my title town

For as long as I can remember I have bled blue, sweated purple and gold, and cheered for those lovable bruins.Throughout the years I have ridden the roller coaster of highs and lows that LA sports has provided. I live and breathe trade rumors, free agency, pennant races, winning streaks, and playoff games. This year has provided many memories and hopefully some more to come.

While short comings marked LA sports this year the future does seem bright. UCLA football is on the right track with Neuhiesel and Chow at the helm. UCLA basketball again looks like a final four contender with the return of collison and the best freshmen class in the nation. The Dodgers made an impressive second half run and have huge potential with an impressive free agent market and slew of young talent the dodgers look like a prime contender in the NL West. The Lakers have got off to fiery start hopefully with the embarrassment of last years finals appearance fueling them. Bynum and Gasol have meshed almost seemlesly and I believe we have only seen the beginning of an amazing chemistry. Not to mention the growth and maturation of their young talent, Ariza, Sasha, and Farmar who I predict will see a significant increase in minutes as the season progresses.

While it has been a few years since the Lakers, Dodgers, or Bruins have brought home a national title they are always in contention and playing at a high level. Thats why I am oppossed to bringing a football franchise to Los Angeles. While LA is a large market with huge fan base potential, Los Angeles has grown to expect a high level of play out of their franchises. The fastest expansion franchise to ever win the Super Bowl was the Miami Dolphins who were started in 1966 and won in 1972.

In 1995 the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers were brought into the NFL and despite a NFC title for the Panthers the two have had limited playoff success. The Texans, the NFL’s newest franchise also has struggled to establish a winning tradition. Thirteen years without success and no tradition to fall back on does not fare well for an NFL franchise in Los Angeles.

There is the possibility of relocation, which could bring a little more hope to an LA franchise, as they would aquire an existing roster and staff, but still the mountain seems to high to climb. With the economy in its current state, fans would be unwilling to pay the high ticket prices to support the new team, especailly one that doesn’t win. Then there is the drama of a new facility, which again would bump up ticket prices. While the idea of a NFL franchise sounds enticing and LA seems like the most logical place to build a team, its just not practical in the here and now.