Jacksonville Jaguars and their effect on the City

[FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER]

In 1995 I left Jacksonville and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I left for a better job and different scenario as nothing was going on in Jax and I felt a change was needed. I did the right thing at the right time. When I left Jax, I was elated and proud that Jax had landed a football team. I was certain that landing an NFL Franchise would definitely put a "shot in the arm" into Jacksonville and once again awaken a City that has always been first in the State of Florida, but in the last three decades had seen extremely hard and embarrasing times.

Once the Jaguars came to town, and I did keep tabs on everything from South Florida, many things began to happen positively for Jacksonville. All of a sudden, people around the state and the nation were not afraid to say the word Jacksonville. Jabs and making fun of Florida's "corn pone" paper mill smelling city had almost ceased. Jacksonville began to emerge from being a laughingstock to Florida's best kept secret. It appears that landing an NFL Team had immensely helped Jacksonville and gave it the shot in the arm it so sorely needed and wished for to get it on the national and international map.

But is Jacksonville an NFL or top tier sports City? Lately there has been rumors and talks of the Jags relocatiing to Las Vegas or Orlando. And what about the covering of seats because the residents will not buy enough tickets to evade "blackouts" from happening within the local Jax market? All of these are signs that though Jax is emerging into a national and international contender, it may soon lose its football team if the City and the metro area does not come together and faithfully support the Jacksonville Jaguars.

We cannot refute that part of the reason why downtown is emerging is because of this marketing and promotional exposure, though indirect, is because of the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars. Would all of this construction boom, strong population increase, and positive pschological identity have happened if the Jaguars had never come to town? It probably would have but on a much lower scale and not at the rapid pace and intensity that is now sweeping Jax and Northeast Florida. Jacksonville has indeed been given the "shot in the arm" that it has wished for, prayed for, and almost sold its soul for.

Jacksonville must do everything that it can and humanly possible to keep the Jaguars. It would be a crying shame if the franchise moved. City leaders need to keep their eyes and ears open when they see and read, or hear and comprehend tidings or even rumors of the football team moving, or any antsiness or unhappiness from Wayne Weaver. Jax must keep the ball rolling on its image, its progress, its success, and its new found identity thanks in large part to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Will all of this stop if the Jags leave town? Probably not. But the possiblity exists that Jax will once again become a sleepy, non-factor on the national and international scene, with a dead image if the Jaguars pack up and decide to leave Northeast Florida.

BOTTOM LINE.......KEEP THE JAGUARS AT ANY AND ALL COSTS!

FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER

[wolfdawg54]

Did you read the other post. The Jaguars will not be relocating anytime soon:

A Wayne Weaver does not want to move

B Jacksonville is on an upward swing

C The reason why the seats will be covered is that Jacksonville has a really small market for a huge stadium

It looks good for the Jags to stay in Jacksonville

[mwfsu84]

I'm a season ticket holder who lives in Atlanta - I've had tickets for five year and will probably upgrade next season.

The Jags average almost 70,000 fans a game, and have one of the finest facilities in the league. Those are grounds for leaving?

Yes, attendance slacks off when the teams loses. But after four consecutive losing seasons, the team acutally increased its season ticket base last year to roughly 55,000.

I agree the Jaguars are a critical catalyst to downtown improvement. Wayne Weaver agrees too, which is why he's building his new home in the new billion-dollar Shipyards development downtown.

Doesn't sound like a guy interesting in leaving to me.

[wolfdawg54]

And right you are because Weaver is a hometown owner. He will stay in Jacksonville even when things get tough. Owners like Wayne Weaver will stay longer and toughen it out longer due to his ties with the community rather than owners who aren't.

[93sportie]

Jags top million in local grants

The Jaguars Foundation has awarded $274,115 in grants to 12 agencies in its second grant cycle of 2004.

This, in addition to the earlier awards in 2004, brings the total of $1,160,830 for 2004, the fourth year in a row that the Foundation

[wolfdawg54]

Exactly. The Jaguars are also very active in the community and the Weavers are as well. Thanks!