Monday, August 10, 1998
Pro football, L.A. continue love-hate relationship
COLUMN: Departure of Raiders, Rams leaves city in need of brutal
sport
As we enter the month of August with scorching temperatures
throughout California, baseball has taken center stage in the
sports world. With the home run chase in the grasp of McGwire,
Griffey, Sosa and Vaughn, baseball’s biggest skeptics and
non-believers are turning their heads to the next sport on tap:
football.
Yes, life on the gridiron returns, as training camps have been
active for two to three weeks now, and preseason matchups are in
full swing, getting teams prepared for the upcoming season.
So, why does it seem that Los Angeles could care less?
Without the existence of a professional football franchise in
the West Coast’s most populated and sports-oriented city, L.A. can
only focus on a season gone bad for the Dodgers and the Angels
racing to a spot in the postseason.
The Lakers let a golden opportunity to make a serious statement
for being the NBA’s best team slip through their fingers. They will
miss the opportunity to give the fans something to be happy about
when they move the team from the hallowed parque floor of the Forum
to Staples Center. And I won’t even comment on the Kings or Ducks.
Los Angeles is not a hockey town.
Los Angeles has always been a basketball and baseball town. With
the Raiders and Rams moving their franchises to Oakland and Saint
Louis, respectively, the completion of the L.A. sports scene is not
complete without a football team, let alone a competitive one. I
guess as soon as Al Davis left, the whole "Commitment to
Excellence" motto was thrown out the door by the city as a
whole.
Los Angeles needs a football team. And they will need a strong
financial backer that will pump life and resources into the team to
make them a contender quickly, or Los Angeles will soon disown them
faster than you can say, "Clippers win NBA Championship."
The team will also need a place to play. Let’s run down the list
of possibilities. The Rose Bowl is still undergoing renovations.
The L.A. Memorial Coliseum is in the middle of USC – country and
probably would not be very accommodating. Dodger Stadium is purely
for baseball. Edison Field is in Anaheim, not very convenient for
the rest of Los Angeles. I guess that means we have to build
another stadium, in an already crowded city.
But that has never stopped L.A. before. Football is becoming the
most popular sport in America. And for good reason: guys trying to
hurt each other, lots of offense and cheerleaders.
New York has three teams, if you count the one in Buffalo. Miami
has a football team finally headed in the right direction, which is
unfortunate timing for Dan Marino. San Francisco usually has one of
the top three teams in the NFL, and they will be getting a new
stadium built, and a new team president.
One possible proposal is to get Rupert Murdoch on board. This
guy is loaded with money but has been nothing but a huge
disappointment to Dodger fans, who had been accustomed to loyal
ownership from the O’Malley family.
He should take his losses and start with a new expansion team
and make them good in a short amount of time. He has the money and
media exposure.
And anything negative that happens can be attributed to
expansion. Today, expansion teams can find success quickly. All of
the major U.S. markets have a football team, and they usually
produce average to excellent results. A football team is what Los
Angeles needs, but a weak one will not do.
And as for construction of a new stadium, just get the guys who
built the UCLA International Student Center. It’s still standing.
And the color scheme describes Los Angeles well: unique in its own
way and never to be outdone.
Cadman is a second year assistant sports editor for the
1998-1999 school year. He thinks that Shaquille O’Neal did a good
job in the latest Peter Gunz music video, but recommends that he
does not quit his day job with the Lakers. Comments and responses
should be sent to [email protected]
Aj Cadman