I hate to tell you I told you so but I did over and over: The deal to enrich right-wing extremist billionaire Phil Anschutz and his minions like Tim Leiweke stinks as far as the NFL and its greedy owners are concerned.
Roger Goodell told Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry and political aide
Bernard Parks, Jr. that neither the league nor any team interested in
moving there would agree to the business proposal set forth by Anschutz
Entertainment Group, according to three sources with knowledge of the
conversation,” Jason Cole at Yahoo Sports reported today in the latest in his series of excellent articles. .
One source said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear that significant changes must occur before the league would be interested. Another said: “He was very complimentary of a lot
of the project, so it wasn’t all negative. But he laid out the problems the league sees.”
What it boils down to is money.
With the costs of domed stadium so high — far higher than AEG has publicly said in estimating it at $1.2 billion — the average ticket price is expected to run between $250 and $300, pricing football out of the reach of a region with one of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the nation.
By the time AEG takes its cut — far more than the less than 6 percent profit margin they claim in city documents — even teams in small markets like the Buffalo Bills or Jacksonville Jaguars are better off staying where they are.
With dramatically lower costs of construction and operation and 40 times as much space for a stadium in the City of Industry, Ed Roski’s “Grand Crossing” stadium is far more attractive to the NFL and teams than Farmers Field downtown.
“What’s interesting about that site
is that it’s a 600-acre site which would be totally devoted to
football,” NFL insider Charley Casserly said on CBS last Sunday. “In other words, you’ll have plenty of room
for the stadium, parking, entertainment, the ‘NFL experience.’ Sounds
like a Super Bowl site to me.”
Another problem for AEG is that it wants a landlord-tenant relationship with the two teams that are expected to come to LA or Industry to make the deal work, which would mean Anschutz ”sells the tickets, advertising and sponsorship deals for those teams,
takes a cut and then pays the teams.”
“You’re talking about a team being disconnected from season
ticketholders and rights holders,” said a team executive, reflecting what five other executives have told Cole recently. “There’s no team that will do that and I don’t think you can get
approval from the rest of the owners for an arrangement like that.”
“The NFL is in a position to demand what it wants, not take what it
gets,” another team executive said. “When you look at the analysis of the
revenue that could be made, it looks great. You’re talking about some
of the highest revenues in the league. The problem is that when you
start to look at the expenses and how much has to be divided among all
the competing interests, you have to wonder how much is going to be
there for a team.”
You can be sure that the ultimate target of the NFL isn’t the billions in direct and indirect profits Anschutz is going to take out of LA to support his assault on immigrants and gays back in Colorado. It’s the fact that AEG is putting up money to rebuild the eternally losing LA Convention Center and sharing a trickle of its profits with the city, perhaps enough to cover $7 million of the $45 million a year the city pays in debt service already on the Convention Center.
What the NFL wants is the public’s money. The deal AEG and the city, inadequate as it is from the taxpayer’s standpoint, will be rewritten to provide greater costs to taxpayers and greater benefits to the league, the teams and, of course, Anschutz.
Do you think the mayor and the Council will protect you and your interests?
No Ron, Antonio first does not know how to protect the City, but more importantly he has left the City and is looking past 2013.
I like how Ron puts into this article how right wing the facists of AEG are! They came here, purchased our politicians, stole our land, robbed our tax $$$, and gave us $500 a seat sporting events that nobody can afford! Ron wants the AEG Gang to take their right-wing anti-immigrant/anti-gay asses back to Colorado. I AGREE, BUT WITH ONE MORE CONDITION I HOPE RON WOULD OKAY—TAKE FRANK McCOURT BACK TO COLORADO TOO! The Roski Site of 600 acres of land exclusive to NFL activities would be a guarantee of 2 teams, ala the NY Giants/Jets deal.
But I have one thing about the NFL comming back to L.A. COUNTY—IT MUST INCLUDE THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS!!!!
