Local sports commentators and media outlets have the blogosphere buzzing, but not in the way Jaguar executives had envisioned. Nearly three-quarters of the comments posted, in response to recent articles speculating on the Jaguars move to Los Angeles, have been less than kind to the Big Cats. The bottom line with the Jaguars is exactly that; the bottom-line. If a franchise cannot sustain itself in a city, then simple economics will dictate whether or not they stay. As driven as the City’s support of the team has been, it all will boil down to dollars and cents for the franchise owners. After all the Jaguars franchise is a for-profit organization, not a municipal service.

The Jaguar’s presence in Jacksonville has been marked by some positive benefits for charities and sales-tax revenues, but they have presented a fair share of drawbacks as well. Aside from the off field criminal antics by many of their players, the franchise has held the City of Jacksonville over a barrel many times. Dictates on advertisement-revenue sharing, stadium renovations and changes to their profit-and-loss disclosure agreements have been just a few of the front office antics Jacksonville has had to endure to ensure the team stays put.

Threatening to pull out of Jacksonville may not work for the Jaguars this time, especially with double-digit millage rate increases and cuts to public safety and civic programs looming. The majority of their fan base is becoming apathetic to a team who hasn’t contended for a decent post-season spot in nearly a decade. Ticket sales and team support are at all-time lows and it is not solely the economy’s fault, consumer choice is beginning to play a larger role. As the recession lingers, cost conscious consumers are only willing to pay for things that are worth their money; based on recent ticket sales, many have told the Weaver’s their team is not worth it.

If Jacksonville does lose the Jaguars will it be the end of the town? No, life will go on in Jacksonville. Any void the Jaguars will leave in their wake for charitable contributions, municipal income and national cachet can all be replaced if the City’s leadership puts as much effort into sustainable job growth as they have in keeping the Jaguars placated. Contrary to front-office opinion, cities are judged for a lot more than how many fans support their NFL franchise. If City leaders exercised the same creativity in their efforts to foster sustainable industry and tax-revenue in Jacksonville as they have to fill the stands for 1 game, then perhaps the programs and resources its citizens truly depend on would not be in the financial shape they are in.

When this season ends, it will be time for both the Jaguars and City leaders to face the harsh fact that whether or not Jacksonville is an NFL town will not change the problems it faces. Municipal growth, quality of life and sustainability issues should draw as much attention in City Hall as the ultimate Tealgate party has.

In his efforts to drum up support for the team, Mayor John Peyton drew criticism last week after he made a public plea for fans to purchase tickets.

“The viability of this team in our city is critically important. The Jaguars have become a part of the fabric in this city,” Peyton said. “It’s hard to imagine not having this team here. We need to do a better job citywide supporting this team.”  Peyton went on to emphasize the fact that Jacksonville is one of only thirty-two NFL cities in the country, something that he said the city "should never take for granted."

While some applauded the Mayor's remarks, many commenters left messages on the Times-Union's online message board that, in essence, expressed a lack of concern over what the loss of an NFL might mean to Jacksonville.  In fact, many of the commenters seemed to take the stance that the presence of the Jaguars was more trouble than its worth.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled in the past few years, there was a time in the team's short history when they were all the rage in Northeast Florida.  In 1997, just a few years after the team launched, Jaguar fans were ranked the fifth most supportive fans in the NFL by the Jacksonville Business Journal and its parent, American City Business Journals.  In those first few years, Jacksonville had no problem filling up the stadium, even with the larger capacity.  Attendance did; however, begin to decline after 1998, even during that 14-2 regular season of 1999.  There are many who point to the team of the 90's and argue that they were the difference in garnering the support of Jacksonville and its surrounding counties.  The players were, for the most part, seen as active contributors to the community as a whole, something the team has really struggled with in the last few years.  Most importantly; however, they were winning games.

