L.A. talk proves NFL is still about greed

   If the lockout and labor negotiations weren't already nauseating enough for football fans, suddenly the greed-machine known as the NFL is getting giddy about moving (at least) one team back to Los Angeles.
   You see, L.A. officials are proposing a $1.35 billion stadium project.  At the same time, there are a couple cities (Minnesota, San Diego, Oakland) where taxpayers are feeling a bit reluctant to fork out the ridiculous costs to build their current franchises a new place to play.
   So the NFL - which is always willing to sacrifice making a few more dollars for the good of its loyal fanbase - has wasted no time putting those cities on the short-list to have their teams snatched away and moved out west.
   Call me old fashioned, but I absolutely hate seeing teams relocate.  Just like the current work stoppage, it's a reminder that my favorite sport is a money-making business first.

Proposed football stadium in Los Angeles

   Don't be fooled.  This isn't about bringing football to the deprived citizens of L.A.  This is about revenue sharing, capitalizing on new television contracts and making a few more dollars for all the billionaire owners that already have more than anyone needs. 
   L.A. has already watched three teams leave town.  In 15-20 years, when this new stadium is "old", there will be demands for another.  And if the city balks at that proposition, the team will head off to San Antonio, Portland, Toronto, London, whatever.
   Surprisingly, the Bills weren't on the most recent list of relocation targets.  Buffalo fans might be breathing a temporary sigh of relief, but they shouldn't get too comfortable.  The ommission had more to do with Ralph Wilson's unwillingness to publicly announce future plans for the team... not about the Bills long-term security in Western New York.
   Maybe it's sympathy pains, but I feel sorry for fans of the Vikings, Chargers, Rams, Raiders and Jaguars.  For years, they have bought overpriced tickets and expensive team memorabilia. They have flocked to the stadium and wasted countless Sunday afternoons cheering their team on.
   But what does support mean to the owners who are only concerned with squeezing every last dime out of dimwitted fans?
   If the Packers weren't owned by stockholders (an ownership structure which, by the way, is now against the NFL rules), there is no chance they would still be in Green Bay - a city of only about 100,000 people.  Forget the team history.  Forget the legacy of Super Bowls, Vince Lombardi and Bart Starr.  The Cheeseheads would have lost their football team years ago.
   Going back to the late 1940's, the Cleveland Browns were one of professional football's most successful franchises.  They won a total of eight (pre-Super Bowl) championships.  They boasted the era's best player in Jim Brown.  They have always gotten incredible love from their fans.  The city was rewarded in 1995 when Art Modell took the team to Baltimore.  
   Few teams get the unwavering support that Buffalo gives the Bills - especially for a team that has never won a championship and been on the losing end most of its history.  But unless the Bills are eventually purchased by someone absolutely dedicated to keeping the team in Buffalo...local support will ultimately mean nothing.
   In an offseason where greed has dominated the headlines, this L.A. talk is just the icing on the cake.  And as a Bills fans, it's a reminder that in the game of professional football, the fans will always lose.