1 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Jacksonville was long the bride's maid, never the bride, the 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: bold new city of the South, desperate to convert its 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: passion for the college game into the big leagues through 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: their lot in with the likes of the World Football 5 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: League in the nineteen seventies and the U s f 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: L in the nineteen eighties. However, despite league leading attendance 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: figures for the Express, Sharks and Bulls, the city's foothold 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: in professional football folded with those leagues. This is perspectives 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: the story of the Jaguars twenty five years, as told 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: by the people who built the franchise from the ground up. 11 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: This is John Delaney, the man who would be mayor, 12 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: grew up across the river in Arlington, and remember those 13 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: football flirtations plus failed bits to land the Houston Oilers 14 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: in Baltimore Colts in September of ninety Early in his 15 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: first term as Jacksonville's mayor, he understood why the city's leadership, 16 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: both public and private, worked so hard to bring professional 17 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: football to jackson Bill. I do remember walking into that 18 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: very first game, and you had people pouring from all 19 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: over the place, from the north side and the south side, 20 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: the beaches, Black white, and for the first time everybody 21 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: in Jackville was pulling for the same thing. And and 22 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: I said, you know, this is exactly what Mayor god 23 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: Bold wanted. Was was kind of a unifying sort of 24 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: an event. And I think it's been that way for Jacksonville. 25 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: I think it's been one of the best things that's 26 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: ever happened to the city. And Lenny found himself in 27 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: the middle of a serious effort to turn Jacksonville into 28 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: an NFL city, first as the city's General Council in 29 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: the early nineties and later as the chief of staff 30 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: to Mayor Ed Austin, who was the movement's champion. He 31 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: watched the process carefully and monitored the progress leading up 32 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: to the November announcements. You know, I didn't think we 33 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: had a prayer. Um. I didn't think we had a prayer. 34 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: And you know, it was pretty clear that Charlotte was 35 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: going to get a team, and then it was really 36 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: is it gonna be Baltimore St. Louis and um, Memphis. 37 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: I thought we should have ranked ahead of but they 38 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: had the FedEx money, um UM, which you know, gave 39 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: them a little bit of viability and UM. Then as 40 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: time went on, I went to the first selection up 41 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: in Chicago with with Mayor Austin and with Wayne Weaver 42 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: and the other owners and UM and I saw the 43 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: head of the Baltimore group, whose name was Boogie Wine 44 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: Glass Um, and he had a ponytail as hair, kind 45 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: of balding, and I said, they're not picking him, and 46 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: so Baltimore was kind of out of the mix. St. Louis. 47 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: Then they had an ownership fight, you know, somebody controlled 48 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: the stadium, the other kind of the the application and 49 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: then it's just downed. Okay, it's us in Memphis, and 50 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: I thought I thought we were gonna beat Memphis. But 51 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: I didn't go for the second selection. You know, they 52 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: picked Charlotte and tabled it for a month primarily to 53 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: allow UM St. Louis to get their act together, which 54 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: they didn't weren't able to do. And I didn't go 55 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: the second time because I was expecting that we were 56 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: going to get bypassed. And I felt that that I 57 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: needed to be in town to help spend the media, 58 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: to help help speak for him because the new Mayor, 59 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: Austin was going to be back up in Chicago with 60 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: the ownership group, and uh so I was that stunned. 61 00:02:57,840 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I was sitting here trying to figure out 62 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: what we're gonna tell the media and how we were 63 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: going to explain it. And um, um, the town had 64 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: grown so excited about the prospects, um that it was 65 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: going to be a major, major disappointment. And that had 66 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: followed the other flirtations that ownership owner ownership groups have 67 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: had on maybe moving a team to town. Um. So no, 68 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: I didn't. I didn't think we were gonna get it. 69 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: I didn't think we were gonna get it. The process 70 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: was serious and well organized and run like a business 71 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,239 Speaker 1: by incredibly successful men, but it was still a long shot, though. 