The differences in the games necessitated the different approaches of the NFL and NBA. There are only 5 NBA players on a team in the court at the same time. They only wear a jersey and shorts and one player can have a huge impact on the game. NFL players are in full pads and a helmet and they get injured a lot. Even the most recognizable players are only recognizable by their jersey number while they are on the field. The nature of the respective sports pushed the NFL to market their teams as institutions while the NBA marketed their top players. The NBA model also worked when people hated the best player. Lebron drew crowds during his Miami tenure.

David Stern really lucked out the most. Basketball was popular in the former Soviet Union. NBA players were first allowed to compete in the first Olympics right after the Cold War ended. It was a pretty memorable Olympics in general because of the end of the Cold War. Said Olympics was in Barcelona, which is a very nice, touristy city located in Western Europe. At the same time, it was around the time the Bird-Magic era was giving way to the Jordan era. He just had the perfect mix of players at the perfect time to vastly increase the NBA's popularity in the world, and Europe in particular. The current Spanish team came out of that Olympics.

xDaunt

United States17988 Posts

January 18 2017 19:09 GMT

#3542

Looks like Kyle Shanahan is going to be the Niners' new coach. Good to see that Jed York didn't screw that one up. However, his mom (Denise York) reportedly was very high Tom Cable and personally interviewed him for an hour.

GTR

51586 Posts

January 18 2017 23:29 GMT

#3543

what's going to make or break that team is who gets hired as gm. crossing fingers for the niners sake its someone like eliot wolf.

edit: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000776268/article/jaguars-choose-hackett-as-new-oc-over-chip-kelly

lol sucks to be a jags fan, first marrone now hackett

xDaunt

United States17988 Posts

January 19 2017 00:30 GMT

#3544

Hard to be disappointed in Hackett when the alternative seemed to be Chip Kelly.

ZerOCoolSC2

9037 Posts

January 19 2017 01:00 GMT

#3545

Just read that Nebraska got a new DC in Bob Diaco. Never heard of the guy though. Should be interesting to see how he can turn around the defense. We weren't terribad but we didn't do as well as we should have. I guess blowouts to OSU and Iowa would get anyone fired.

Ryuhou)aS(

United States1174 Posts

January 19 2017 10:03 GMT

#3546

haven't been here all season well..because reasons.

BUT AT LEAST WE GOT THE #1 DRAFT PICK.

Also, an obligatory Fuck Pittsburgh.

Shellshock

United States97276 Posts

January 19 2017 23:17 GMT

#3547

farvacola

United States18856 Posts

January 19 2017 23:35 GMT

#3548

The Raiders leaving Oakland feels so wrong

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

January 20 2017 01:27 GMT

#3549

--- Nuked ---

KingofdaHipHop

United States25602 Posts

January 20 2017 03:20 GMT

#3550

Compared to the Rams' move last year, these relocations feel so... meh.

giftdgecko

United States2126 Posts

January 20 2017 18:51 GMT

#3551

The move to Vegas at least would make sense in some ways, the chargers to LA is just dumb and literally no one wanted it to happen.

LA didn't want them, Spanos didn't really want to go after losing his bid with the raiders last year, the other owners are supposedly upset he moved, chargers fans obviously aren't happy.

Raiders move to Mexico, Chargers to Vegas!

cLutZ

United States19574 Posts

January 20 2017 19:52 GMT

#3552

If Kronke doesn't like the Chargers moving he can just make his portion of the stadium rev share so high as to dissuade Spanos from taking a lease (after he pays the $650 million relocation fee, of course). Then, he can say "build your own stadium, oh wait, Lulz, you're too much of a cheapass."

andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

January 20 2017 20:34 GMT

#3553

With the $650 million relocation fee, I don't even see the financial reason for the Chargers' move. Maybe the trust fund baby owners have some deep-seated moral beliefs against using their own money to build a stadium?

Wasn't he also going to fork over some money if his joint bid with the Raiders got approved? Or is Los Angeles a much, much greater magnet for Chinese EB-5 money than San Diego?

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

January 20 2017 21:25 GMT

#3554

--- Nuked ---

andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

January 20 2017 22:08 GMT

#3555

Stan Kroenke is a real estate developer whose strategy is building real estate around a big anchor (usually a Walmart since his wife belongs to the Walton family). He found an attractive enough area in Inglewood that he is willing to shell out his own money, with the help of other investors (including EB-5 investors) to develop real estate with the stadium as its anchor.

San Diego doesn't want to subsidize a new stadium. However, Spanos has to pay the owners $650 million in relocation fees for moving to LA. I believe he also needs to pay substantial rent to Kroenke. With $650 million and the rent money, he can build his own stadium in San Diego. He just doesn't want to. The Chargers are also playing in a 30,000 capacity stadium for the next two years, which is a huge dent to ticket sales.

LA isn't building a stadium with taxpayer money either. When the time comes for the Chargers to get a new stadium, they have to hope that whoever owns the Rams then would be willing to build their own, new stadium. And keep the Chargers as a tenant. Otherwise, they have to relocate again.

ZerOCoolSC2

9037 Posts

January 21 2017 21:35 GMT

#3556

+ Show Spoiler +

GTR

51586 Posts

January 22 2017 00:42 GMT

#3557

pagano stays though
guess the next gm will decide his fate

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

January 22 2017 00:55 GMT

#3558

--- Nuked ---

Jaaaaasper

United States10225 Posts

January 22 2017 02:29 GMT

#3559

Congratz to Irsay for having a sober day for the first time in years, which is the only explanation for how long Grigson kept that job.

farvacola

United States18856 Posts

January 22 2017 14:26 GMT

#3560

I've never wanted to see the Patriots lose more than I do today. And by God, if that means I have to cheer for the Steelers, so be it. At least Shazier will be playing