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With one of the oldest NFL franchises possibly being sold in large part to a billionaire with a four-syllabled last name, another billionaire with quadrisyllabic surname could be buying one of the newest NFL franchises.
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver is negotiating with C. Dean Metropoulos regarding a sale of the 13-year-old franchise.
Metropoulos is the former CEO and chairman of Pinnacle Foods, which he sold last year for more than $2 billion.
However, he denies the report. “I must tell you I haven’t had any such discussions,” Metropoulos told the Daily News. ”I wouldn’t know how to give you any credibility to that because I don’t know anything about it.”
But the Daily News cites “several credible league sources” in support of the disclosure.
Since Metropoulos has no apparent ties to Jacksonville, there’s a chance that a purchase of the team could result in a move of the franchise to Los Angeles.
July 9th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Art Vandelay is also reportedly interested in the team
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
July 9th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
His business is based in Greenwich,Conn, if this is true there is NO way he was keep the Jags in Jax.If they can’t sell out when their team is considered one of the better teams in the NFL then it will never happen. Sorry Jag fans but this is bad news for your franchise.I doubt the team will stay in Jax.Can you say LA Jags???
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July 9th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
And now we can really warm up the “Jason Taylor to Jacksonville” talks…
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July 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Go Gators ………see ya Jags !
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July 9th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
“move of the franchise to los angelos” my question is.
will the league allow it.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 9th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Well we are still in the dead zone so I guess it is time for that annual ritual of throwing out a story about the Jaguars being for sale again. This has happened every year since 1994 when the team had not even played a game yet. So I guess some sports writer had to write something to justify his paycheck this week.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 9th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I’m sick of these stories. There’s no information here. Like Wayne Weaver is going to sell the team right now when it has the best roster in it’s 13 year existence to a guy who has no ties to the city of Jacksonville. If you know anything about Wayne Weaver, he loves the city. He’s said multiple times that if he sold it would be to someone with ties to Jacksonville to keep the team where it belongs. HEY NFL, give up on L.A. They have never been able to support a team and never will! A higher percentage of the population goes to Jaguars games than most teams in the league. The Jags aren’t going anywhere.
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
OK, What about the idea that WW is talking to this guy about a stadium name sponsorship? The guy has big money, and ties to big business, it could be possible that he may be helping look for a stadium sponsor. Why is it that Jaguars are moving, or Jaguars are being sold, when WW talks to someone that has more then $1000.00 in thier wallet? The media, needs to get their sources and facts before jumping into to the empty pool!
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Tampa Hoss, you owe me a new monitor after me spitting my drink out on the screen about that comment
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Why wouldn’t Weaver sell the Jags. That team is losing money hand over fist. The Team has trouble selling out games that’s a fact. Enough with this “A higher percentage of the population goes to Jaguars games.” Thats just a another way of saying the team can’t sell out games for a 12-4 ballclub. When some of your home games are being blacked out that is a sign of trouble. Never understood why the nfl expanded to Jacksonville in the first place. Most of the people in that region fall into that “65 to dead” demographic; the younger population aren’t sticking around in Jacksonville they are moving to more affluent cities. Yep, I will feel a little bit uneasy if I were a Jaguars fan.
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Proof this is stadium sponsor talk, not selling team talk
Look toward bottom of the article from 06/21/07
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/062107/jag_179065644.shtml
“They have hired a New York investment firm, Galatioto Sports Partners, to help them find new investors so they could reduce their $110 million debt.”
Same company listed in Philly.com article that is “brokering this sale”
News meida wrong again!!! didn’t this get a new england media source in trouble?
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I will always be a huge Packer fan, but I live 100 miles north of L.A. and if we were to get any team out here, I’d become an instant fan and see a couple of games a year. Doesn’t matter if the team is good or crappy, AFC or NFC. The only teams I probably wouldn’t embrace would be Minny or Chicago (I’d throw in division “rivals” Detroit but that team is pretty bad so I have no animosity for them currently.)
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I love how so many people are posting that the jaguars are moving to l.a. Like It’s some kind of bombshell. It says directly in the article that there’s a chance of it so you’re not contributing inside information to the conversation by repeating what the article is speculating. It really bothers me how immature some of the posters are on this web site. honestly it does.
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July 9th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Hey alamedan, that lame “spit my drink all over my monitor” comment is so played even Rome, king of played out cliches, has given it a rest. You owe me 5 seconds of my life back for reading your lame ass post
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July 9th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Tampa Hoss mustn’t have made it past Middleburg. The average age in Jacksonville is 27 yrs old. It’s a growing economic port city with a rich Navy history and a laid back beach town feel. It’s bikini season. Hoss can go sit in shitty Tampa traffic in a sea of bluehairs for all I care. (Although Tampa DOES have the Mons Venus which may be the greatest place on earth).