72 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: The arrival of Wayne Weaver gave them a chance. You 73 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 1: originally had two sort of groups that were quasi fighting 74 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: over it, and then they merged together and that was 75 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: led by Tom Pettway, and um, they had enough finances 76 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: to really make make it work under the way the 77 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: terms of the NFL's deal looked at that time, but 78 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: they really felt they needed somebody with a massive net worth. Um, 79 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: and in walked Wayne Weaver, and of course his brother 80 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: Ron was part of the ownership group, and um, you know, Wayne, 81 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: Wayne changed the name of the game um. He was 82 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: sort of a known commodity among um, the hundred millionaires 83 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: and billionaires that were in the NFL ownership group. He 84 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: had a lot of he had some credibility with him. 85 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: And Chris just a decent guy, just a regular down 86 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: to earth guy, as was his brother. And that whole 87 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: ownership group. I remember sitting on the first Chicago visit 88 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: and I think every one of the owners were married 89 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: to like their high school girlfriends, um And you know, 90 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: that's pretty rare anymore for people to be able to 91 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: stay married that long. And and there was an integrity 92 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: about what he what he brought to the equation. UM. 93 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:32,679 Speaker 1: Some of what went on on that during this time 94 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: frame was Originally we thought a fifty million dollar renovation 95 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: to the old Gator Ball was going to be enough 96 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 1: to get us in the game to compete with the 97 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 1: other four cities for an NFL expansion franchise. But as 98 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: as the Jones Is kept getting more and more bills 99 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: and whistles on their facilities, it became clear that fifty 100 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: million wasn't gonna be enough. And then it was seventy million, 101 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: and it was eighty three million, and it was nineties 102 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,559 Speaker 1: something million and a hundred and ten hundred, four hundred 103 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: and twenty three, and so town was was hit. Was 104 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: sort of schizophrenic. They thought we were being ripped off 105 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: by the NFL, but they wanted the team. And UH 106 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: and Mayor Austin was sitting here trying to get a 107 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: deal that the city could afford, which was to pay 108 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 1: for the stadium um by the same token. UM trying 109 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: to keep us in the game with enough accouterments in 110 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: the stadium and the facility to allow us to be competitive. 111 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: And you know, the deal kept falling apart. UM and 112 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: um UM I had recommended to Mayor Austin, who didn't 113 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 1: negotiate on behalf of the city. There was David Selden 114 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: Paul Harden on the other side, and and it was 115 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: oil and water. They just kept jabbing each other and 116 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: Snyde comments couldn't really get a deal pulled off. UM 117 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: and I remember going to going to Mary Austin. I 118 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: kind of had a little bit of a brainstorm, and 119 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: I said, you know, I think we've been looking at 120 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: this thing wrong. In reality, the hundred and thirty something 121 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: million dollar stadium was really largely being paid for by 122 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: ticket search charges and rent in effect, it was free 123 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: and uh um, other than the fifty million that the 124 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: city had already agreed to put into the stadium before 125 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: the NFL even came knocking. That was to help keep 126 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: the Flora Georgia game in town and and help with 127 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: the Gator ball game. And um and I remember calling 128 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: him up and I said, ed, um, what if forget 129 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: that we had this expansion thing. What if the commissioner, 130 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: Paul Taglabo called you up and said, Mayor, I see 131 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: that you're putting fifty million dollars into renovating that stadium. Um, 132 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: I want to give you an NFL team and they 133 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: will generate enough money to do another eighty eight five 134 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: million dollars worth of improvements to that stadium. So you're 135 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: gonna get a hundred and thirty million dollars stadium and 136 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: an NFL team for free. I said, I think we 137 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: take that deal. The problem was the number head kept moving. 