(05-14-2014 02:09 PM)BinghamptonNed Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 02:06 PM)k2tigers Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 04:52 PM)KRB Wrote:  That is why the Die hard Memphis folks would not support the Oilers here. Hell Nashville hadn't even been mentioned as pursuing a team. We were absolutely, positively, screwed. I loved the Colts they were my favorite team. I've never cared that much about the NFL since that day. I'm not a fan of the Irsay family.

Me either. I'm telling you, we were not that far away from landing the Colts back then. The Liberty Bowl wasn't considered as "inappropriate" as it was during the 93 expansion race. Check this old piece out - that Malmo meeting alluded to in thearticle was where Irsay left the Memphis group high and dry. We were going to offer him the proverbial kitchen sink. Use your mouse to scroll down the article.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=88...323,208531

our having a 'pretty nice' empty stadium was perfect for the NFL .. they coerced their current cities with the threat of moving to Memphis and it was all the more credible since 1) we WANTED a team and 2) we had a functioning stadium sitting there ready to go ...

More importantly, the Liberty Bowl was ok for the 1993 NFL, when all the stadiums except for Dolphins stadium sucked.

We were competing for the future and four bids that all included new (in the case of Jax, virtually new) stadiums.

Within fifteen years, I every NFL stadium will be replaced or the team left town (except KC and Buffalo. Raiders moved back to an old stadium that was renovated. NOLA Super Dome was heavily renovated). Since our failing bid, the Atlanta Falcons will soon have had two new stadiums since the Liberty Bowl was renovated in 1987.

How didn't Fred Smith and Billy Dunavant not realize we HAD to have a new stadium within three years of getting the team?

Edit: KC spent $400 million renovating Arrowhead. San Diego is also in an old stadium that may have had renovations.

(05-14-2014 04:19 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  How didn't Fred Smith and Billy Dunavant not realize we HAD to have a new stadium within three years of getting the team?

Fred got out of the NFL chasing business when FedEx hit serious financial turbulence in 89 trying to expand internationally. I think by the end Billy Dunavant also new our bid was doomed. he tried so hard to overcome it with an incredible ownership group plus paying mostly cash for the franchise fee. We would have certainly had to have a new facility withing a few years of gaining a franchise though.
The first few paragraphs of this story is very good:

http://www.memphisflyer.com/backissues/i...cvr445.htm

(05-14-2014 04:32 PM)UofMark Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 04:19 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  How didn't Fred Smith and Billy Dunavant not realize we HAD to have a new stadium within three years of getting the team?

Fred got out of the NFL chasing business when FedEx hit serious financial turbulence in 89 trying to expand internationally. I think by the end Billy Dunavant also new our bid was doomed. he tried so hard to overcome it with an incredible ownership group plus paying mostly cash for the franchise fee. We would have certainly had to have a new facility withing a few years of gaining a franchise though.
The first few paragraphs of this story is very good:

http://www.memphisflyer.com/backissues/i...cvr445.htm

Fred started and had limited involvement when Dunavant took over. When he was part of the chase originally, why didn't he foresee what all other cities were going to do when Dolphins stadium and the Palace of Auburn Hills changed the economic rules for sports in America?

(05-07-2014 10:46 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  

(05-06-2014 09:06 PM)k2tigers Wrote:  I remember all that stuff to this day.

We, Memphis, had a key meeting up in Chicago with Colts owner Robert Irsay.

It was down to four cities as far as relocation - Jacksonville, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Memphis.

We promised him the entire kitchen - full stadium season ticket sales, you name it.

Ad exec John Malmo, our mayor at the time and key city leaders went to Chicago to convince Mr. Irsay to move the franchise and play in the Liberty Bowl stadium.

We had the best financial offer on the table. For some reason, Irsay walked out of that meeting, saying he would return, and never did.

IMO, that was our best chance for an NFL team in Memphis. Even more than when the Southmen / Grizzlies applied and got denied. And more so than the last expansion race among Charlotte, St. Louis, Baltimore, Jacksonville and Memphis.

The common theme is this - every one of the cities above now enjoy NFL football on fall Sundays. Except one.

The only difference being regarding the last expansion that went to Charlotte and Jax, Memphis was promised the next expansion slot after Tampa Bay and Seattle were added in the 70s by Pete Rozelle. This is documented in Howard Cossells' book. Promised.

Yes, it was promised.

And then, when the Oilers played an exhibition game (sold out) here during the expansion run, good ol' bud adams said, "Memphis has my vote."

Liar.

(05-07-2014 12:40 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  I stand by my personal opinion that we would have gotten the team that went to Jacksonville if we had a new football stadium in our bid.

True. Had we built a brand new stadium we'd have been golden.

Why didn't we build a new stadium? Both Charlotte and Jacksonville stated they would NOT build new stadiums. That gave us a perceived advantage. We had a fairly nice stadium. Why not just expand what we've got instead of building something new and state-of-the-art?

That was the most stupid decision we could've made.

We sold out our exhibition games and we sold out of season ticket presales faster than all the other cities.

We played it safe rather than going for the kill.

Love these discussions. Imagine the city's trajectory had it been the NFL vs. the NBA.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/29462/11-...missed-cut

And that article doesn't take the proposed Colts move into account.

I know Gray Avenger would have had a heart attack.

(05-14-2014 05:42 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 12:40 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  I stand by my personal opinion that we would have gotten the team that went to Jacksonville if we had a new football stadium in our bid.

True. Had we built a brand new stadium we'd have been golden.

Why didn't we build a new stadium? Both Charlotte and Jacksonville stated they would NOT build new stadiums. That gave us a perceived advantage. We had a fairly nice stadium. Why not just expand what we've got instead of building something new and state-of-the-art?

That was the most stupid decision we could've made.

We sold out our exhibition games and we sold out of season ticket presales faster than all the other cities.

We played it safe rather than going for the kill.

Jacksonville had a stadium.

Charlotte did not. They had to build a stadium and they privately financed it. They popularized Personal Seat Licenses on professional sports to fund a stadium.

STL and Baltimore both had new stadium plans in play too.