Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is interested in buying the Saints (9 Viewers)

[Saintman2884]

Tillman has been flirting with the NHL about bringing a hockey team to Houston. I think it's a lot of bluster on his part though. With the Rockets he has full control of the Toyota Center. Maybe he's looking at the Saints/Superdome as a target. He's worth about 11 billion, owns the Landry's chain of restaurants and all of the brands that come with that. It's massive. It includes Landrys, Salt Grass Steakhouse, Del Friscos, Mastros, Mortons, Golden Nugget Casinos, Joe's Crab Shack, McCormick and Schmick, numerous hotels and much more. Locking up an NFL team and building is worth so much more to him than the team alone. He's blocked out of Houston/NFG Stadium, so geographically and strategically, this could make sense for him.

Is it being unfair to argue that any future prospective NHL team in Houston would even succeed or that that region really isn't suitable for NHL hockey? The original owner of the Dallas Stars, Norm Green, made himself and still is an absolute pariah initially being coy and then relocating a beloved old Minnesota North Stars team from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Dallas in 1993 even though some sports analysts and commentators were unsure and skeptical about whether the NHL's southern expansion in early 90's would succeed in Dallas, Tampa, Nashville, and Carolina. 30+ years later, it's clear such fears were unfounded and all of those above-mentioned teams, including Florida Panthers, have appeared in multiple Stanley Cups and won one.

The Stars were and have been a huge success in Dallas but it's a big "If" to say whether Houston would eventually match it as well. The Stars owners probably like having the entire Texas market to themselves and may not be too thrilled (and likely object) to a potential expansion/relocated Houston team.

As far as any future third NFL team in Texas, that won't happen as long as Jerry Palpatine still lives and while his son, Stephen, wouldn't necessarily have his pull and influence after his death, the fact that the Cowboys are one of the NFL's top 3 most profitable, wealthiest brand names and most marketable would help the Jones' family's and their lawyers arguments and Texans' Cal McNair would certainly object to any Austin/San Antonio expansion/relocation team siphoning off large amounts of their fan bases. Austin and San Antonio are indeed big growing markets with steady influxes of out-of-state specialists, multi-national corporations, companies arriving in and bolstering their metro populations, but Texas' two biggest cities realize all too well they'd lose fans and money if either one of those cities got an NFL team.

St. Louis has had two NFL franchises relocate its city over the past 37 years and both were due to bad, naive or unworkable stadium deals (Bill Bidwill wanted his own football-only stadium, city said "No", so he decided to leave; Georgia Frontiere and Rams organization signed a bad stadium deal that in hindsight doomed the teams' future in St. Louis that would be exploited by a different owner with ulterior motives who wasnt as pro-St. Louis as she was and probably never would've moved there if he'd owned the team back in L.A. in 1994). St. Louis has had two different NFL teams and they've struck out both times in that both left after bitter, prolonged negotiations for a new stadium didnt happen and the Rams were kind of a mini-dynasty from 99-01 little less than 15 years before they moved. St. Louis might be a great NFL market, but are they a reliable one long-term past 25-30 years?

 

[Saint Jack]

Kansas City is 2 states
New England is 4 or 5 states
Both Carolinas

I meant from here to Atlanta. My mistake on wording.

 

[Saint Jack]

Is it being unfair to argue that any future prospective NHL team in Houston would even succeed or that that region really isn't suitable for NHL hockey? The original owner of the Dallas Stars, Norm Green, made himself and still is an absolute pariah initially being coy and then relocating a beloved old Minnesota North Stars team from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Dallas in 1993 even though some sports analysts and commentators were unsure and skeptical about whether the NHL's southern expansion in early 90's would succeed in Dallas, Tampa, Nashville, and Carolina. 30+ years later, it's clear such fears were unfounded and all of those above-mentioned teams, including Florida Panthers, have appeared in multiple Stanley Cups and won one.

The Stars were and have been a huge success in Dallas but it's a big "If" to say whether Houston would eventually match it as well. The Stars owners probably like having the entire Texas market to themselves and may not be too thrilled (and likely object) to a potential expansion/relocated Houston team.

