From: sasbrb@rolypoly.unx.sas.com (Brendan Bailey)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: NFL Expansion News!!! TSN picks St.Louis and Charlotte!
Date: 8 Apr 92 15:11:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: unx.1992Apr8.151158.28810
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
Originator: sasbrb@rolypoly.unx.sas.com
X-Bytes: 3331


   Well, the March 23rd edition of The Sporting News contained a lengthy
article on the cities vying for the two NFL expansion to be awarded in the
fall.  The article "Eyes on the Prize" says "As the NFL expansion picture
comes into focus, St. Louis and the Carolinas look like the winners".
   NFL writer Chris Mortensen says the selection of St. Louis and Charlotte
makes sense in that it satisfies the "something-old, something-new" theory
for NFL expansion favored by Commissioner Taglibue.  Just how much does
Mortensen know?  About six months ago, he picked St. Louis and Baltimore
even though everyone knew about the one old-city/one new-city theory.  And
the previous week, he said to watch out for the surging Sacramento group.
Yeah, right.  Anyone who has been following NFL expansion at all would have
picked St. Louis and Charlotte as far back as 1989.
    The discussion of Charlotte is quite optimistic.  "The Carolinas,
meanwhile, are a booming region and the Charlotte-based group boasts dazzling
marketing skills."  Mark Richardson states "We found 9.7 million people in
that radius(150-miles).  I really had no idea the marketplace was that big."
Richardson also makes mentions how the radius does not extend into the
marketing regions of the Falcons or Redskins.  Where many people consider
the Carolinas "Basketball Country", Richardson "believes the long-term
success of the Redskins and the recent takeoff of the Falcons have whetted
the appetites of the local people for pro football.  Those people can't buy
tickets to Redskins games, anyway , because none are available."  "We are
a tremendous market just waiting to bust out in professional football.  Last
season, 2.5 million people attended college football games (at Clemson,
South Carolina, North Carolina and North Carolina State)."
    TSN claims the biggest concern about the Carolinas has been the heavy
debt the group will incur to pay the franchise fee (est $125-175 million)
as well as build the 70,000-seat, open-air $125-million stadium in uptown
Charlotte.  Land has already been bought and prepared for construction to
begin immediately after being awarded a team.
    Charlotte has also been given the financial support by Hugh McColl, Jr.,
the CEO of Nations Bank, who has agreed to finance 100% of the stadium.
    TSN ranks the top six candidates, in order, for hte two NFL expansion
franchises: 1) St. Louis, 2) Charlotte, 3) Memphis, 4) Baltimore,
5) Jacksonville, and (surprisingly) 6) San Antonio.  This ranking was evidently
made before San Antonio didn't make the short list in March.
    Check out the article.  It's pretty good!

    Stay tuned as several others are cut from the short list during the
May 19-20 NFL meetings.  Say Bye-bye to the "surging Sacramento group". :-)

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Brendan Bailey                         "The NFL is on record saying that if 
SAS Institute, Inc - QA/Graph           it adds 150 expansion teams or hell 
sasbrb@unx.sas.com                      freezes over -- whichever comes      
Go Heels! Go Hornets!                   first -- Raleigh will be awarded a
The NFL in Charlotte! Target: 1994!!!   franchise." - The Charlotte Observer
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