil Hardberger (who succeeded Ed Garza) promptly blew off the idea. As a result, the MLS blew off San Antonio.

Nice, Phil.

Wrong and wrong.

There are numerous NFL markets that are considerably smaller than San Antonio's that enjoy great success and bring in plenty of good ratings for the networks. Moreover when talking about the size of a potential San Antonio NFL market you must include areas and communities within 100 miles of the location of the team. When you factor in the areas of South Texas and Central Texas to include Austin you have well over 4 million people. So that takes care of the San Antonio's too small myth.

Secondly Mayor Hardberger successfully negotiated the relocation of the Saints to San Antonio but the deal was scuttled by the then commissioner Tagliabue. Who is now gone thankfully. The idea of a so-called major league soccer team was orphaned here because it was doomed to fail from the start. There was no public support for the idea because people around here prefer the best. And in this case its NFL football. Anything less will not suffice at this point in time for San Antonio. Soccer is a kid's game in the United States anyway and the notion of a "major league" of soccer is ridiculous.

[Jsalv2000]

There won't be any expansion teams for a long time... we are in line behind L.A. for a moving team... we will need a new stadium to land a team as well (and fight teh delusion that a team would want to play in the Alamo dome). Not happening for a long time. It kills me to say that too.

[bresilhac]

Originally Posted by Jsalv2000

There won't be any expansion teams for a long time... we are in line behind L.A. for a moving team... we will need a new stadium to land a team as well (and fight teh delusion that a team would want to play in the Alamo dome). Not happening for a long time. It kills me to say that too.

Guess what. Los Angeles does not have a decent NFL stadium either and one is not likely to be built there anytime soon too. So the two towns are in the same boat so to speak. The Chargers probably will be moving soon and they're just as likely to move here as to Los Angeles or anywhere else.

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by bresilhac

The idea of a so-called major league soccer team was orphaned here because it was doomed to fail from the start. There was no public support for the idea because people around here prefer the best. And in this case its NFL football. Anything less will not suffice at this point in time for San Antonio. Soccer is a kid's game in the United States anyway and the notion of a "major league" of soccer is ridiculous.

Soccer has a huge fan base in South Texas. There are a lot of hispanic people and Mexican Nationals who would love to see soccer to be located San Antonio or further south. I would be for it. Soccer is my second favorite sport behind football. I think the only reason Soccer doesn't have a huge fan base in the U.S. as to everywhere else is because people don't try watching it. But it is gaining popularity more and more so by the year. It is the most popular sport in the world! It is also very exciting. One day I think soccer will be the number two sport behind football. It won't be til decades from now, but it will happen.

No way in heck is soccer just a kids game.

[Jsalv2000]

bresilhac - Hope you are right! I would be first in line for season tickets...

[bcknows]

San Antonio needs NFL. We would so rock it out

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by gabetx

I think the only reason Soccer doesn't have a huge fan base in the U.S. as to everywhere else is because people don't try watching it.

The reason is that ESPN and some other channels refuse to show soccer highlights.
Instead they show highlights of spelling bee, poker and fishing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y0RJSHnTqw

[lemonfresh]

The reason soccer isn't popular in the US is because it's slow and not exciting. I hate soccer but can understand why many do like it. The slow and not exciting aspect is why baseball went from number 1 to number 3 in America. It's still Americas past time but outside of certain die hard markets, it's a game no one cares for.

However, I think what really hurts soccer in America and you may laugh but I think it's the no hands rule. It's slow scoring and not very exciting plus long and then they can't use your hands. Baseball for the most part is a slow scoring game and is drawn out and not very exciting unless it's close towards the end but they use their hands. IDK, maybe I'm just thinking to hard. lol

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by lemonfresh

The reason soccer isn't popular in the US is because it's slow and not exciting. I hate soccer but can understand why many do like it. The slow and not exciting aspect is why baseball went from number 1 to number 3 in America. It's still Americas past time but outside of certain die hard markets, it's a game no one cares for.

You have a point, but I don't agree completely.

Is Basketball 10 times as exciting as football?
I guarantee that an average basketball game you see people scoring at least 10 times more often than in football.

In soccer people don't score very often, but 1 score means as much as 20-50 points in basketball, that's why you get such huge celebrations for 1 score.

On television, the excitement of a sport depends almost completely on the narrators (soccer always get crappy ones) and changing cameras constantly (big in baseball).

Imagine watching all sports without narrators and only 1 camera for the whole game. That should tell you which sports are exciting and which ones are not.

[lemonfresh]

Originally Posted by Dopo

You have a point, but I don't agree completely.

Is Basketball 10 times as exciting as football?
I guarantee that an average basketball game you see people scoring at least 10 times more often than in football.

I agree, basketball is more exciting than football in terms of scoring and it's fast pace. However, football is exciting in its own right because of its strategic nature. If you've ever seen the great George Carlin's humorous but spot on comparison of football and baseball, you'll understand that football is like a war with one side trying to advance and the other side doing their best to stop them.