As far as any future third NFL team in Texas, that won't happen as long as Jerry Palpatine still lives and while his son, Stephen, wouldn't necessarily have his pull and influence after his death, the fact that the Cowboys are one of the NFL's top 3 most profitable, wealthiest brand names and most marketable would help the Jones' family's and their lawyers arguments and Texans' Cal McNair would certainly object to any Austin/San Antonio expansion/relocation team siphoning off large amounts of their fan bases. Austin and San Antonio are indeed big growing markets with steady influxes of out-of-state specialists, multi-national corporations, companies arriving in and bolstering their metro populations, but Texas' two biggest cities realize all too well they'd lose fans and money if either one of those cities got an NFL team.

St. Louis has had two NFL franchises relocate its city over the past 37 years and both were due to bad, naive or unworkable stadium deals (Bill Bidwill wanted his own football-only stadium, city said "No", so he decided to leave; Georgia Frontiere and Rams organization signed a bad stadium deal that in hindsight doomed the teams' future in St. Louis that would be exploited by a different owner with ulterior motives who wasnt as pro-St. Louis as she was and probably never would've moved there if he'd owned the team back in L.A. in 1994). St. Louis has had two different NFL teams and they've struck out both times in that both left after bitter, prolonged negotiations for a new stadium didnt happen and the Rams were kind of a mini-dynasty from 99-01 little less than 15 years before they moved. St. Louis might be a great NFL market, but are they a reliable one long-term past 25-30 years?

This is just thinking out loud, but I think the Chiefs have claimed the entire state of Missouri for the next 50 years.

 

[RandyB]

The Saints are still the only pro team across multiple states.

I had season tickets for 35 years brought a lot of fans into the fold. Kemper County,Ms

 

[RaisingTheBar]

Had no idea who this guy is until I clicked on the thread - and that was just for the last name.

Dude is filthy rich and made his name in the restaurant industry.

 

[Saintman2884]

This is just thinking out loud, but I think the Chiefs have claimed the entire state of Missouri for the next 50 years.

Considering their overall win-loss record, division titles, AFCCG appearances/Championships, SB appearances and wins over the past decade (4), one might be tempted to say they have a very strong rhetorical, and moral.argument for that claim. Even if we take away the Dynasty-level success Andy Reid has brought to K.C. since 2013, Kansas City Chiefs were already one of the consistently winniest teams over the previous 20+ years before that. They may have been awful-to-mediocre in the 70's and 80's, but upon Marty Ball's arrival, they became the NFL's 3rd or 4th winniest team over the 90's and 2000's. They didnt win a single playoff game between 1993-2015, and I'm sure that grates some older Chiefs fans today now in their 40's and 50's but also winning 3 Super Bowls over 5-year period helps eliminate a lot of past bitter memories.

Right now, if you're a Kansas City-area sports fan, this is a true golden age for your sports teams and that significant region of the Midwest. Even the Royals this past year sort of got their act together after missing the postseason for nearly a decade. They've never really had it this good for so long.

 

[Noble Saint]

Is it being unfair to argue that any future prospective NHL team in Houston would even succeed or that that region really isn't suitable for NHL hockey? The original owner of the Dallas Stars, Norm Green, made himself and still is an absolute pariah initially being coy and then relocating a beloved old Minnesota North Stars team from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Dallas in 1993 even though some sports analysts and commentators were unsure and skeptical about whether the NHL's southern expansion in early 90's would succeed in Dallas, Tampa, Nashville, and Carolina. 30+ years later, it's clear such fears were unfounded and all of those above-mentioned teams, including Florida Panthers, have appeared in multiple Stanley Cups and won one.

The Stars were and have been a huge success in Dallas but it's a big "If" to say whether Houston would eventually match it as well. The Stars owners probably like having the entire Texas market to themselves and may not be too thrilled (and likely object) to a potential expansion/relocated Houston team.

As far as any future third NFL team in Texas, that won't happen as long as Jerry Palpatine still lives and while his son, Stephen, wouldn't necessarily have his pull and influence after his death, the fact that the Cowboys are one of the NFL's top 3 most profitable, wealthiest brand names and most marketable would help the Jones' family's and their lawyers arguments and Texans' Cal McNair would certainly object to any Austin/San Antonio expansion/relocation team siphoning off large amounts of their fan bases. Austin and San Antonio are indeed big growing markets with steady influxes of out-of-state specialists, multi-national corporations, companies arriving in and bolstering their metro populations, but Texas' two biggest cities realize all too well they'd lose fans and money if either one of those cities got an NFL team.

