[John F]

LA billionaire trying to bring NFL back to SoCal (http://blogs.usatoday.com/gameon/2008/04/la-billionaire.html)

In Los Angeles, the sports-construction cliche is: If you build it, they probably will leave by the seventh inning.

But that isn't stopping billionaire Ed Roski from unveiling an ambitious plan today to erect a football palace to house a southern California NFL team he probably will have to steal from another city.

Mr. Ed bottom lines at about $2.3 billion, and ranks No. 195 with a bullet on Forbes' list of American Big Hitters. So he'll be taken seriously, even though the NFL appears to have given up on LA. Roski also was instrumental in getting LA's Staples Center built.

If Roski succeeds, this will be a gas-burning addition for Los Angeles football fans. Roski's geographical choice for this venture is out in the city of Industry, which you may driven through on your many trips to Chino Hills, West Covina or Pomona.

[John F]

Well, I haven't looked over any of the plans yet except to see where the stadium is proposed. It does not surprise me that it's way outside the immediate LA area -- out in the City of Industry.

http://www.losangelesfootballstadium.com/location

From the web site, you can see the stadium will follow the in-mountain design that is featured at Dodger stadium:

http://static.losangelesfootballstadium.com/elevation-wireframe-big.gif

http://static.losangelesfootballstadium.com/photo-1.jpg

[ThreeHundred]

http://static.losangelesfootballstadium.com/photo-4.jpg
http://static.losangelesfootballstadium.com/photo-8.jpg
http://static.losangelesfootballstadium.com/photo-2.jpg

Hell of a design that's for sure. But way out in Industry?

[the urban politician]

^ Wow. That would instantly be the coolest stadium in NFL history

[NYguy]

http://static.losangelesfootballstadium.com/photo-2.jpg

Hell of a design that's for sure. But way out in Industry?

Not bad. I like the way it's tied in to other development.

[jtk1519]

I like the design a lot. It's reminiscent of the old bowl stadiums you see on the West Coast (Rose Bowl, LA Coliseum, Autzen Stadium, etc.). Very cool indeed.

[JJG]

Truthfuly, I'm against NFL in L.A.......
But I gotta admit, if this stadium is built, then let it happen....

[StatenIslander237]

Fantastic. Let there be football...

[DJM19]

I like the stadium itself, I dont like its sprawly nature, nor its location (if they really want to bring back football to LA, they should put the stadium in Los Angeles. This thing is in the boondocks, it almost escapes the entire county.

[John F]

I like the stadium itself, I dont like its sprawly nature, nor its location (if they really want to bring back football to LA, they should put the stadium in Los Angeles. This thing is in the boondocks, it almost escapes the entire county.

The difference, of course, between and NFL stadium being way out in the boonies and a MLB stadium/Arena being out in the boonies (and a true hindrence) is that games are only weekly at best. People will gladly make the sixty mile trek (I'm guessign on the distance) once a week to watch their favorite team (though right nwo that's USC or UCLA -- both playing within the city limits)

At least that logic is what makes smaller towns viable in the NFL -- it's a once a week thing. Not a day-after-day event.

But I digress because I'm actually alogn the same thought lines as yoruself with regards to the stadium placement. I mean, the California Raceway is out in Fontana but thsoe races are so rare that people don't mind the long trip... That and a new racewa in the immediate LA area would ahve been impossible.

A new NFL venue in the immediate LA area is also next to impossible but it's do-able. It's just easier to go to the hinterlands to propose a new venue (Carson was also proposed as an NFL site in the past) than go through the approval process and make war with the locals inside the city limits to get the project done.

[DJM19]

Well, carson is actually in the middle of a large population of people, including actually angelinos. This stadium by the looks of it is more than just a stadium to be used a few times a year. It has stores and a theater. I think the idea at least is for it to be an active element of what community its in. And it wont be serving the city it usurps its name from.

[ThreeHundred]

^ How about the Orchard Park Bills? Or Landover Redskins? How about the East Rutherford Jets/Giants? A few teams don't play in their respective cities and yet still use the city's name.

Remember the LA Rams played in Anaheim which is roughly the same distance that Industry is from downtown LA.

[DJM19]

^And those are all equally dumb situations IMO.

But I cant complain much about the Jets not playing in new york because I dont even care about NYC or the Jets.

And like I said, this is seemingly much more than just a stadium. But if its going to be that sprawling campus it is in the designs, I dont want it in LA anyway.

[Downtown Bolivar]

Any money it's the Bills that go to LA--there's a lot of bad vibes in the WNY community about losing the Bills.

[JDRCRASH]

Anyone notice anything strange about that last photo?

[mello]

Hmmm so San Diego isn't in Southern California? I wonder what region it is in then?

I think this distance is fine, 8 home games a year and enough years have gone by now for billionaires to attempt a more "close in" venue. They have looked at Carson and the land near Hollywood Park and the Forum in Inglewood. But I guess the freeway access isn't good enough there. The Forum is such a waste of land.

But other then these places where else could a football stadium go? Maybe on an outskirt industrial type area near downtown?

I think the Bills, Jaguars, or Saints are a good option to move to LA. Or hell the Raiders should go back because they are never going to get a stadium deal done in Oakland or anywhere in the bay area for that matter. Shit if I were them I would move to Sacramento.