All that aside, Jacksonville--and indeed Northeast Florida--needs to seriously pause and consider what the loss of the team would mean to the city.  As Peyton said, the team has become an integral part the city's identity.  No longer do people wonder if you mean "Jacksonville, North Carolina" or "Jacksonville, Alabama."  The Jaguars have introduced Jacksonville to the world, even bringing a Super Bowl in 2005 that included PR on a level that most cities could only dream of.

The presence of the Jaguars; however, has meant much more than free publicity for the city.  It's also meant the generous and frequent support of local charities by Wayne and Delores Weaver.  In a 2007 article that highlighted the Weaver's $21 million gift to 38 local non-profits, the Times-Union took note of the fact that the Weaver's had given more than $42 million to local non-profits since bringing the team to Jacksonville.  That support, in a time when the city's public services grants that support non-profits has continued to decline, has been invaluable.  In fact, finding another modern Jacksonville resident who has given as generously as the Weaver's would be a rather daunting task.

And, the Weaver's haven't been the only members of the Jaguars franchise to support Jacksonville charities.  Many of the team's players have made generous donations over the years and Tom Coughlin, the team's former coach, has donated over $2 million to assist young children battling cancer through his Jay Fund.

Mayor Peyton stepped up to challenge the city because he is very well aware that if Jacksonville lost the Jaguars on his watch, that would ultimately be the only thing people remembered about his time in office.  Cities that have lost teams in the past typically spend millions, indeed, hundreds of millions in efforts to woo another team back.  It took St. Louis 7 years and $281 million to attract the Rams.  It took Baltimore 12 years and $200 million to lure the Ravens to town.  And, it took Houston 5 years and $309 million to fill the hole the Oilers had left.  Don't count on Jacksonville winning another team anytime soon.  And, even if that happened to be something in their future, the city doesn't have the hundreds of millions of dollars it would take to do it.  We have, after all, already spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the past several decades trying to lure a team to town.  Why on earth would we be so willing to throw all of that away so quickly?

It's time for the Jacksonville Jaguars to get radical.  It's fairly obvious by now that their current marketing approach isn't working.  It's time to throw it out and start over.  Recast the image of the team.  Stage service days where the community can see the players commitment to the city that offers them a lifestyle many can only dream of.  Acknowledge that the coaching staff isn't getting the job done and make some sweeping changes.  Unload players that aren't getting the job done and start over.  Sell Jacksonville on the Jaguars.  It was done before.  It can be done again.

Of course, it's not just the Jaguars that need to rethink their approach.  Jacksonville needs to share the massive investment the city has put out over the years to win and retain the team.  Educate people on the vested interest the city has in keeping the team in Jacksonville.  Bring in the surrounding communities.  Orange Park needs to be part of the discussion, as does Fernandina Beach, Waycross and St. Johns County.  Each of these cities and counties benefits from the presence of the Jaguars, whether its from the economic impact of the team and the jobs their presence creates or from the support that non-profits receive from the team and its owners.

The psychological impact of losing an NFL team would be almost as devastating on the city as the economic one.  The possibility of losing the team is a discussion that no one should take lightly.

The governor's campaign fundraising tour of the Sunshine state take him to the Jacksonville home of Steve and Diane Halverson June 17. Crist today brushed off the notion that he's aiming to post ginormous numbers for his first quarter as a senate candidate: "No, not really. Just working hard every day....It’s kind of steady as you go. There’s a long time."

Jacksonville hosts include:

ERIKA ALBA, ED BURR, DOUG BURNETT, JR., JOHN BROWNING, HON. RICHARD CLARK, DEREK & KIM DEWAN, JOHN & SHANNON FALCONETTI, MARTY FIORENTINO, WILLIAM P. FOLEY, II, REGINALD GAFFNEY, DR. JAVIER GARCIA, TRAVIS HUTSON, HON. KEVIN HYDE, DR. GASPER LAZZARA, HON. PHIL MAYS, HON. MARK MINER, JOE MOBLEY, TOM PETWAY, MAYOR JOHN PEYTON, LEE ANN & PETER RUMMELL, TOM SLATER, HON. CYNDI STEVENSON, HANS TANZLER, III, WAYNE WEAVER

The Weavers keep their political bases covered.  Just for the record...Delores Barr Weaver was at Alex Sink's recent Jacksonville event.

