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Let’s not kid ourselves about where we really are on L.A. relocation

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Vincent Bonsignore

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about why the National Football League is conducting town hall meetings in St. Louis, Oakland and San Diego now rather than after the teams officially file for relocation – as is spelled out in league relocation guidelines.

It’s a valid question, of course. If no one has officially filed for relocation, what’s the point?

The long answer, per my conversation with NFL Vice President Eric Grubman, is that the league has leeway to alter interpretation and execution of the guidelines as it sees fit. And since a new relocation filing window was put in place after the guidelines were written – the widow opens January 1 and closes February 15 – the NFL feels it’s better to give local communities a chance to weigh in before the window opens.

Think of it this way: The NFL could delay application opening deeper into January to avoid disruption and to continue to work things out with teams and cities behind the scenes. And upon opening the application window, hold a league meeting/vote a few days later. But in that scenario, when do communities get their say?

To respect the communities, the NFL decided it should do it sooner rather than later.

As a result, beginning next week, all three cities will get their chance to hear from the NFL and express their feelings.

That’s the long answer. And it makes sense.

The short answer: Let’s not kid ourselves about where we really are on this.

Or, as a high-ranking team official told me more than a month ago: “We’re IN the relocation window RIGHT NOW.”

This ceased being about local market leverage or using Los Angeles to get stadiums built elsewhere months ago.

We are literally in a three-team, two-stadium fight to win the Los Angeles relocation bid. And it pits the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders joint Carson stadium proposal against St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s Inglewood stadium project.

“It’s been that way for awhile now,” another high ranking team official said.

And while in an ideal world the Chargers would love for something to materialize in San Diego and the Raiders in Oakland, neither team is confident that can happen anytime soon. Their focus now rests squarely on convincing enough fellow owners that Carson is the right project for Los Angeles and that they have justification to move their franchises.

The Rams, meanwhile, believe they have suitable justification to move from St. Louis and their Inglewood stadium plan will create a successful NFL return to L.A. They also have leeway to add a second team, if need be.

A point they’ve stressed to fellow owners.

Even as Missouri leaders close in on approving a stadium deal in hopes of keeping them in St. Louis, the Rams are full steam ahead to Los Angeles.

With respect to where this process really is at the moment, it’s safe to assume everything the NFL does between now and January is to satisfy all guidelines in place with the aim of sorting the situation out before it gets to the actual vote.

Or, as a team official told me at the owners meeting two weeks ago in New York: “There was always going to be a vote. The question is will it be a contest or a coronation?”

Can the league afford a contest?

Or would it rather the vote simply anoint the L.A. winner?

I’m guessing it’s the later.

And to help make that the case, the NFL will use the next three months under the pretense all three teams are filing for relocation.

Because unofficially, they have.