The NFL wants to be in Los Angeles and the league has been working on getting a team there in the near future and while it appears that no one will be moving in the near future, the city has continued making things more attractive for teams and the league.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Los Angeles City Council's Economic Development Committee put out a resolution to help try and get a team back to the city and with a number of franchises eligible to move, LA night be asking for two teams. Councilman Tom LaBonge said two teams could be accommodated and while that is a stretch, teams like the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and St. Louis Rams will be eligible to move after next season.
The Minnesota Vikings are heading to London to play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Wembley Stadium on Sunday and while the Metrodome will be empty, there is news about the new stadium deal at home involving team owner Zygi Wilf and his brother, as they will have to pay millions after a court ruling.
According to ESPN.com, the Wilf's will have to pay over $80 million to former business associates after a judge ruled that they defrauded their partners in a deal involving real estate. The ruling is notable because the Wilf's are contributing to the new stadium being built for the Vikings and while the team obviously will continue to be profitable, the owners have committed to putting in about half of the costs for the new stadium, which will cost at least $1 billion dollars.
According to the AP, the Vikings are contributing $477 million to the stadium deal and after the original case, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority did a report and found that the team and the owners will likely not have trouble reaching that commitment. While that is positive news for Vikings fans, it also could make the community feel uneasy, as taxpayers are also contributing quite a bit to the deal. Either way, the Vikings need a win this weekend after losing to the Browns at home and they will have to travel to England for it, where they will be considered the home team.
The Vikings have lost to the Lions, Bears and Browns this season and now they will face the 0-3 Pittsburgh Steelers in England and their season could be hanging on this game. The team is ranked 25th in passing yards and are averaging over 120 rushing yards per game and they will be playing the Steelers, who are also desperate for a win.