The NFL and Los Angeles Dance Continues

Photo courtesy of LA.Streetsblog.org.

There's been rumors and talk of an NFL team returning to Los Angeles ever since the Raiders and Rams left after the 1994 season. Proposals for stadiums in Anaheim, Carson, and a modified LA Coliseum have fallen by the wayside over the years and the latest plan is to build a stadium in Industry.

Where's Industry, you ask? It's in the San Gabriel Valley, due north of Anaheim and due east of downtown Los Angeles off the 60 and 57 freeways. The cost of the development is pegged at $800 million and includes training facilities, a sports hospital, and an entertainment and theater complex. The cost is significantly lower than most football stadiums built today, partially because it's being built into a hillside. By comparison, new free-standing stadiums in Dallas and New York cost $1.3 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively.

A good location plus a reasonable budget to finally bring a football team back to Los Angeles, what's not to like? First, the neighboring city of Walnut has been a vocal opposition to the project, citing traffic concerns. Traffic is a way of life in Southern California (just ask anyone who's ever had the misfortune of commuting on the local freeways), and there are tons of residential pockets throughout the region. When former Los Angeles mayor James Hahn announced plans to redesign LAX Airport in 2004, the most vocal opponents were residents of the Westchester and El Segundo neighborhoods north and south of LAX. As a result, LAX remains the same traffic-clogged mess of an airport it's been for years and it affects a whole region. In short, there's always a group of residents opposing a development in the LA metro area, which leads to a mentality of wanting the benefits without the cost. Sports fans in LA love football and want an NFL team to come to town, but they're not willing to have the stadium be in their backyard, just someone else's. Second, environmental groups are crying foul over exemptions in environmental review law that were made for the stadium. Very rarely does a development in Southern California not come under an environmental review, so for a sports stadium to bypass them does raise questions.

But the biggest hurdle facing the return of NFL football to Los Angeles is finding a team willing to relocate. There are 7 teams the stadium developer has identified as being as possible stadium tenants: Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and the St. Louis Rams.

The Bills are a franchise with history (mostly dubious) and currently stuck in an old stadium in Buffalo. While the Bills have been rumored to move for years, I think Toronto is a more likely destination for the Bills rather than sunny SoCal. Besides, the Los Angeles Bills could have some unflattering jokes associated with it.

The Jaguars have a hard time selling tickets to their games, have no stadium corporate sponsor, and seem on the brink of moving. The team has been a mediocre performer, at best, in its history. Most NFL insiders hve this team being one of the finalists to move west. I could get use to hearing "LA Jaguars."

The Vikings won't leave Minny. Way too much history and a passionate fan base to let the Vikes go.

The Raiders have lots of fans here in the LA area, but I doubt Al Davis will move his team again after only 15 years in Oakland. Besides, do we really want to see the Black Hole crazies every Sunday during football season go nuts over a team that has been a cellar-dweller for nearly ten years? If the Raiders move in, expect the surrounding communities to be even more up-in-arms.

The Chargers also have lots of fans here in LA. Many Orange County and Inland Empire residents travel down to San Diego for games and their games air locally on both TV and radio. In a sense, the Chargers have adopted LA as their second home (they trained in Carson awhile back and the team advertises for season tickets on local TV). Negotiations over a new stadium between San Diego city officials and the Chargers have been going on for years. If the Jaguars don't move, I suspect the stadium developers to be making many trips down south to SD.

The 49ers won't leave San Fran, despite the fact that they play in a nearly 50-year old stadium. Same scenario as Minnesota (rich history, loyal fan base).

The Rams won't leave St. Louis. The businessman in talks to become majority owner has publicly said he wants to keep the team in St. Louis.

Favre Falls Short Again

Photo courtesy of Brian Peterson/Minneapolis Star-Tribune/NJ.com.

One of the ripple effects of the New Orleans Saints going to the Super Bowl is that the Minnesota Vikings, and by extension Brett Favre, are not. As a result, Favre will once again take lots of time and media attention while deciding if he'll return for another season.

You know it's bad when Sears makes fun of you...

The NFC Playoffs are Here!

After another week of football, the NFL regular season has ended. Despite the crazy scenarios for the AFC, it eventually finished the way many had predicted, while the NFC shifted a tad. So here are the playoff teams for the NFC:


Photo courtesy of NowPublic.net.

1) New Orleans Saints
The Saints have clinched home-field up to the Super Bowl, should they advance that far. While playing in the Superdome is an advantage, the Saints have not played at a dominating level since they smoked the Patriots in late November. Also noteworthy, Steve Wyche of NFL.com wrote in his column that no team with a three-game losing streak going into the playoffs has won the Super Bowl. They have a chance to win the Super Bowl based on the team's immense talent, but will they be ready to compete at the high level required to eliminate another playoff contender?

2) Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota also has a home-field game and first round bye. Between Minny and New Orleans, the Vikings are the better team right now. Minnesota has a lot of older, veteran players desperate to get to the Super Bowl, none more than quarterback Brett Favre and the team is healthy at the right time. However, while Favre can be an asset, he can also be a liability since he has a knack for making risky throws. Another minus is that defensive end Jared Allen recently hasn't been the dominant force he usually is.


Photo courtesy of the Financial Post.

3) Dallas Cowboys
After the 'Boys shutout the Eagles yesterday to take the 3 seed, a date with the Eagles next week in Dallas seems easy, right? However, history suggests beating a team three times in a season is very difficult. In 2007, the Cowboys beat the NY Giants twice in the regular season, but were then beaten by the Giants in Dallas in the playoffs. That being said, the Cowboys are playing healthy and loose right now, especially after the team's first successful December in years. Getting that monkey off their back was huge for this team. Having the top defense (in terms of points allowed) doesn't hurt either.

4) Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals rolled over and played dead with the Packers on Sunday and get a do-over with Green Bay next week in Arizona. The Cardinals are playing similar to the Cards of last season, albeit with a better record (10-6 vs. 8-8 last season). Arizona played okay at home, but was excellent on the road (4-4 vs. 6-2), so going to another team's stadium doesn't spook the Cards. Plus, last year's Super Bowl contending team is nearly intact. That experience will help them.


Photo courtesy of UPI.

5) Green Bay Packers
While Green Bay has been playing excellent football as of late, the Pack are very banged-up defensively. What happens when they play the high-octane offenses of the Saints, Vikings, or Cardinals? Having said that, the Packers did have considerable defensive success at times during the season, but I think the farthest Green Bay can go is the second round.

6) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have been in this position before (they were the 6 seed last year) and are still a dangerous team. They were winners of six straight prior to yesterday's shutout in Dallas. But can they beat the team that has had their number all season? If they do, look out.


Photo of Minnesota's Metrodome courtesy of ESPN.

So my NFC predictions are as follows:

3) Cowboys defeat 6) Eagles
4) Cardinals defeat 5) Packers

4) Cardinals defeat 1) Saints
3) Cowboys defeat 2) Vikings

3) Cowboys defeat 4) Cardinals
Cowboys advance to the Super Bowl in Miami.

The Eagles-Cowboys game will be on Saturday, 8pm ET/5pm PT on NBC while the Packers-Cardinals game will be Sunday 4:40pm ET/1:40pm PT on FOX. Tomorrow, I'll post my AFC predictions.

The Favre Drama Returns

Photo courtesy of NJ.com.

There's trouble in Minnesota as Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and Vikings head coach Brad Childress are feuding over recent play calls. The blame for this fiasco is entirely on Favre, who yet again, is causing problems with a coach. His relationship with his coaches helped end his time in Green Bay and New York. He breeds his own drama and acts as though his years of experience in the NFL give him a say in how to run a team. Childress is trying to do the right thing and resolve the issues privately, whereas Favre has a history of informing media outlets of internal problems.

Favre should take a page out of the Indianapolis Colts playbook. When the Colts ended their run at perfection, the starting players were pulled at halftime due to the head coach's decision. They may have disagreed with it, but they're resolving the matter privately and publicly supporting their coach. Since the Favre-Childress tussle is out in the public, the coach's authority is being undermined. Should the Vikings not do well in the playoffs, fans will look at this tussle as the event that derailed the season.

NFC Playoff Picture: A Matter of Seeds

Photo courtesy of Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation.

The NFL season is a week away from ending and only three of the playoff seeds are locked down. Let's start with the NFC...

If the playoffs started today, the seeds would be:

Seed No. 1) New Orleans Saints (13-2)
As a result of the Minnesota loss last night, the Saints have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. However, they have lost two straight and are showing vulnerabilities, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Seed No. 2) Philadelphia Eagles (11-4)
The Eagles currently own the 2 seed, but the Cowboys, Vikings, or Cardinals could also claim this spot. If the Eagles beat the Cowboys in Dallas next week, then they have the 2 seed locked. Philly is playing well and is considered the team to beat in the NFC right now.


Photo courtesy of nflnewsworld.com

Seed No. 3) Minnesota Vikings (11-4)
The Vikings have lost three out of their last four games and lost the two seed last night. Quarterback Brett Favre is making more drama again, this time with Vikings coach Brad Childress. The Vikings can reclaim the two seed with a win at home against the NY Giants and a Philly loss against the Cowboys, but even if they get the Cowboys assist, I doubt the Giants will just roll over.

