Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson seems determined to bring the Chiefs home.
The franchise started out as the AFL's Dallas Texans, before relinquishing the city to the NFL's Cowboys in 1963 and moving to Kansas City.
Following a landslide decision by Jackson County, Missouri, voters to reject a sales tax extension to pay for renovations to Arrowhead Stadium, Johnson is publicly calling for the Chiefs to return to Dallas.
Via Lucas Weese of TheAthletic.com, Johnson calls it “serious opportunityFor the Chiefs to resolve the stadium situation.
“The connections are so deep and the history is so rich,” Johnson said. “We were actually able to put together a deal that made sense to bring them here.”
Johnson declined to say whether he had discussed the possibility of moving to Dallas with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.
“I'm not really at liberty to say other than that I have good, open communication with Clark Hunt,” Johnson said. “And that line of communication remains.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones probably doesn't want other teams in the area, especially if they don't play in his stadium. Johnson seems optimistic that Dallas will eventually be deemed big enough for two teams.
“When the NFL considers its next expansion, it is unlikely to find a more lucrative or rapidly growing market to send a team to in any U.S. city that currently does not have an NFL franchise,” Johnson said. ” he said.
Mr. Johnson made other arguments about market sharing that catered to Mr. Jones' ego.
“He's a businessman and he's in the business of making money, so I can't say never,” Johnson said. “There's a strong argument that the value of the Cowboys franchise is not tied to the cities it plays in or is associated with. It's an international phenomenon at this point.”
He's right. Whether Dallas has two teams or 20 teams, the Dallas Cowboys will continue to attract large crowds and television viewers.
It's fair to evaluate the current market for potential team additions if the NFL grows or restructures. Chicago and Dallas appear to be the most likely locations.
The Chiefs' contract runs through 2030, giving Kansas City and the surrounding area plenty of time to figure out a way to keep the Chiefs local. If that's not possible, it's fair to wonder where the Chiefs could have gone. Until the Chiefs have a clear answer to the sudden uncertainty in their stadium, Dallas should at least keep the possibility on their radar screen.
