Q

A quick look at what you need to know now that the NFL has awarded the expansion franchise to Houston:

Q. So what now?

A. Nothing. Depending on your age, you might die before you see the return of the NFL to Los Angeles. Or you might want to if somehow Raider owner Al Davis successfully cooks up a scheme to return. But it doesn’t make sense. Why would any owner unable to get public money for a new stadium elsewhere move to Los Angeles where there’s no public money for a new stadium? The Titans, Ravens and Rams all moved because other cities used public money to construct luxury suite-filled stadiums and then handed the keys to those stadiums over to the NFL owners, who took all revenues from the new buildings. Who’s going to do that for Al Davis or Bill Bidwill?

Q. But what if someone in L.A. buys one of those teams on the move?

A. NFL owners don’t sell--unless they die and estate taxes force the deceased’s estate to unload the team. Remember the ridiculous “Save The Rams” campaign? It was based on the premise of persuading Georgia Frontiere to sell the team to local buyers. She never, never intended to sell. That’s why minority owner Stan Kroenke is so frustrated right now, because he bought roughly 40% with the expectation that she would eventually sell to him in St. Louis. She hates St. Louis, but she’s not selling.

Q. So who goofed? I’ve got to know.

A. The NFL, of course. The league makes for an easy target. It never did its homework and chose to operate from New York without spending the time out here to learn the market, which is different than any other. But L.A. was doomed a long time ago. Once nine billionaires lined up in Cleveland to bid on that team, eight more elbowing each other for NFL favor in Washington, the league became flush with success and was going to go for top dollar in the match race between Houston and Los Angeles.

Q. Won’t the NFL regret passing up L.A.?

A. You’re asking a bunch of old, eccentric men and Georgia to wonder what they are missing in New York as they get ready to divvy up $700 million. Come on, they still believe that you, the football fans, will come begging for attention, maybe even willing to build them a new stadium. Baltimore lost its team because the city refused to give Bob Irsay a new stadium, and then built one more than a decade later for Art Modell. St. Louis wouldn’t give a new home to Bidwill but then built a new one for Georgia. Houston wouldn’t approve funding for Bud Adams but gave almost $200 million to Bob McNair’s cause. History is on the NFL’s side, suggesting that you will play the role of sucker one day.

Q. Is there any hope for a satisfactory solution?

A. If you like to dream, support teams with no defensive backs who annually are overrated and about ready to fall apart; maybe there’s a chance the San Francisco 49ers will shock the world and go south. The Bay Area cannot support two teams, and the 49ers’ stadium deal is in jeopardy of falling apart. They’ve already blown two opportunities to land a Super Bowl, and Eddie DeBartolo’s sister, Denise DeBartolo York, who now owns the team, might be looking for a way out. L.A., while not expected to embrace a warmed-over loser, might make an exception for the 49ers and line up to buy tickets. Hey, it’s only a thought, probably the first of a thousand rumors that are going to surface now that Los Angeles is vacant, prey for every owner waiting to blackmail their own or else.