138 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: But we shouldn't have been shocked by that number because 139 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: it was being paid for, in effect by the fans 140 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 1: that were going to the stadium. And um, and we 141 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: had a few kinks to work out, and it had 142 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: six kind of conditions. He wanted to try to iron 143 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: out Paul harden Um, who's a local lawyer and a 144 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: lobbyist and a very good friend of mine, and uh, 145 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: Paul and I got together and I said, look, I 146 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: think I can get Ed to agree to not go 147 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: on item five, but he's got to have items one 148 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: through three. Paul says, I think I can get Wayne 149 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 1: to agree with one through three, but he's gonna have 150 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: to have six. We kind of went back and forth 151 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: on that, and uh, Paul rented a conference room at 152 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: at the Pontevedrian and we met and kind of ironed 153 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: at a you know, some of the details of the 154 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: term sheet and it ended up jelling getting back together. 155 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: Tuesday November figured to be a day of significance for Jacksonville. 156 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: No matter what the NFL decided, the day the team 157 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: was selected would clearly go down on one of the 158 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: biggest days in Jacksonville's history. And uh close to two 159 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: hundred years now. And um, I'll go back real quickly, 160 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: Brian that that I actually grew up in Cincinnati and 161 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: my dad got transferred to Jacksonville UM in nineteen seventy 162 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: two and he picked me up from school that day, 163 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: which was unusual because he wasn't home normally that early, 164 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: and he says, we're getting transferred to Jacksonville, And I go, 165 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: which Jacksonville? Is it Alabama? Is it Florida? Is it 166 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: I think North Carolina or something like that, And UM, 167 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: that shows you how far off the national radar Jacksonville 168 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: really was USA today. I always would do a cover 169 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: story on kind of ranking the odds before the selections, 170 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: and and we would be fourth or fifth and virtually 171 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: every list, and only two teams were getting picked. So 172 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: you fast forward to um mayor god Bold in the 173 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: in the eighties saying, you know, this town has an 174 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: inferiority complex, one thing that I think will change it 175 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: as an NFL team. You had the flirtation with the 176 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: Colts and some others through Mayssouri and and and mayor Austin. 177 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: Then the expansion opportunity, and as I said, um, they 178 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: had a selection day, Charlotte got it and they tabled it. 179 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: And clearly that meant that they were waiting to try 180 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: to get it look like St. Louis, Um, if not Baltimore, 181 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: but I don't think they league like the Baltimore ownership group. Um, 182 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: it looked like we'd separated a little bit from Memphis, 183 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: but they were still sort of in the game. Um 184 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: so I again, I stayed in town, kind of wanting 185 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: to spend the bad news when the selection was made, 186 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: and I can't even remember who called me. Somebody gave 187 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: me a call. I think may have been Mike Weinstein, 188 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: um or may have been Paul Harden that they had 189 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: overheard I think the commissioner speaking to somebody like out 190 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: in the hallway, and he said, we got it, We've 191 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: got it, And are you serious? He says, we've got it. 192 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: He just kept saying it, We've got it, We've got it. 193 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: And then of course you're waiting to make sure that 194 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: you haven't gotten a bad tip, you know, on a 195 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: on a horse or you know, something like that, and 196 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: and and ah, the emotion of it when it hit, 197 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,319 Speaker 1: and you almost heard a roar no matter what building 198 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: you were in, you could just sort of hear a 199 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: roar in the community. And you know, the news anchors 200 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: on the television stations they almost couldn't talk. It was 201 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: just so mind boggling, you know, what was going on. 202 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: And the chamber of course through through together kind of 203 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: a quick party and and uh, quick press availability and 204 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: Mayor Austin and Wayne Weaver and others came back into town. So, um, 205 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: it still was one of those things. It's it's sort 206 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: of like, um, most lawyers will tell you that that 207 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: they wake up with a dream that they overslept the 208 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: bargs and there's something or that they'd actually failed the bar. 209 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: I still get that dream, you know, thirty something years 210 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: later after taking the bar and that was sort of too. 211 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: I'm waking up the next day. Was that real that 212 