Last year WW donated to the neighboring 17 counties more than the team lost in revenue. Del Rio and Garrard just got !!!PAID!!! and he spent plenty to get Jerry Porter and Drayton Florence. He still needs to sign Groves and top 10 pick Derrick Harvey. Does this sound like a guy who’s ready to sell the team (see Red McCombs)?
Just cuz it’s a rumormill doesn’t mean you have to make it into a sewing circle.
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July 9th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Let us not forget it was the same fine news media outlet philly.com that told us Lito Sheppard was going to be a Jag.
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July 9th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
The Jaguar should thank Winn-Dixie store for buying 3 section of the stadium every home game, and that is a fact !
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July 9th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
ecsacker 6306 do you really watch football? Your comment sounds like a litle girl,”honestly it does”.Jaguar fans(we cover our seats because we can’t sell out because we live in a 4th tier market)
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July 9th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Hey Jimmy Smith this message is for you,say goodbye to your beloved Jags.Tampa Hoss finally has somethng right.Jacksonville sucks, Love ,
Bill Belichick. Also, do a couple of lines for your namesake.
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July 9th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Before the Jaguars move to L.A. consider this. First, during the 2007 season the Jaguars out drew 9 NFL teams in average attendance. These teams included Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburg and Indianapolis. These are NFL numbers. Second, Jacksonville has experienced some blackouts but primarily due to the fact that blackouts are called days in advance. Jacksonville is a blue collar town where people buy many tickets on gameday.Monday morning attendance figures often show that the Jaguars sold enough tickets to avoid a blackout. It should be mentioned Jacksonville was not the only NFL team to have a blackout last year. Both Atlanta and St. Louis had them. It seems that many NFL teams have work to do when it comes to selling tickets. In fact, right now 17 of 32 teams are still selling season tickets. Finally, At last report, the Jags ticket sales are up 10% over last year. Do not expect any blackouts this year. Jacksonville supports the Jaguars and this support will only grow as the community grows. Although it annoys some who believe Jacksonville is a second tier city and does not deserve a NFL franchise, the Jags will be staying in Jacksonville. L.A. need to think about expansion.
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July 9th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Well, this spells bad news for San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Minnesota, and Buffalo who all desperately need new stadiums whereas Jacksonville doesn’t. Hey, remind me again the biggest reason an NFL team moves? Oh yeah, dumps of stadiums that the current city won’t build. Not to mention the Jaguars are in search of a stadium sponsorship, which this likely is. Maybe someone will anonymously e-mail Florio that TEAM X is interested in PLAYER Y so it will be “breaking news”. What a a joke.
coco, last time I checked Jacksonville wasn’t Gainesville.
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July 9th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
As I’ve said before, the Jags to L.A. is a tidy little way for the NFL to get back into the second largest media market in the U.S. Sure, the NFL collect almost $1B from another expansion team, but then the symmetry the league has with the even number of teams in each division and the schedules would be ruined. Also, Minnesota is a very good sports town and New Orleans can’t afford to lose their Saints. Further, the Bills will likely go to Toronto if they ever leave Buffalo for good.
IF the Jags do move to L.A. (and it’s a big IF) then the league should move them to the NFC West and move the Rams to the AFC South. A Rams-Titans rivarly could be interesting and the NFC needs a solid team.
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July 9th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
they still wont be able to sell tickets in LA either
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July 10th, 2008 at 12:14 am
alfie,
I am base out of KingsBay Naval Base in GA. and we use the training facilities at Mayport Naval Base in Jacksonville,Fl.
Winn-Dixie Super Market give to Mayport Naval Base 150 free Jags home games ticket, every football season. We ask for some tickets to see the Gators but they are sold out, every game.????? There are more Steelers fan in Jax than Jaguars !
Jacksonville is a transit city for The Marines,Navy,Navy seal,Air Force and the Coast Guard and we come from all over the U.S. and we bring our team with us.There are more Gators fan in Jacksonville than Jaguars….!!!!!!
Sorry, is Prima Donna Air Force and Coast Guard,home for the Don’t ask, Don’t tell ????
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July 10th, 2008 at 7:07 am
GoBills23: Good point. At least the Bills can sell tickets in Toronto. Jacksonville’s had a couple of blackouts the past few years, but nothing on the level of Buffalo (and especially in the 90s! Way to support your team!)
http://www.sportsbusinessnews.com/_news/news_355359.php
I don’t know why that Philly paper cares so much about Jacksonville to run these silly stories. We’re not that big a market, so it’s not going to help your circulation.
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