There has been much hand-wringing over the past week or so after it was announced that AEG would be put up for sale. People fear that it could jeopardize the effort to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles. I actually think it could help.
When AEG built the Staples Center, it demanded an ownership share of the Lakers and Kings. It is doing the same thing with the planned Farmers Field, requiring the team that moves there to sell it part of the club.
Football owners are a different breed than other sports owners. The NFL bans corporate ownership (I’m not sure how AEG is planning to get around that, but that’s besides the point), so NFL owners tend to be independent billionaires who really don’t like to be told what to do.
Also, AEG wants to buy its portion based on the value of the team before the move. Once a team moves to the larger Los Angeles market, it would instantly be worth more money, and I can’t see an NFL owner selling a share of his team, let alone at what would amount to a huge discount.
Perhaps the new AEG owners will not demand to purchase part of the team, which would make it much easier to lure a club here.
The stadium is on the fast track, so it looks like it will actually be built. Now they just need a team to play there.
Stay tuned.