If you’re like me, you watch the NFL on Sundays. If you did so this weekend, you saw the Metrodome roof in Minneapolis collapse faster than the Padres did this season.
Tons of snow gathered on the roof and fell down onto the field. Then the snow forced the dome’s roof to slump down so that the speakers that hang from said roof nearly landed in the seats. Thank goodness nobody was hurt during this accident, but this has brought about a huge buzz in the NFL and posed a huge question right here in Southern California.
Are the Vikings moving to Los Angeles?
The questions has been posed because the Vikings’ lease at the Metrodome will soon end, and this year they’re going to lose two home games because of the roof collapse and there’s no immediate plan in place to build a new stadium.
Over the years the debate has been over Southern California even wanting an NFL team.
Take Newport Beach for example. We have three high school football teams here, all of which made CIF this season, and there’s no lack of interest in these teams around Newport Beach and Corona del Mar with boosters, students, and fans. Sage Hill, Newport Harbor, and Corona del Mar have all had successful histories in the sport, and many local players have gone on to collegiate football.
We send a ton of our high school athletes to colleges, such as USC and UCLA, and watch those teams with great interest, as well. Matt Barkley, USC’s starting quarterback, is sort of the hometown hero.
So do we really want a pro team here also? We’ve already had the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders at one point or another, and none of them managed to stick around.
Would Newport Beach residents really go out and buy season tickets to the L.A. Vikings, or travel all the way to east Los Angeles to watch a transplant team? Would they build a stadium next to the Honda Center and the Big A to make it easier for us and create a sports megaplex?
I suppose it would make sense: since we pilfered the Lakers from Minnesota, we might as well take their football team, too. Other options have been mentioned, such as moving the Chargers up the road since they’ve tirelessly tried to get a new stadium built, or moving the Jaguars from Jacksonville since nobody cares about that team in Florida.
If it were put to a vote here in Newport, I don’t know if enough of us would approve a measure to adopt an NFL team. There is a lot of money and semantics involved with such a huge decision, and in the current economic climate, I’m not sure people here are willing to take that gamble.
All of these questions won’t be settled tomorrow, or anytime soon for that matter, and whether we have a new team to go watch or not, I think we can all agree on one thing:
Brett Favre should retire for good this time!
