Beware of Bidding for NFL Franchises

On April 3, in a place on earth called St. Louis County, voters will be asked to approve a $250-million expenditure for the purpose of building an indoor stadium, seating 70,000, and a convention center.

Earmarked for downtown St. Louis, not far from Busch Stadium, the new edifice would be ready by 1993, before which folks there would hope to be assured of an expansion franchise by the National Football League.

“Does the vote have a chance?” you inquire of Mr. Andy Woods, spokesman for the football project.

“We need a bare majority,” he answers, “and all recent polls show we have at least 60%.”

“Does St. Louis have a spare $250 million jangling in its pants?” Woods is asked.

“There will be no cost to the taxpayer,” he replies. “Bonds for the project will be paid off by stadium events, and the rest will come from a hotel tax.”

You raise your glass to the guy rolling in from Peoria, renting a room. He has no stake in St. Louis, but is asked to pay for its stadium.

But Woods assures us that St. Louis is cranking up for the 21st Century, and it joins that distinguished coterie of American cities soliciting the NFL for a team.

At their meeting in Orlando, Fla., next week, the league owners are supposed to discuss how they aim to expand and then name an expansion committee to listen to bidders.

But cities seeking teams are not urged to fast until they get satisfaction from the owners, nimble in the art of giving expansion bidders the slip. Excuses tendered are varied, even ingenious, but translate into the simple truth that no sentiment for expansion has existed.

If, fearful of Congress, they bend, will they expand by two? Or will they expand by four, creating the perfect symmetry of eight divisions of four each?

Home for 27 years to an NFL entrant that fled to Phoenix, St. Louis is competing against Baltimore, whose team fled to Indianapolis.

A group representing Jacksonville has been touring the league cities, beckoning owners to the cause of that Florida community.

And Charlotte, N.C., and Memphis, Tenn., have been making themselves heard.

Los Angeles must level a watchful eye on events, because if the Raiders shift to Oakland, which is at least even-money, L.A. must make its availability known.

And of course, Oakland must do the same if the Raiders remain in L.A.

The prospects of both are hurt by the fact four teams already operate in California--more than in any other state--and there is no assurance the league will go for a fifth.

The case of Los Angeles isn’t helped by the reminder of new Commissioner Paul Tagliabue that the Coliseum, described by locals as a historic treasure, is “unfit.”

One man’s object of art is another man’s junk.

A member of Spectacor, the Coliseum management firm, informed the stadium commission recently it was operating a “toilet.”

“But this stadium has served as home to two Olympics,” Coliseum fanciers protest.

“That’s right,” they are told. “They were held 52 years apart. Preserve the stadium until 2036, and it may bag a third Olympics.”

The football group in St. Louis that will bid for an expansion team includes Walter Payton, but it isn’t specified how much the partnership can put Walter down for. Maybe he’s good for 200 yards.

It is the grim observation of Andy Woods that he wouldn’t be shocked if the NFL asked $200 million for a franchise, in view of the new TV revenues the league is capturing.

That seems high, but it is the practice of sports owners these days to run up the price on expansion franchises to hike the value of existing franchises.

If the Raiders move to Oakland, that city’s officials have been informed by their baseball tenant that it will require a little comfort money for sharing the stadium with the football team.

When the Raiders left Oakland, the A’s president at the time criticized the football club’s disloyalty. If the Raiders return, the A’s want a payoff to forgive them for their defection. And the 49ers? They hint they would have money coming for the invasion of their territory. They were paid a territorial indemnity once before when the National and American Football Leagues merged.

Out there in sports, you can see, it’s a healthy environment, affirming an old theory here that owners first dedicate themselves to skinning the fan, and, succeeding, turn to skinning each other.