So I’ll now add my OCCUPY L.A. ADDENDUM:
WEARAS…The City of Los Angeles is run by SCUMBAGS,
WEARAS…Dennis Zine is a FAT DISGUSTING PIG who couldn’t care about CD3 being overrun with Bars running out of control, trash on the streets, illegal signs in front of residences everywhere, and who will vote for DWP rate hikes,
WEARAS..The NFL can’t send teams to L.A. City because it’s too corrupt to do business in,
WEARAS…The Vikings SHALL move to the City of Industry which shall be renamed: VIKINGS CITY
WEARAS…GLORIA MOLINA shall be sent to JENNY CRAIG to reduce the size of her supersized, fat ass,
WEARAS…AEG and all of its cronies shall relocate IMMEDIATELY to Colorado and take the McCourts WITH THEM.
MOTION PASSES WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO ORDERED.
Knock down Dodger Stadium only to replace it with a newer bigger Stadium to house both MLB & the NFL
Knock down Dodger Town, only to replace it with a newer bigger Stadium to house MLB & The NFL…Call it “Occupy Stadium”!
Wayne, you forgot to mention that that Fat Disgusting Pig “Dennis Zine”" is the reason the city of los angeles is facing a $730 million dollar class action law suit because of his swing vote on the Telephone tax bill which the State Supreme Court struck down and deemed Illegal and Deceptive. PLease don’t let Zine become City Controller. After all, what does a Fat ,Bald ,Womanizing retired Motor Cop know about City Finances to begin with…Vote No on Dennis Zine~~~!!! Just visit Reseda and you will see the Blighted Sewer Hole he has made it during his term as Councilman of District 3. But he’ll never turn down a “”Photo Op”. He is all about his “”EGO”".
The City Officals really need to look at what the point of View of the NFL and that should wake them up to the realization that AEG was, how do you say, “too good to be true”, so if it’s “too good to be true”.. and City Officials, especially those wanting to be the next Mayor should use this moment to “check” their priorities. Jokeingly I say to Councilmen, Stop looking at Art Renderings of the Finish Product. Now put your tail between your legs. Greedy Greedy people are losing their touch these days. #OccupyLA
BRAVO Wayne, BRAVO Dale !
Let’s give another push, to unseat half the city council. Coming up soon.
BRAVO Wayne, BRAVO Dale !
Let’s give another push, to unseat half the city council. Coming up soon.
BRAVO ! to Ron and all of the above comments.
Now, back to finishing the story about my pal Bruno.
G.
To add to what Dale wrote about Zine and the Phone Tax, Zine did his usual protesting and questioning of the Phone Tax on KFI at the time before quietly voting right along with the rest of the crooks on the council to pass it. That’s his M.O., look like he’s the good guy standing up for his constituents and then quietly voting along with the rest of the Clowncil. Thank god he is termed out. I wonder who he is planning to insert as his replacement?
Hmmm. Okay, NO DEAL.
The NFL concluded what the City’s CAO and CLA missed. And where was Mayoral candidate, Controller (no-CPA) Wendy Greuel?
According to the NFL, the deal gave everyone AEG was the new NFL Team too. In retrospect, now we know why AEG was eager to set dead lines with the City of L.A. then with State Officials, with political ties to L.A. Let’s forget about LAWS in place to protect the public provided there is big profit; after all the New Stadium Proposed by AEG is of the highest rating for an NFL Stadium. For AEG, I say build it, and they will come. Don’t worry about getting the team first. NFL teams have tight schedules. They want to get out of the City ASAP to get ready for the next game. Would you want to deal with L.A. Traffic? I don’t know. But based on the proposal, it is unlikely that L.A. will be selected. And if not, look at all the man hours AEG wasted of our L.A. and State Officials… AEG should pay repay the City and the State, then get on it Colorado Horse and get the fuck out of LA LA Land where gay marriage is part of life. We hate you and you hate us. A marriage with the NFL will never change what AEG stands for. Nothing.
According to the NFL, the deal gave everyone AEG was the new NFL Team too. In retrospect, now we know why AEG was eager to set dead lines with the City of L.A. then with State Officials, with political ties to L.A. Let’s forget about LAWS in place to protect the public provided there is big profit; after all the New Stadium Proposed by AEG is of the highest rating for an NFL Stadium. For AEG, I say build it, and they will come. Don’t worry about getting the team first. NFL teams have tight schedules. They want to get out of the City ASAP to get ready for the next game. Would you want to deal with L.A. Traffic? I don’t know. But based on the proposal, it is unlikely that L.A. will be selected. And if not, look at all the man hours AEG wasted of our L.A. and State Officials… AEG should pay repay the City and the State, then get on it Colorado Horse and get the fuck out of LA LA Land where gay marriage is part of life. We hate you and you hate us. A marriage with the NFL will never change what AEG stands for. Nothing.
