The talk of Jacksonville really has been about the sale of the Jacksonville Jaguars from Wayne Weaver to Shahid Khan. This week the NFL approved the sale and the city was buzzing with talk about Khan.
In several interviews Khan has been telling the people of Jacksonville he plans to build the team and stay here in Jacksonville. I have to wonder if that really true of is if Khan is pulling a con. In some of my early blogs I explained that Wayne Weaver really made no stipulations in the sale agreement that would keep Shahid Khan from moving the team.
Matter of fact the only thing holding the team here in Jacksonville is a contract lease agreement with Everbank Field till 2027. In this lease agreement part of the terms is that if the Jaguars are losing money for a consecutive three years and the city does not maintain the stadium Shahid Khan can break that lease and possibly move the team. Shahid Khan could also choose just to break the agreement but he would need some pretty deep pockets but then again Khan has the available resources to do that.
Here are some factors I think that will determine if the Jaguars will stay or go:
1) While Jacksonville population is approximately 829,683 according to the 2010 census done by the US government it is really considered a small market. Compared to Los Angles, California that had an estimate of 4,094,764 populations in 2010. 2) While Jacksonville is considered one of the largest cities in the USA do not let the size fool you. Unemployment in Jacksonville has remained between 9 to 10 percent from May 2011 to October 2011 according to the US Labor Board. According to government data, the average salary for jobs in Jacksonville, Florida is $35,948, and the median income of households in Jacksonville was $44173. So the cost of going to a Jaguar game runs between $45.00 to $230.00. This does not include parking, food or drinks, or buying any merchandise at the game. Many people I talk to complain about the price to go to a live game. If people cannot afford to go to live games this will hurt the Jaguars in several ways. 3) Other sports that offer less expensive tickets and are gaining popularity like the Jacksonville Sharks. An Arena Football Team also located in Jacksonville, Florida. The team won the Arena Championship Game last year. Also other sports like Rugby, Roller Derby, Soccer, Mixed Martial Arts, and baseball that the Jaguars will have to fight against for fans. 4) Keeping fans is going to be the biggest question for the Jaguar team and owner. The fans are tired of a losing team. If the owner does not find a way to fix that problem than fans are going to stop wanting to believe in the Jaguar team and company. Fans want a winning team and in the new owner cannot give them what they want he might as well pack up and move the team.