OILERS MOVING THIS YEAR?
Question:
I don't really have an opinion on that, but I'd just like to chime in and mention there are some problems with the Oilers moving to Memphis this year. Supposedly, they have agreed with the city and the Astrodome to get out of their lease ($3.35 million total in damages), but now the Tennessee legislators are proposing that public funds NOT be used for the deal, and Memphis is complaining about conflicts with the Memphis Tigers team concerning use of the Liberty Bowl.
Answer:
Why don't the Oilers just go on the road? Each week they could negotiate
a new place to play, one week LA, the next week Dayton, the next week
Anchorage, the next week Portland, etc. If they rename themselves the
Houston Travellers they could make a bundle selling themselves to various
cities, they could even perhaps do birthdays and cruises. "Yes you too
can have the Oilers/Travellers play at your birthay party. Be the
pride of your town. All you need supply are yard markers and goal posts.
We supply the game". It would be superb and highly profitable. And with
the right type of marketing and connections, they would become America's
Team.
1. Play only 4 games a year in Memphis before the Nashville stadium is: finished. The other 4 "home" games can be at other regiional sites,
such as Knoxville, Tenn.; Orlando; Birmingham, Ala.; and Jackson, Miss.
This way, Bud Adams will really have to "pay" for moving his team.
2. Play the entire preseason on the road or at neutral sites until the
stadium in Nashville is completely built. Except for one preseason game
this year against the Saints, which was scheduled as a "neutral site"
game at Memphis before the decision to move the Oilers was made.
3. When they finally move into the Nashville stadium, play 3 home games
a year in Memphis for at least 10 years. Then if it doesn't work out,
they can play all their home games in Nashville.
But what about the fans in Memphis? They sure as heck don't want to
feel teased in any way. Besides, this might discourage other teams from
moving, at least superficially. No sense in waiting 'til the lease is
up to make your previously announced move; that'll kill fan interest in
your lame-duck home, in this case, Houston. But using a city as a
temporary home, even though you have no intention of staying in that
metropolitan area doesn't go over too well with some fans, either. If
Bud Adams had waited until the Nashville stadium was ready, or the
Astrodome lease was expired, to announce a move, maybe Houston would've
had more time to save the Oilers. And the Oilers wouldn't have had so
many empty seats at home last year.
Isn't the team going to be named "Tennessee" anyway? Besides, at one
time, the Green Bay Packers played some home games at Milwaukee to
increase fan interest. And some NBA teams play a few "home" games
outside of their home arena: LA Clippers (Anaheim), Seattle (Kingdome),
Toronto (Maple Leaf Gardens), Washington (Baltimore). Besides, it only
fair, for letting Memphis house the team temporarily until Nashville
gets a stadium.
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