And the Jaguars got all of this for a paltry 10 free club seats for City officials and 25% of the sign and bllboard revenue.  What a deal (Not).

I was curious as to what other football stadiums do, so I went googling for photos on the web and happened to find a site that contains photos of all the NFL stadiums.  I also went on some other sites that have better close-ups of the stadiums and I didn't see alot of exterior signs on the outside of their stadiums or on the back side of their stadium lights, or even in their parking lots.   So it appears Jacksonville will be fairly unique in this endeavor.    

Jacksonville has been unique in another area.  Our fair city has been in the forefront of billboard regulation and amortization - and it shows.  In 1987, a group of citizens in Jacksonville proposed to regulate billboards through a citizen initiative.  The initiative was approved by 60 percent of the voters despite an aggressive campaign and heavy spending against it by two large billboard companies. The measure banned new billboards as off-premise advertising signs and set up an amortization schedule that would remove 450 billboards by 1998 and an additional 550 billboards by 2015.  No thousands of tacky billboards here. In fact, Jacksonville's program has been the model for numerous billboard programs throughout the nation.  So why let them proliferate in our stadium (and downtown) area where most out of town visitors will be bombarded with them?

With the Jaguars usually getting everything they ask for, I guess I was not surprised to see that the lease was approved unanimously by Council committees last week. and is up for hearing at the City Council meeting this Tuesday night.  I expect the bill will sail through.

But wouldn't it be nice (for once) if we didn't continue giving the Jaguars everything they ask for (and exempting them from City regulations) regardless of how much it costs or how tacky it will look?

a) The Jaguars do so much for the City. Yes, they do. And we are touched by the generosity of Wayne and Delores Weaver. But, when you look at it the way the Mayor has presented it, are they truly giving to the City out of the kindness of their heart or are they giving expecting something in return?
b) The City will now get some dollars from the naming rights of the stadium. Yes we will. A measly 25%. Oh yeah, and good luck on getting a sponsor in the midst of a massive economic downturn. How did that work out for you this year, Mr. Mayor? And while I'm at it...the taxpayers own the stadium, right? And we are supposed to be thrilled with 25%?
c) The City will get 10 club seats. Seriously? This is a selling point for the Mayor? What alternative universe is he living in? The taxpayers are supposed to cough up $148 million and find comfort in the knowledge that the Mayor will have an additional 10 club seats at his disposal to award to political allies. I don't know about you, but that makes it all better for me.
d) The City will have naming rights to the parking lots. Now this feature does make me re-think my opposition. This type of negotiating is top-notch. We, the taxpayers, retain the right to sell the naming rights to our parking lots. I can see it now---"Waste Management Parking." It does have a ring to it. "ProLogic Consulting Memorial Parking Lot?" (Of course, "Avocado Golf Company Parking" could probably accomplish the same thing without conjuring up bad memories for the Mayor.) On second thought, instead of selling those naming rights, perhaps we could name them after local politicians who park themselves in elected office? "Stan Jordan Parking." Now we're talking.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion

In the proposed contract, the City gets  25% of the revenue from naming rights for the stadium (let's see 25% of nothing is nothing still, isn't it?), and 10 free club seats (more free perks for the big shots).

And the City gives up advertising rights (the signs in and around the stadium) to the Jags (wasn't $148 million in stadium repairs and upgrades enough?).    If the Jags' advertising conflicts with a city event sponsorship, the City can take down the Jags' advertisers signs but can't replace them with their own sponsors signs - at the City's own expense.

Somehow, I'm not feeling the love.