Seed No. 4) Arizona Cardinals (10-5)
The Cardinals are playing better lately and have been a stellar road team this year. That being said, if both Philly and Minnesota lose, the 2 seed is the Cardinals' to have. I'm not sure how advantageous having the 2 seed would be for Arizona given their road success, but I do think the Cardinals will make it to the second round of the playoffs. They host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.


Photo courtesy of the NY Daily News.

Seed No. 5) Green Bay Packers (10-5)
The Packers are locked into the 5 or 6 seed, so of the NFC teams, the Packers have one of the most predictable roads. Either way, they'll be playing on the road for the duration of the playoffs.

Seed No. 6) Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
The Cowboys have the 6 seed, but could jump up to the 2 spot if Philly, Minnesota, and Arizona lose. The surprise victory in New Orleans has really jump-started this team and given them the extra confidence to overcome the December woes of recent Cowboys teams. This team could go far in the playoffs, especially if they beat Philly on Sunday.

Tomorrow, the AFC playoff picture. If the NFC picture is a little fuzzy to you, wait 'til you see the AFC picture. What a mess.

My Fantasy Football Draft

Last Saturday, a yearly tradition continued in the Clark house. Our fantasy football league draft was a success, though R.H. unfortunately couldn't make it, so we drafted on his behalf. The screen on the left was for Dad's team, the middle was for R.H., and the lower laptop was mine. Quite the craziness in the draft war room! This year was more intense since there was a change in position (the 3rd WR slot was changed to a RB/WR flex slot) and everyone used their full 2 minutes per pick.

My starters as of today:
QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
RB Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
RB/WR Kevin Walter, Houston Texans
WR Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
WR Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers
TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants
K Ryan Longwell, Minnesota Vikings
DEF New England Patriots
LB DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
DL Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
DB Erik Coleman, Atlanta Falcons


Photo of Adrian Peterson courtesy of nola.com.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my squad this year. I had Adrian Peterson his rookie year and did a blog post on him, in a segment dubbed "Player Spotlight", a column that will be returning this fall, which can be viewed here. My bench/depth is a concern, but that's something that can be adjusted as the season goes on. Considering I picked 1st overall in a twelve team league, I made out pretty well. The key disadvantage to picking 1st is that I don't get to pick again until the 24th pick.

A thing I like to do with my fantasy roster is get players from cities I have family or friends in, in addition to my favorite team. While I only take them if it makes sense for my team, It does make for interesting conversation with people during the season when you mention you have a local player on your team. A few years ago, I had a Seahawk on my team, which led to an interesting chat with an old friend who is originally from Seattle. So to start off this year, I have 3 Vikings (C.B.), 2 Patriots (favorite team), 2 Redskins (L.M. and L.M.), 1 Cowboy (R.H. and W.H.), 1 Raven (L.M. and L.M.), and 1 Cardinal (lots of family in AZ). Unfortunately, no Packers, Bears, or Seahawks this year (heck, I usually have more Cardinals too.)

Fantasy football makes football season so much better. There's the friendly rivalry amongst friends, the thrill of victory and the bragging rights attached, and the pain of losing in the championship game. Draft day is one of the best days, like baseball's spring training, where everyone starts at 0-0. There's also lots of banter on draft day between players that makes the experience all the more better.



Everyone in the family was getting into fantasy football in our house. Even Eli, though, judging by the torn pages, he wasn't impressed by the wide receiver crop this year.

Just When You Thought He Would Retire...

Photo courtesy of FanIQ.com

...Brett Favre comes back. Favre signed a two-year deal, the second year is an option year, worth $10-12 million. Brett left his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi this morning via private jet and arrived in the Twin Cities area a few hours later. He started practicing with the Vikings this afternoon, wearing his familiar No. 4. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Favre has a slight rotator cuff tear in his right rotator cuff. Despite that huge risk factor, Favre has decided to return to the NFL.

I used to like Brett Favre in his Packer days. He is a gunslinger of a quarterback, taking chances that would work more often than not. Then, he waffled about retirement, again and again. His stats declined, his chances working less and less. Then he forced the trade to the NY Jets. After that one-year experiment, he waffled again in regards to retirement, even after his worst season. Now, we're back on the Favre carousel, with wall-to-wall media coverage to boot. Best of luck, Brett, but I can't say I'm rooting for you.

For more Brett Favre coverage, check out the videos at WCCO in Minneapolis. WCCO was one of two TV stations (the other in Hattiesburg) to initially report the story. Also, former Vikings receiver and current ESPN analyst Chris Carter had this to say on ESPN's "First Take" this morning: