Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson seems determined to bring the Chiefs home.
The franchise began as the NFL's Dallas Texans, before turning the city over to the NFL's Cowboys and moving to Kansas City in 1963.
In the wake of Jackson County, Missouri, voters' overwhelming decision to reject a sales tax extension to help pay for the renovation of Arrowhead Stadium, Johnson is publicly courting the Chiefs to return to Dallas.
Via Lucas Wiese of TheAthletic.com, Johnson described it as “Serious opportunity“For the Chiefs to resolve their playing field situation.
“The connections are so deep, the history is so rich,” Johnson said. “We can actually put together deals that would make sense for them to bring them here.”
Johnson declined to say whether he had spoken to Chiefs owner Clark Hunt about a possible move to Dallas.
“I'm not at liberty to say other than that I have a good, open line of communication with Clark Hunt,” Johnson said. “And that line of communication remains.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones certainly didn't want another team in the area, especially if it wasn't playing in his home stadium. Johnson seems optimistic that Dallas will eventually become big enough for two teams.
“When the NFL looks to its next round of expansion, they will not find an American city where there is no current NFL franchise that would be a more lucrative or faster-growing market to base a team in,” Johnson said.
Johnson made a separate case for market sharing, an issue that would satisfy Jones' vanity.
“Never say never because he's a businessman and he's in the business of making money,” Johnson said. “There's a strong case to be made that the value of the Cowboys franchise is not tied to or associated with the city it plays in. It's an international phenomenon at this point.”
He's right. The Dallas Cowboys will continue to draw large crowds and television audiences regardless of whether Dallas has two or 20 teams.
If/when the NFL grows and/or reshuffles its ministry, it is fair to evaluate the current markets for a potential addition to the team. Chicago and Dallas appear to be the most likely candidates.
The Chiefs' lease runs through 2030. That gives Kansas City and the surrounding areas plenty of time to figure out a way to keep the Chiefs local. If that doesn't happen, it's fair to wonder where the leaders might go otherwise. Dallas should at least be on the prospect's radar screen for the Chiefs to have a clear answer to the sudden uncertainty on the field.
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