Am I the only one wondering why the hell hasn’t our local media reported this story? Thank Ron for once again putting the facts out there and telling us the TRUTH. I don’t think the bone heads called Politicians in Los Angeles know what the meaning of the word TRUTH is.
MOTION: DUE TO THE UNBELIEVABLY GREAT POSTS BY BARRON AND DALE, ONE MORE SET OF ADDENDUMS:
BY THE PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES WE DECLARE:
WHEREAS…Dennis ZINE WAS THE KEY VOTE TO RAISE ILLEGAL TAXES ON PHONES,
WHEREAS…ZINE is a two faced puke who goes on KFI and lies that he’s the “good guy” when he isn’t,
WHEREAS…KABC should immediately fire Peter Tilden for having Zine on all those times promoting his fat pig career without discussion,
WHEREAS…KRLA’s Kevin James should spend 2 hours APOLOGIZING for his promtion of Said Pig Zine all these years knowing (or should have known) he was a “scumbag,”
WHEREAS…Resesa was destroyed because of Dennis Zine and in his “honor” shall be renamed ZINE’S SHITHOLE VALLEY CITY, WHEREAS…IT SHALL BECOME UNINCORPORATED FROM L.A. CITY WHERE HOPEFULLY IT CAN REHABILITATE ITSELF,
WHEREAS…Zine should not be allowed within 40ft of a woman UNDER THE AGE OF 40 for all his ass grabbing and womanizing crap,
WHEREAS…Anyone who votes for this piece of garbage for Controller or any office SHALL PAY 300% MORE PROPERTY TAXES FOR 5 YEARS AS A PENALTY FOR STUPIDITY!
WHERAS…BRUNO is found to have a higher I.Q. than Zine and much more humanity in him than Zine and the entire Council put together…
Committee moves…by unanimous consent….no objections…so be it!
A right wing wacko like Anschutz is in bed with the left wing lunatics who are the Los Angeles City Council. Look at the party affiliation of the Los Angeles City Council: 12 Democrats, 1 Decline to State (former “Republican” Dennis Zine) and 1 Republican (Mitch Englander).
Even the CA state legislature which has a near super-majority of Democrats isn’t this lopsided. When Zine was on KFI and asked about who was running for mayor in 2013, he mentioned all the City Hall insiders, but failed to mention Kevin James, on whose show he’s appeared many times over the years.
What amazes me is that CA and IL are the only states in the Union that are still wasting taxpayer dollars and not even considering real meaningful cuts. Most other states are cutting back and shrinking the size of pensions and benefits both for veteran govt workers and especially new hires and we’re not just talking about states lead by Republicans.
In NY, whose governor and state legislature are Democrat, they cut spending by $10 billion and cut several thousand state employees.
In Connecticut, their Democratic Governor Dan Malloy said that the state workers needed to agree with a list of concessions including paying more for their beneifits and taking more out of their check for their pensions, otherwise 5,000 state workers would be handed pink slips.
Yet California just keeps giving more to big businesses like AEG and Gov. Brown just signed a bill allowing those who are in the country illegally to receive publicly given scholarships competing with our citizens (both native and foreign born). To be clear, I am not anti-immigrant and have no problem with people from other countries coming to America, but to paraphrase Dennis Miller, “At least have the decency and respect to sign the guest book before you come in.”
CA has crippled us with the global warming bill AB-32, which will drive up our already high energy costs even further, yet they’re willing to give a pass to AEG.
The Los Angeles City Council giving all these incentives to the billionaires at AEG and the LA Community Redevelopment Agency giving $50 million to billionaire Eli Broad to build a new parking structure for his business, but only giving the community of South Los Angeles $5 million in funds shows that the Democrats are the party of the rich just as much as they claim the Republicans are.