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: I dreamed that? Um? And it was just it was 213 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: a heck of a run. It was a heck of 214 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: a day. When the euphoria died down in the days 215 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: that followed, the realization set in at the to do 216 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: list was overwhelming, starting with building a place with a 217 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: new team to play well. Of course, it's it's large 218 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: for an NFL stadium, and we needed to be able 219 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 1: to get it where it could be adapted for the 220 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: Florida Georgia game, which needed about eighty three thousand and 221 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: you know, it's kind of accepted now that that's as 222 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: many as thirty thousand seats too many for an NFL team. Um, 223 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: but it is the quickest a stadium has been built 224 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: in the history of the world. I mean, nobody has 225 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,079 Speaker 1: put a stadium of that size together and that kind 226 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: of a time frame. And um, I was so naive. 227 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: I didn't think it was that big a deal at 228 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: the time until I saw what kind of a construction project. 229 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 1: The grounds were here, the west upper stands, that was 230 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: all that was remaining. Everything else gone, and um, and 231 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: you know, they kept saying, we're gonna make it, We're 232 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: gonna make it. We may not have everything quite ironed out, 233 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 1: maybe not every bathroom is working, and we're gonna have 234 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: to work the kinks out because we knew we were 235 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: going to have a packed house, you know, in that 236 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: first game or those first set of games, and um, 237 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: but it's incredible accomplishment. And I frankly credit David Selden 238 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: and Wayne Weaver on that. One of the conditions that 239 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: Mayor Austin had. He knew government couldn't build quickly and 240 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 1: on budget. Um, there's just too much red tape that 241 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: go get involved with government construction projects. So his deal 242 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: was that the Jaguars had to do it, and that 243 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: any overruns over the agreed upon price would be paid 244 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: for by the Jaguars. And that's probably the only way 245 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: it would have been done in time. And um, and 246 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: I don't even remember if we had contingency plans on 247 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: what was gonna happen if we weren't gonna make it. 248 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: We must have. I don't remember him. Um at that 249 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: point in time, you know, we moved the gate ball 250 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: game had to move really for one year, but we 251 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: did it for two because each each school needed a 252 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,319 Speaker 1: home game with Georgia and Florida. But we had to 253 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 1: be able to afford it. And UM, I had you know, 254 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: I was a prosecutor for ten years. I was the 255 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: chief assistant state attorney here and so you're dealing with 256 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,959 Speaker 1: criminal defense lawyers that you know, we're doing whatever they 257 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: can to get their their guy off, and it's usually 258 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,079 Speaker 1: a guy, and so those could get acrimonious. And when 259 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 1: you're in a courtroom, you know, you're an arena and 260 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: you're objecting and shouting down the other and arguing. And 261 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: I we had had with Wayne and with David Selden. 262 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, f bombs, probably more from me 263 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: than from them, but just horrific arguments and um, massive disagreements, shouting, matches, 264 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: pounding on the table and and I give Wayne this credit. 265 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,959 Speaker 1: Outside of a sitting around a table, he never a 266 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 1: lot to get personal and it would take me a 267 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: few blanks to kind of say, Okay, you know that's right. 268 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: I like this guy, and you know we can set 269 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 1: that aside and leave it in there. And and um, um, 270 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: you know, and I think he made some mistakes and 271 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: I made some mistakes, and um, it was a big 272 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: jump for us to be able to finance it at 273 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: the time. And um, but again our frame of reference 274 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: really was wrong because the rents and the ticket search 275 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: charges are covering the nut and so the city has 276 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: been able to afford this and actually pretty easy. Um. 277 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: You know, some feel that the team is expensive and 278 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: a lot of academics right that, you know, pro sports 279 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 1: are not good for towns. That's just baldered ash. I mean, 280 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: it's just absolutely baldered ash. And in this case, we've 281 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: got some game day expenses for security. But we have 282 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: