Scott Merryfield
Senior HTF Member
Plus, why not challenge the NFL in a case like that? You want a team to stay stagnated in an area that doesn't support its team?Teams do not always move because of lack of fan support. Oakland fans have always supported the Raiders, and Modell moved the Browns despite Cleveland having one of the most loyal fan bases in the league. Owners hold cities hostage to get new stadiums built with other people's money, or to get the best lease arrangement possible. If the Raiders and Browns are willing to move, it can happen to any city, except maybe Green Bay (since the city owns the team).
Don't make Davis and Modell's motives out to be anything more than they were. They didn't give a damn about the fans, only about following the money. The same thing happened with the Colts, Oilers, Rams and Cardinals (although Bidwell wasn't bright enough to do it right).