John F. Kennedy had it right in 1962 and this is what the State of California and the City of Los Angeles need to do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAEp0J_hzU
Since the corrupt Mayoral candidates accept for Kevin James start debating its everyone’s job to make sure they are asked how the hell could they have pushed and voted for such a corrupt AEG NFL Stadium knowing full well the tax payers of Los Angeles are going to be left holding the bag. Top of the list should be Jan Perry. If everyone blasted this article to all their email lists word will get out. Our local media is just as corrupt protecting City Hall. LA Slimes is going down because they refuse to report the truth. I hope LA Weekly jumps on this story. They are the only paper in town who has reported the truth.
Before this decision, one article quoted Leiweke as saying that AEG would not give any concessions beyond what was agreed to in the “non-binding” agreement.
Of course, we will see that this is one-sided. That is AEG will not give up any more, but AEG and with the Blessing of Jan Perry, will have the City give up more.
The City has already taken it in the shorts by being responsible for the infrastructure upgrades and absorbing the impact to traffic, security (policing), etc.
But this is a phantom project so far, so maybe, the City will be off the hook if the whole project dies – Not the fault of any CEQA lawsuit, etc.
Dear Anonymous Oct 10:
This pattern has been going on for more than 10 years. Mayor wannabe Garcetti and the CRA have been the main conduit to give tax payer money to corrupt developers. With the CRA in limbo and under attack, the city council is following Garcetti’s lead with AEG. City Hall runs on a mixture of Corruption and Incompetence.
A few other things they’ve done:
1) CRA/LA has siphoned off more than $1.5 Billion in property tax dollars in the last 11 years,
2) The supported Prop 22 which took about $1 BILLION away from schools each year and gave it to real estate speculators
3) They pushed kelo eminent domain on the entire city of Los Angeles, but the Gov vetoed it
4) They “lost” about 1/2 Billion on the Hollywood-Highland Complex.
5) They gutted CEQA for AEG and other giant development projects which is where we need CEQA the most. Can you spell Lung cancer?
6) After CRA/LA was abolished they are bring it back as a VARP, but first they are using $98 M in tax payer money to “pay off” the State.
Wannabe Mayor Garcetti is the main force behind the destruction of LA. Growing up a trust fund baby at prep schools and then ivy League, LA is merely his play things and none of us are human being with lives. He’s like the little brat who stomps on his toys whenever he has a temper tantrum.
Let’s remember we always re-elected these goniffs to office.
It is hard to understand why the people in Los Angeles let all this corruption exist right under their noses.
We know the streets are the worst and we know that traffic is getting worse and that the density is causing crime and the subway goes almost nowhere so it is a simple LIE to say tenants of these monster projects will use the subway. Even if they wanted to use the subway, it does not go to 95% of the city.
Maybe the foolishness of the voters is related to LA’s being the worse school district in California and Calif is 48th in the US, and the USA is last among industrialized nations in education. In other words, Angelenos do dumb thing like re-elect Garcetti, because Angelenos are dumb.
I’d like to hear a nicer reason.
It is hard to understand why the people in Los Angeles let all this corruption exist right under their noses.
We know the streets are the worst and we know that traffic is getting worse and that the density is causing crime and the subway goes almost nowhere so it is a simple LIE to say tenants of these monster projects will use the subway. Even if they wanted to use the subway, it does not go to 95% of the city.
Maybe the foolishness of the voters is related to LA’s being the worse school district in California and Calif is 48th in the US, and the USA is last among industrialized nations in education. In other words, Angelenos do dumb thing like re-elect Garcetti, because Angelenos are dumb.
I’d like to hear a nicer reason.
Wuf Wuf Wuf…Zine is a Dog..Wuf Wuf…Great Comments…wuf wuf wuf…I’ll have to start voting absentee…WUF WUF!!!
We can’t blame anyone but ourselves for voting in the most incompetent, leaderless, gutless fools into office. We now have a chance to correct that. We need to get off our butts and send out the message of how corrupt our politicians are especially city council members campaigning for Mayor and Greuel. The biggest problem we have in LA is our media is weak and scared. They don’t report the truth to the people. This is the reason these fools get re elected. Let’s make sure NOT ONE OF THEM is elected ever again to higher office. Bring up this corrupt AEG NFL deal, CRA, Housing corruption and more every time you attend a meeting or see them campaigning