Phinsider Question Of The Day 08/24/2020

The NFL, being the NFL is always looking for more ways to squeeze more money out of anyone and everyone any way they can. I suspect this is the model for any big business in this country but the NFL sometimes seems to take things to a new level. With that in mind they have said in the past that they will eventually look towards additional expansion. I personally think we are good with 32 teams but money, even for the NFL will always trump the quality of the product on the field.

I came across an article that was posted to Yahoo Sports via a site I have never heard of, Bon Voyaged. They listed the most likely cities to receive the next new franchise. They started in Texas, being the largest state with one of the largest populations but only two NFL teams. Texas has been and continues to be one of if not the fastest growing states population wise in the nation. So the first city listed was the capital of the state Austin. Austin in size and population is literally exploding and there is a rabid football fan base there for the Longhorns of UT.

The list continued with Birmingham Alabama, another big and growing city with a rabid college football fan base. Next was Orlando Florida which is a bit of a head scratcher being so close to the other three franchises in the state, especially Tampa. But I did at one time live there it it’s huge compared to how it was when I was a kid so maybe. Next was Louisville Kentucky, home of the Kentucky derby. This was followed by Oklahoma City which I personally have never found that large but they are rabid about there OU football there.

Next up on their list is Sacramento California. I guess they lost a team in that state after gaining a team but I don’t know that California should be near the top of any of these lists but money talks so we will see. Next was Portland Oregon where everyone is already die hard and rabid Seattle Seahawks fans so I don’t know how well this would work out. Next is Salt Lake City and like with Portland most of that part of the country are so tied to the Broncos I would not know how this would work but the city certainly does not lack plenty of money.

Next was Columbus Ohio. I don’t know much about Columbus other than when I stopped just south of there to get gas once the kind Indian man literally said to me “Don’t stop in Columbus, they will kill you there!.” I don’t know if he was crazy or had just had a terrible experience in Columbus but I did avoid stopping there all the same. This was followed by San Antonio Texas. San Antonio is the largest city in America without an NFL franchise and the city for years has tried to lure teams there, most recently the Raiders who opted for a much shorter move to Las Vegas Nevada. Also the city is mostly die hard Cowboys fans despite being so far from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Next they listed Norfolk Virginia. They based this on the Washington Football Team (worst temporary name for a team ever) wanting to build a new stadium inside of Washington D.C. I don’t know much about this area so I don’t know how good an idea this is but we all know that area is full of die hard fans of the team even if it moves out of state. Next was Eugene Oregon. If I have doubts about Portland I am fairly sure this is not going to happen. No, just no, but it was on their list. Omaha Nebraska popped up next based on the rabid Nebraska Cornhuskers fan base. Not sure about this one either but maybe Warren Buffett wants a football team in his home town.

The next city on the list is one that I would put towards the top. St Louis Missouri for the obvious reason that they recently lost the Rams and they were not happy about it and I am sure they are salivating for the chance to replace them with another team. They followed this up with San Diego which makes some solid sense for the same reason as in St Louis. They followed this with Memphis Tennessee. Does Tennessee really need two NFL clubs? Next was Albuquerque New Mexico which is not that large even if you add in tiny Santa Fe to the north. This is also yet another area that is full of rabid Broncos fans so I don’t think this ever happens.

They followed New Mexico with Oakland California. If they couldn’t keep the Raiders and have the San Francisco 49ers just a short drive across the bay why would they do this? Next up is Davenport Iowa. I don’t know anything about Iowa other than it’s full of farmers which normally signals a smaller populace. Anchorage Alaska was next. I can’t imagine the NFL wanting to send teams to Alaska in the winter when the weather can be beyond predictable. Beyond that the state does not have a big population so I don’t imagine we would ever see this happen but stranger things have happened...I guess???

They followed this up with yet another questionable site, Bismark North Dakota. I have always gotten the impression that the weather there makes Green Bay look like Miami but with less people. Yet another very questionable city is listed in El Paso Texas. Its isolated by itself out in the middle of a desert and the population is not even close to a million people and also has a high poverty level. Why would the NFL do this? Hartford Connecticut was next up. While San Antonio is the largest city without an NFL team Hartford is the largest media market without any professional team so it seems to make some sense.

Richmond Virginia was next. I guess they really think Virginia has to have a team if the Washington team moves to DC. No way they get two franchises though so they should have decided between Richmond and Norfolk. London England is next on the list and this is a city that the NFL has actually stated that they want a team in but I find it asinine given the logistics but the NFL gonna do what the NFL gonna do. Next is another international suggestion that the NFL has also mentioned, Mexico City. This seems to make more sense than London and the fan base is there but they are all Cowboys fans. Beyond that the city could clearly handle an NFL team.

Edmonton Canada was next on the list and it also makes more sense logistically than London so maybe. Barcelona Spain was next, see my concerns with London. Next, Frankfurt German, same, stop it already with the Euro teams. And last but not least Honolulu Hawaii was next. It’s at least part of the US but damn that’s a long flight and yet they manage to keep a college program going there so I guess it’s not totally out of the question and gives fans that like to travel an awesome place to go to for an away game if you have the bucks.

So with all of that in mind, the Phinsider Question Of The Day is what city/cities do you think will or should get the next NFL expansion franchise and why? It does not have to be a city on this list as some of these made perfect sense while others were just plain silly in my opinion. Give us yours below-

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