We tried for years to get in the NFL-----hosting exhibition games year after year. We even had Jimmy the Greek/ Phyllis George (I think it was them) do a telethon in Memphis to help. We were promised by Pete Rozelle that we were next to get a team. I hope it works out better this time for the city and TIGERS. We need a break.
The real lesson to take from that experience is this: it doesn't matter what handshake agreements are made. Shaking hands and words of impression are empty. The only guarantee is when a contract is signed and even then you may be able to get out of it. Make no mistake, there has been NO signed contracts.
(08-01-2016 11:18 AM)tigerjamesc Wrote: The real lesson to take from that experience is this: it doesn't matter what handshake agreements are made. Shaking hands and words of impression are empty. The only guarantee is when a contract is signed and even then you may be able to get out of it. Make no mistake, there has been NO signed contracts.
yeah but you still have to sit in a room somewhere and agree what's going to happen. I believe that has been done now. Everything else is just a formality.
(08-01-2016 06:38 PM)Latilleon Wrote: Rozelle was out by the time teams were awarded and we weren't building a new stadium.
If we were building a stadium and Fred Smith was lead investor, we'd have the Houndogs or Pharoahs or Express and Jacksonville would have the Oilers.
You are correct about Rozelle being gone-----but Tagliabue didn't follow through on Rozelle promise to the city of Memphis. It was understood Memphis would be next----after Tampa and Seattle was selected------however they lied and took Charlotte and Jacksonville. That is why Memphis turned its back on hosting exhib games and turned its back on the Nashville team and boycotted.
in '76, it was Phyllis George and Brent Musberger @ the telethon
that was for the Memphis Grizzlies / Southmen to join the league
before that, Tampa and Seattle were awarded teams....Phoenix and Memphis were the other finalists
our best chance actually was when Robert Irsay was shopping the Colts....his hired consulting firm actually recommended Memphis as the favorite
then Irsay goes to Indianapolis and is introduced to the new domed stadium
so that's what swayed him
then the last round of expansion was going to take place in the mid-late 80's...
but labor talks and other stuff put that off...Tags replaced Rozelle
all the while, the Liberty Bowl went from an accepted venue to an albatross for our bid
the last deal when we were named one of five finalists for '93 expansion that included Charlotte, St. Louis, Baltimore, Memphis and Jacksonville is where we got the mojo from selling out preseason games....
Memphis had the best ownership group of the competing cities
but the worst stadium
and that's why Memphians are watching the NFL on Sundays on television
in retospect, I believe our best chance was with Irsay
and the worst critic of Memphis was a senior exec at the time named Roger Goodell
(08-01-2016 06:38 PM)Latilleon Wrote: Rozelle was out by the time teams were awarded and we weren't building a new stadium.
If we were building a stadium and Fred Smith was lead investor, we'd have the Houndogs or Pharoahs or Express and Jacksonville would have the Oilers.
You are correct about Rozelle being gone-----but Tagliabue didn't follow through on Rozelle promise to the city of Memphis. It was understood Memphis would be next----after Tampa and Seattle was selected------however they lied and took Charlotte and Jacksonville. That is why Memphis turned its back on hosting exhib games and turned its back on the Nashville team and boycotted.
Not correct on Memphis and Nashville. Nashvegas basically treated Memphis like crap and we said NO!! The final straw was the Oilers (or had they actually changed name to Titans?!!) game against the Steelers and the LB was yellow and black. It was almost a home game for Pittsburg. They cancelled every other contract with Memphis that week.
But the Titans would fly in for games, not even eat here. They wanted nothing to do with Memphis... we were only a stadium and yet were supposed to support their team fully.
(08-01-2016 06:38 PM)Latilleon Wrote: Rozelle was out by the time teams were awarded and we weren't building a new stadium.
If we were building a stadium and Fred Smith was lead investor, we'd have the Houndogs or Pharoahs or Express and Jacksonville would have the Oilers.
You are correct about Rozelle being gone-----but Tagliabue didn't follow through on Rozelle promise to the city of Memphis. It was understood Memphis would be next----after Tampa and Seattle was selected------however they lied and took Charlotte and Jacksonville. That is why Memphis turned its back on hosting exhib games and turned its back on the Nashville team and boycotted.
Not correct on Memphis and Nashville. Nashvegas basically treated Memphis like crap and we said NO!! The final straw was the Oilers (or had they actually changed name to Titans?!!) game against the Steelers and the LB was yellow and black. It was almost a home game for Pittsburg. They cancelled every other contract with Memphis that week.
But the Titans would fly in for games, not even eat here. They wanted nothing to do with Memphis... we were only a stadium and yet were supposed to support their team fully.
Memphis was pissed at the NFL long before the Titans got run out of town up 40 to Nashville . The city even had billboards saying NFL stands for No Fair League. Memphis was never going to support a temporary team---after getting screwed years earlier---- that's how I remember it anyway----I could be wrong---I was once---in 1977 I think. LOL
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Big12 push reminds me of the old NFL push
![[Image: showboats-bumper-sticker.jpg]](https://memphismuseums.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/showboats-bumper-sticker.jpg)
