A.G. Gancarski
The most interesting part of the State of the Franchise event for the Jacksonville Jaguars, for this writer, came at the end.
In a press gaggle, where the same sports reporters went through the same tired questions about London and relocation, this reporter was finally able to push forward and get a question in.
There have been moshpits with more clearance.
The big question I had for Shad Khan: How did he work the switch between supporting Alvin Brown for reelection and Lenny Curry for Mayor?
And where did he stand on expansion of the Human Rights Ordinance to LGBT people.
His answer was straightforward.
“I’ve got an investment here,” Khan said, adding that while he supported Brown in the mayoral race, he has to “respect” the will of the people.
“Lenny’s a great guy,” Khan said, and “he represents the city well.”
Fielding a question on the HRO, which would be a foregone conclusion in London, or any of the other places Khan does business, Khan cut through the handwringing and the blather as a man with a few billion dollars in the bank will do.
“It’s like civil rights,” Khan said. “It’s so late that it’s not even worth talking about.”
Khan said he’d talked to Brown about it. Presumably, given the political symbiosis between Khan’s organization and the Curry administration, similar conversations have been had … if not from Khan, then at least from his lieutenants.
The politicians were all smiles on Friday. Lenny Curry posed for another fist bump picture with Khan, which looked more organic than the one on the London trip. Khan said that “we plan to be in Jacksonville” and “we want to flourish,” with “certainty and stability” the goal.
But the business of The State of the Franchise was, of course, business.
According to Jaguars President Mark Lamping, business is picking up.
Despite being a small market, local revenue is “going in the right direction” though there is a “long way to go.”
Local revenue is “critical,” Lamping said, offering financial “flexibility” that helps with contract options.
Downtown development, Lamping added, is a “major part of the strategy,” a revenue stream along with the proposed entertainment district and the stadium revamps that were, as you would expect, presented to look genuinely transformative and state of the art.
Local revenue was up 8 percent year over year, down from 24 percent the previous period; however, with local revenue now 26th in the league, “we’ve turned the corner.” This is helped with fan-base penetration that is 11th in the league.
Renovations will help with that revenue stream; Lamping said that in cities where renovations happen, the average ticket price goes up 50 percent.
The reduction in club seats was addressed.
“The thing that made Jacksonville an NFL city was the sale of club seats,” Lamping said. The “demand the first five years was a little bit artificial.”
To that end, club seats renovations, with more space to walk around and open space in the club section, is both “necessary” and the “best plan.” Customized colored lighting for things like the Georgia/Florida game is a unique value add also, and the team will chip in half the money on the removal and adding of temporary seating for that.
The “amphitheater,” Lamping said, is a “misnomer,” as it’s an “open-air covered theater” with seating capabilities akin to Radio City Music Hall.
London is also part of that plan: The revenue potential per game is 180 percent of that of a Jaguars game.
The Jags intend to “protect their position” for “franchise stability.”
City Council bet $45 million of the city’s money on the Jaguars. The mayor’s office pushed hard.
But clearly, part of the deal for Shad Khan is to make Jacksonville a truly global city.
Politicians running for reelection would be wise to double back on his comments on the HRO.