[View2gowanus]

Not a big fan of Football so it's understandable, perhaps, that I find these renderings tacky and completely devoid of any sporting focus and tradition. But then the NFL is more about tabloid hype and advertising than sport, isn't it?

In that sense, LA should build this. My only suggestion is that it get built of regenerative materials and burned down every year in a fantastical, pyrotechnic display, only to reconstitute itself the next- like a lobster claw. And with each annual rebirth it should have a new, corporate naming sponsor (and of course the cheerleaders should never exceed age 21 or an IQ of 80).

Yes.:cool:

[JDRCRASH]

The renderings of the Grey Goose club seats section seems a bit off.

[hokiehigh]

I am not sure about the Bills moving to LA. I hear they may start splitting time between Buffalo and Toronto.

[krudmonk]

Did Escher design that?

[Don098]

That is so ugly, but it's L.A. so I'm not surprised. I suppose the only way you're going to get anyone to care about football there is by Hollywood-izing it, so maybe it's a good design in that sense. Can you imagine blue collar teams playing there like the Steelers, the Packers, or the Vikings? NFL football would look so out of place there.

[DJM19]

^For your info, theres probably more blue collar factory workers in LA than any of those cities.

[Echo Park]

^For your info, theres probably more blue collar factory workers in LA than any of those cities.

What are you talking about? I thought all 16 million of us in the region were high rolling slick hollywood types.

[aaron38]

As much as I hate teams changing cities, if LA is going to get a team, it'd better be an existing team. You can't have odd teams, it screws up the entire schedule, you have to have Week 1 and Week 17 bye teams. And the 32 team / 8 division setup is perfect.

No, no new teams.

[NYRY85]

That stadium is nuts.

Let the Bills go there.

Los Angeles > Buffalo (maybe not fan wise but its all about marketing)

[StethJeff]

That is so ugly, but it's L.A. so I'm not surprised. I suppose the only way you're going to get anyone to care about football there is by Hollywood-izing it, so maybe it's a good design in that sense. Can you imagine blue collar teams playing there like the Steelers, the Packers, or the Vikings? NFL football would look so out of place there.

:rolleyes: so lame.

[mello]

Here is the thing: A team has to commit to move to LA before this whole project will be started. So who is going to play a season as a lame duck in 2008 or 2009 in order to get this thing built on schedule for the 2011 season?

Say a team announces that they will move to LA do they move there immediately and play in the Coliseum or Rose Bowl until this is finished. Plus some teams have leases that don't expire for another couple of years so do they just say fuck it and break the lease?

No franchise will want to play in a city as a lame duck for more then one year that is a big time drag. Many people in San Diego are worried that the Chargers will announce a move right after the 2008 season is finished. It would just be so strange to have a succesfull franchise move. Usually teams that move suck but the Chargers are a premier franchise with as good a shot as anyone to win the Super Bowl in 2008.

[steel]

looks unnecessarily complex, the balcony seating to too far away and the end zones have too high of a percentage of the seating

[CityDataForumSUX]

nice pictures hope they dont try to steal our raiders

[skyscraper]

nice pictures hope they dont try to steal our raiders

...again.

[JDRCRASH]

Huh? What was CityDataForumSUX banned for?

[Philly-Drew]

I think overall this is a pretty cool looking project. :tup:

On another note: Please excuse my ignorance, but why wouldn't L.A. have a football team? It is a large market. I mean, coming from the North East I'm confused about it. It would seem, at least on the surface that a football team would be a great investment there.:shrug:

[DowntownCharlieBrown]

^It goes back to "who is going to pay for it"?

Owners want cities to pay for a new stadium so that they and the players can make boat loads of money.

It may seem like a good investment for the city. Sure, businesses in the area could benefit greatly, as well as developers that develop around the new arena. But how do you ask Joe Blow in the Valley to cough up additional funds to the city when he may not even care for football.

Having a private businessman develop the stadium may be the best way to go, but then we are at his mercy as to the timing, ..... and that is part of the reason we don't have a football team.

[ocman]

What are you talking about? I thought all 16 million of us in the region were high rolling slick hollywood types.

Of course they need to Hollywood-ize it. It's LA! Do they, like, even serve sushi there? And they better have wi-fi. I am so NOT going five hours without my blackberry. Everyone in this town knows Cameron Diaz has a fit when you don't call her back soon enough.

[aaron38]

NFL To Move All 32 Teams To Los Angeles
NEW YORK—National Football League commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced Tuesday that, after over a decade without a football team, Los Angeles would become the home of all 32 NFL franchises by 2010.
"The league has met with Los Angeles city officials several times over the past few years in an attempt to bring a football team to the nation's second-largest market," Tagliabue said in a press conference held to unveil the NFL's realignment plan. "I'm happy to announce that we have finally reached a decision: Every single NFL team will be relocated to the Los Angeles metropolitan area over the next five years."
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/42979

[Echo Park]

haha nice.

[Inkdaub]

I like it. The place looks nice and very LA.

[krudmonk]

Huh? What was CityDataForumSUX banned for?
being a Raider fan

[edsg25]

i realize this whole issue is nothing but speculation, but I didn't see one issue here (maybe I missed it) on the number of teams such a structure would need for success.

Is a project like this designed for one team or does it seem to require both NFC and AFC franchises?