Magic Johnson wants an NFL team in Los Angeles

Jarrett Bell, USA Today:
Magic Johnson is open to dishing out another big assist ... to the NFL.

The NBA icon told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that he can envision becoming involved with whatever NFL franchise ultimately lands in Los Angeles, which would bolster local presence as the league ponders a return to the USA's second-largest market.

Magic Johnson has good reason to smile. His Los Angeles Dodgers are number one in baseball attendance, and have the second best odds at 8-1 in winning the 2015 World Series. Johnson has been in a recent battle with Jim Buss, part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, on the direction of the club. The Lakers are in last place in the Pacific division. Buss' comment that Magic has been critical of the Lakers "because he doesn't own them" has irritated Johnson. The best solution is to look for a team for Los Angeles that hasn't been run aground. The perfect fit would be a new NFL team.

Current St. Louis Rams' owner Stan Kroenke purchased 60 acres of land with the intention of building a state of the art football complex in Inglewood, CA. Stan is married to Ann Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune. Kroenke spends billions in the real estate industry. He also owns the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League and is also the largest shareholder of English football club Arsenal.

Caught in the middle of this tug of war is the city of St. Louis. The city planned to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome in the first installment with funds of $124 million. The Rams were looking for close to $700 million so the sides have been at odds.

Nick Wagoner, ESPN:
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also reiterated that any team looking to move to Los Angeles or any other city would still have substantial hurdles to clear, including the blessing of at least 24 NFL owners. The league has a strict and expensive set of guidelines for a team to meet before relocation would even be put to a vote before the league's 32 owners.

The Los Angeles Rams left town in 1994. The Raiders headed back to Oakland the following year. The NFL needs all the positive press it can get after a full year of scandals. Nobody is a more upbeat than Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Sorry St. Louis, "you were only keep the seat warm." The City of Lights wants its team back.

The Magic Johnson ownership group,in conjunction with Stan Kroenke, would be a best seller.



Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.

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