Well, that was quick.A day after a story in the Philadelphia Daily News said the Jacksonville Jaguars are for sale, owner Wayne Weaver insisted that they aren't. From the team's official web site:
So, some day, maybe, the Jaguars are going to be sold. But right now, they're Weaver's team, and he says he's staying put."I'm frustrated. People take things out of context," Weaver said, his voice choked with emotion. "This team is not going to California. This team is the Jacksonville Jaguars. I don't know how I can do anything more to reaffirm my commitment. I want our fans to get as excited as I am.
"Everybody wants me to speculate on the future. I'm not going to speculate on the future. At some point, maybe, I would sell the team, but not now. Whatever happens in the future, I can assure you of one thing: The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be the Jacksonville Jaguars."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-10-2008 @ 12:36PM
Chris said...
Weaver put a lot of things to rest today, at least as best he could. Until a team is in LA, the Jaguars will always be connected to relocation. I don't know that selling out the stadium for the next few years would break the perception that the Jaguars are not supported in Jacksonville.
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2008/7/10/568732/wayne-weaver-the-jacksonvi
Here's to hoping they stay!
-Chris
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7-10-2008 @ 5:17PM
legionsb said...
People talk about the Jaguars struggling to sell tickets.
The fact is, there were more butts in seats at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in 2007 than there were in Arizona, Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Oakland, and Indianapolis.
Now, of course, some of those (like Dallas and Indy) are due to stadium limitations. When people talk about the Jaguars not selling tickets, they're talking about the *percentage* of total available seats. The Jags don't sell out enough. This is true. Still, when you get right down to it, the Jags have been no lower than 23rd in attendance since 2004.
The team did bottom out (31st overall) in 2002 and 2003. That's when things were dire and the Jaguars going to LA was a very real possibility. But the city has responded, maybe not as strongly as would be nice, but they have taken the Jaguars out of the attendance gutter. And as long as they keep building incrementally on that, then the team is going nowhere.
A drop back to the bottom of the league's attendance, however, and all bets are off. But people act like that's the case now, when it's quite simply 100% false.
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7-14-2008 @ 12:26AM
George B Vieto said...
I remember the late Buddy D saying that Saints owner Tom Benson had told the NFL that having a professional football franchise in Jacksonville would be prosperous since Jacksonville having only one professional sports team would have the fans support the team no matter what because it is the only game in town.
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7-31-2008 @ 6:56PM
CJ said...
Id love to see the Jaguars end up in LA, then maybe they'd move Tampa Bay, Carolina, or New Orleans to the AFC South division, move Jaguars into the AFC West, Kansas City could go into the NFC East and Dallas into the NFC South. I'd love to see my Titans play any of those three teams every year and would love to trade Indy and Houston to get all three, but i know that'll never happen. I do remember right before Hurricane Katrina that Saints were rumored to be going to LA, but they were pressured to stay to help rebuild New Orleans. Ive also heard the Vikings name also mentioned for the LA spot as well. Ive heard talk also that in a couple years, dont be suprised if Buffalo Bills end up in Toronto as some point as well.
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