Quote:Let them go to London...............

 

Nobody was more excited than me when, in the mid-1990's, much to everyone's surprise, we were awarded an NFL franchise. I've been a proud season ticket holder every year since 1995. I currently own six seats. The first 5 years were magical. I, along with 40,000 other Jags fans, sat in the stadium at 2:00 a.m. to welcome them back after they beat the Broncos in 96, so don't call me a "fair-weather fan".

 

I was employed by Barnett Bank from 1974 thru 1998, when NationsBank (now Bank of America) bought us. Prior to that, our C.E.O., Charlie Rice, told us time after time not to worry.........."We weren't for sale". Then, I awoke one morning, turned on the television, and discovered that we had been sold to NationsBank. Charlie Rice reportedly received over $50 million in the deal. I learned from that that EVERYTHING is for sale.

 

The fans in this town are not to blame if the Jags leave, although that's the way it will be portrayed in the national media. We have supported this team thru good and bad, and we've had more than our share of bad for over a decade.

 

We are now the league's laughingstock. Our team is comprised of low-talent players. Yet, despite this, we're expected to fill the stadium and scream for the home team, which we do.

 

If the team relocates, I'm done with the NFL. I'll find other things to do. They won't miss me. They won't miss you if you decide to do the same thing. I've already quit major league baseball and the NBA.

 

Let them leave...........

 

I too was in the stadium when the team flew over on the return trip from Denver.

 

I was in line 20 years ago next month with all the other idiots waiting for our tee shirts at JC Penney the day the franchise was announced.

 

I've only missed a few regular season home games in the history of this franchise, and have owned season tickets in one fashion or another since 1995 as well. 

 

I think the comparison to Barnett is a fair one.  That was a company that was not for sale until the day it sold.  But, Barnett may be gone in name, but their footprint still exists 16 years later despite being taken over by larger, more successful banks twice now.  You can look at the sale of the Jags in very much the same way.  A larger, more successful entity took them over.  The logo changed, but the footprint remains the same, and in many ways has been broadened by the deal.

 

None of us knows where the franchise will be a decade from now, and ultimately, the only control we have is through the tickets we purchase.  Beyond that, it's totally out of our hands. 

 

The fans are not to blame if the franchise leaves, but you'll be hard pressed to convince anyone of that outside of Jacksonville.  I think the new owner recognizes the fan support, and I believe that has inspired him to be more than just a guy who flies in for games and to occasionally check on his property.  I think he recognizes the potential for this region, and he's doing what he can in his circles to help bring Jacksonville along.  You can knock Khan for a lot of things, but the guy has a vision that's probably a few steps ahead of anyone else.  It made him a billionaire. 

 

As time has progressed, I've seen what I think is the beginning of a very unique partnership between a city and a business man who happens to own a professional sports franchise.  I think his vision for this city goes beyond anything any of us are thinking.  He's the quintessential underdog done good story, so perhaps he sees Jacksonville in that light, and he's made it his purpose not only to build a successful franchise, but also to take a small market and grow it into something more significant.  In doing so, he benefits the franchise and the city. 

 

We'll see where he takes this thing, but I do like where he was heading with the London trip aside from the fact that he screwed me out of 1 home game a year.  I like the prospect of growing the business relationship with one of the largest cities in the world.  The potential boon for our local economy is significant, and as it grows, so do the prospects that we won't need to discuss relocation any longer.  That's what I'm hoping for as a Jacksonville native, and a fan of this team from the original Touchdown Jacksonville days.

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