[Bette]

Nobody in Ohio's US House delegation has spoken out yet, but Buffalo's congressman Brian Higgins is urging the NFL to revise ownership rules so communities can float stock deals to purchase the local professional franchise.
The Bills could move to Toronto because the city of Buffalo's economy is in a serious downturn. He wants the league to authorize deals like the one Green Bay arranged so long ago that let the city purchase the Packers and keep the team in town.
Higgins says small markets -- think places like Cincinnati -- are chained to the whims of owners they cannot buy out. He said stocks and voting rights are the solution:

"If the league is serious about the preservation of small markets where fans have nurtured its teams throughout league history, it must review its policy preventing community ownership."

The economy in Buffalo is terrible -- Cleveland and Cincinnati are not in as bad a shape. But both Ohio cities are way off their prime. Higgins contends the Packers should be the NFL's role model for preserving football in a distressed community like Buffalo:

"The result has been one of the most stable and successful franchises in history, as the Packers have become a financial asset to the league far beyond its ability to raise revenues locally. As the Packers have demonstrated, community ownership leads to a level of community pride and team support unrivaled in professional sports."
The Daily Bellwether: Opening A Hole To Run Bengals' Mike Brown Out Of Town? NFL Pressed To Change Ownership Rules

Do you like this or not? No one can argue that the Packers have not been successful.

[Lefty Noob]

I don't see why a city should have that option, but all the franchise in question have owners. I can't see forcing them to sell if they don't want to either. But, yeah, if the Packers can do it, other cities should have the right to do it as well.

[Bette]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

I don't see why a city should have that option, but all the franchise in question have owners. I can't see forcing them to sell if they don't want to either. But, yeah, if the Packers can do it, other cities should have the right to do it as well.

I dont think they can be forced to do it. Face it, the owners have too much money to be forced to do anything. But maybe the owner would be willing to sell rather than trying to move somewhere else. I am not really sure on this so I am just speculating.

[azrael492]

I think you are right. They can not be forced to give up ownership to the city. I remember when the Browns left Cleveland for Baltimore they city tried everything they could to try and make them stay. In the end, all they could get was the rights to the name Browns

[Seahawker 562]

I cant even imagine the pack moving to another city. LA packerss