St. Louis has had two NFL franchises relocate its city over the past 37 years and both were due to bad, naive or unworkable stadium deals (Bill Bidwill wanted his own football-only stadium, city said "No", so he decided to leave; Georgia Frontiere and Rams organization signed a bad stadium deal that in hindsight doomed the teams' future in St. Louis that would be exploited by a different owner with ulterior motives who wasnt as pro-St. Louis as she was and probably never would've moved there if he'd owned the team back in L.A. in 1994). St. Louis has had two different NFL teams and they've struck out both times in that both left after bitter, prolonged negotiations for a new stadium didnt happen and the Rams were kind of a mini-dynasty from 99-01 little less than 15 years before they moved. St. Louis might be a great NFL market, but are they a reliable one long-term past 25-30 years?

I was around for both the Cardinals and Rams leaving St Louis. Bidwell was a tight wad that wouldn’t spend any money and and I think why someone from outside of the area buying the Saints bothers me because the Rams left over a lack of Luxury Boxes and that stadium wasn’t very old. I think it was more of an excuse than anything. NFL was pushing it because they wanted a team back in LA market so bad.

 

[Saint Jack]

I was around for both the Cardinals and Rams leaving St Louis. Bidwell was a tight wad that wouldn’t spend any money and and I think why someone from outside of the area buying the Saints bothers me because the Rams left over a lack of Luxury Boxes and that stadium wasn’t very old. I think it was more of an excuse than anything. NFL was pushing it because they wanted a team back in LA market so bad.

I just keep going to the fact that if NOLA doesn’t have a team; that leaves Louisiana, Mississippi, parts of Alabama and Pensacola unclaimed.
That’s just too much territory to be without a team.

 

[Saintman2884]

I just keep going to the fact that if NOLA doesn’t have a team; that leaves Louisiana, Mississippi, parts of Alabama and Pensacola unclaimed.
That’s just too much territory to be without a team.

That sort of leaves Birmingham, Ala. out of the mix, too considering its metro-overall population isn't big enough (Huntsville is now Alabama's biggest, most-populated city), and its close proximity to both Nashville and Atlanta to them not objecting or complaining about siphoning off fans, marketing and revenue. It's also plausible that nearby NFL markets like Titans, Falcons, Texans, Buccaneers, and maybe even Dolphins' trying to expand their own fan bases into what is now primarily Saints fan territory.

 

[Treybad]

Take it there is no chance the city of New Orleans could buy the team?

 

[ilvdsnts]

The Saints are still the only pro team across multiple states. From here to Atlanta.

Last I checked, New England includes Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, etc.

 

[Saintman2884]

Take it there is no chance the city of New Orleans could buy the team?

IIRC, current NFL CBA doesn't allow it. Green Bay's long-cherished and successful sort-of collectivist team ownership was grandfathered in in 1971 to get past any potential anti-trust exemptions that helped make most NFL/AFL owners near-billionaires when the 1966 AFL/NFL finally became complete in 1970 after Super Bowl IV.

Even the Packers have sort of a "Ownership Committee"--usually group of local Green Bay/Brown County businessman chairing it and behaving and acting like their NFL owners and the team's president acts as its " Owner" at NFL's annual owners meetings.

 

[Saintman2884]

Last I checked, New England includes Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, etc.

For nearly 4 decades, although the Patriots did have some notable periods of fielding competitive, winning teams particularly in the early-to-mid 1960's and from the mid-70's to late 80's (1976-1988), they never captured the fan attention, focus, MSM exposure and marketing in the Boston-area. Until the late 90's/early 2000's, the most popular, well-liked Boston teams were the Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins and Patriots in that order.

Even now with the Patriots slumping over the past 4-5 years, the Celtics have kind of regained the top spot amongst Boston's most popular sports team echelon and why not? They've made two NBA Title appearances over the past 5 years, they won the NBA Title last year over Dallas pretty convincingly, and they looked pretty damn good this year, too.

 

[Noble Saint]

I just keep going to the fact that if NOLA doesn’t have a team; that leaves Louisiana, Mississippi, parts of Alabama and Pensacola unclaimed.
That’s just too much territory to be without a team.

I understood what you meant about the only team across multiple states. Many didn’t it seems lol

 

[El Caliente]

Houston will get an NHL team in the next 2-3 years. With the influx of people from all parts of the country converging on Houston, an NHL team (expansion or relocation) is almost a given.

The only question is, what other city will get an NHL team in order to keep balance in the league?