The plans for a new football stadium in downtown Los Angeles could be on the verge of extinction if Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) does not alter the financial plan it has presented to NFL officials, according to Yahoo! Sports.
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Three sources told Yahoo! Sports that billionaire developer Phil Anschutz, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft all met in Denver three months ago when the Broncos hosted the Patriots. Villaraigosa reportedly hoped to convince Anschutz to change AEG's financial terms for teams moving to the proposed site, which included a clause that would allow AEG to buy a stake in the franchise at a discounted rate.
Goodell reportedly told Anschutz at the meeting that the league and any team potentially moving to Los Angeles would not accept his terms. Kraft's comments reportedly mirrored the commissioner's during the meeting.
"It was friendly, but boiled down to the view that no NFL owner would accept the terms proposed," one source told Yahoo! Sports. "If (AEG) wanted to get that much control over an NFL franchise, their only option would be to buy a team. If they were willing to back off the control and buy a [limited partnership] stake for a reasonable price, then a shared interest in selling suites/clubs/sponsorships could be worked out."
Sources have told the website that Anschutz has not changed his stance in the months since the meeting, and the NFL has not received a new proposal from the billionaire or AEG. AEG is supposed to unveil an Environment Impact Report on the site in early April.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to comment to Yahoo! Sports on if Goodell met with Anschutz, and AEG spokesman Michael Roth declined to comment because Roth said he does not speak for Anschutz.
