BlueDevil1978

[QUOTE=Euphoria;131549]Actually teams moving is nothing new... in fact the teams you mention is just a small fraction of teams that have moved, you have to remember its a buisness. The fans don't own the teams unless you are the Celtics or Packers. You can't fault an owner who wants to move a team for more money... its not there fault, its our capitalist society. Before anyone calls me a commy... I am not.

Try these NFL team moves:
1937 - Boston Redskins to Washington DC
1940 - Pittsburg Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles (CORP moved but names stayed the same). In fact he two teams actually merged in 1940 season due to lack of players during the war.
1946 - Clevland Rams to Los Angeles
1960 - Chicago Cardinals to St. Louis
1961 - Los Angeles Chargers to San Diego
1963 - Dallas Texans to Kansas City Chiefs
1982 - Oakland Raiders to Los Angeles
1984 - Baltimore Colts to Indy
1988 - St Louis Cardinals to AZ.
1995 - Los Angeles Raiders back to Oakland
1995 - Los Angeles Rams to St Louis
1996 - Cleveland Browns to Baltimore
1997 - Houston Oilers to TN.

QUOTE]


And these moves do not even scratch the surface of a lot of moves, buy-outs, franchise strippings, etc. back "in the day". There are easily over 3 or 4 dozen now-defunct teams that were fined, forced to disband, disbanded due to hard times (i.e.; the Great Depression) or out-and-out dispersed to other teams by the wave of the commissioner's hand or other owners. It was REALLY of a league of the "Haves" and the "Have Nots". In the NFL's modern era with the TV contracts and revenues sharing, it's a lot more equitable across the board, but some franchises/owners hold the local economy hostage to a degree. hence, you get the bitterness of the locals against savvy owners who light out for the greener pastures.

But still, . . . I grew up with the Baltimore Colts! I wore the Blue and White number 19 on my 7th grade football team!! Where have you gone, Johnny U?!?

/"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Billy Ed Hatfield (Walton & Johnson) /