03-28-2017, 10:19 AM
(03-27-2017, 11:00 PM)eoxyod Wrote: A team would never come to Cincy again if the Bengals left
I tend to agree, but who knows? After watching Los Angeles, a town that never had the desire to support it's two pro teams before get two teams again, I'd never say never. I don't think much has changed with LA or their fans since, and despite their insanely huge population, feel that the current NFL experiment there will fail as the old one did. If those teams don't get really good really fast, then the stadiums will be empty in short order. Too much other stuff to spend time and money on out there. Vegas is kind of a joke, too. Not that many people really live in the metroplex and their economy is driven by tourists.
I think that just about any good sized city willing to pony up money for a stadium has a shot an getting an NFL franchise. The question is whether Cincinnati would want to go down that road again. The population is as capable as any of supporting a pro team. The Brown family's relationship with the city and their antipathy toward the fanbase have cost them in terms of loyalty IMO. The inability to sell corporate seats at the club level or to sell out in down years is largely the result of this. A new ownership group would get the benefit of the doubt for simply not being the Brown family for the first few seasons.
I wouldn't bet a house payment on it, but if someone guaranteed me that Cincinnati would get a new NFL team with a new ownership group within 5-7 years of cutting bait with the Brown family, I'd say have at it. I'd give up almost a decade of football in Cincinnati to watch them leave.
