Los Angeles Stadium Planner Has Spoken With Five NFL Teams

By - Brian Harrington

Anschutz Entertainment Group President and CEO Tim Leiweke, the man who is trying to bring a brand new NFL stadium to the city of Los Angeles, has said he has spoken to five NFL teams about moving to LA and occupying said stadium. The teams are the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams. The last two, of course, are former LA teams.

Photo by: Kevork Djansezian

Leiweke said all of those franchises are "in the mix," but conceded, "We're not packing any (moving) vans right now," according to the Orange County Register, which was first to report on the talks. Leiweke also told the Register that AEG owner Philip Anschutz was prepared to acquire a majority stake in an NFL team that would play at the proposed venue and that the company was willing to pay for a team to get out of its current lease.

AEG's $1 billion plan for a 72,000-seat stadium on part of the city's convention center campus is one of two competing proposals that aim to bring pro football back to Los Angeles fifteen years after the Rams and Raiders left within months of one another. Warehouse magnate Ed Roski has permits in place to build a separate 75,000-seat stadium about fifteen miles east of Los Angeles, in the city of Industry, but has also not secured a team.

Three of the teams (Chargers, Raiders and Vikings) have issued statements quelling their sides of the story. The Chargers saying they've discussed only unrelated items with Leiweke, both they and the Raiders saying their respective teams aren't for sale. The Vikings saying they have full belief they can resolve their stadium plans in Minnesota.

I honestly don't understand how there is NOT a team in LA, the nations second largest market behind New York (which has three teams).

I say, bring the Stallions to life!

Photo from: mghelmets.com