that for concerts. Uh, we have that for Gator Bawl, 283 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: we have that for uh, you know, if there's a 284 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: big event at the beach in the spring, or the 285 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,959 Speaker 1: Air and Air and C Show when the Navy's flying 286 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,359 Speaker 1: the jets overhead. So that's what you want is amenities 287 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: and activities in a town that appeal to people. Um. 288 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:39,839 Speaker 1: I mean it may be the symphony. A lot of 289 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: people aren't sympathy people, but that adds a dimension to 290 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: a town that's positive. And this Jaguars. The Jaguars have 291 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,080 Speaker 1: more than paid their freight and and it's part of 292 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: a feel good element of this town. That's that's just 293 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: a great story. I think people take it for granted 294 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: how quickly that thing went up, and um, it's got 295 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: a little bit of an industrial look to it, but 296 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: there's not a bad sight line in the whole stadium. 297 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a great place to watch a football 298 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: all game and and uh and then with the new 299 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: ownership group, they're making it even better and better, you know, 300 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 1: I mean put in those swimming pools. I mean, who 301 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:08,679 Speaker 1: would have thought that was kind of we were mocked 302 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: around the league, But those cameras are on them. Uh, 303 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: you know in September and October when people are in 304 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: there splashing around and and uh, Mark Lamping has really 305 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: brought a lot of creativity on the marketing. That's helpful. Uh. 306 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: You know, we're no longer really the league's smallest city 307 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: setting aside Green Bay. You know, we're bigger than New Orleans, 308 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 1: now bigger than Buffalo. Were kind of working our way 309 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: up a little bit, but it's still a mid market team. 310 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: It's still a very small city to be able to 311 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: keep and host an NFL team. It took nearly as 312 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: long to build a winning football team as it did 313 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: the stadium. They were four and twelve in the first 314 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: season and one eight of their first twenty seven games 315 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: by early November. It seemed more difficult to build with 316 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: people than concrete. A sudden series of fortunate events, though, 317 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: turned the Jaguars into a winner late in the second season, 318 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: which gave Jacksonville its first taste of football fortune. If 319 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: you want to be successful as a mayor, have an 320 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: NFL team, start your first year and win the second year. 321 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: It's great on your poll numbers. And uh. Um. The 322 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: NFL learned some lessons from you know, really go back 323 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: to Tampa Bay. When Tampa you know, they were horrible forever. Um. 324 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: You know, Spurrier was a quarterback down there. I think 325 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: they won a game one year. And so they realized 326 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: that they needed to make expansion teams more competitive, and 327 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: so they kind of loaded up on some of the 328 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: draft picks and some of the things to make make it, 329 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: you know, viable. And we were viable very quickly, and 330 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: in Charlotte or Carolina not that much longer afterwards. And um, 331 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: so that season was unbelievable. And um, you know Denver, um, 332 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: that was supposed to be Denver's year. You know, Denver 333 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: was supposed to go to the super Bowl. That was alway. 334 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: Um and there's this little upstart, second year team and 335 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: they got thumped. And um. If you talk to people 336 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: from Denver that were there during that era, they're still shocked. 337 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a good thing they finally won a 338 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: super Bowl later because it was it was that was 339 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: the year they had all the cards put together. But 340 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: it it gave credibility to the team in the city. 341 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: You know, we were the Wall Street Journal doing articles 342 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: USA today, you know newsweek as as I recall all 343 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: of a sudden, you know what what is this place? 344 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: You know, what is this town? And um um and 345 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: then you know, heads is you know, some decent years 346 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: to round out that part of the decade and um uh. 347 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: And you know Tom Coughlin still is a sort of 348 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: a hero of mine. It wasn't just what he did, 349 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: it was the way he did it. He just had 350 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: a lot of character integrity. There were there were players 351 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: that we could have gotten, some that played safe for 352 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: the Dallas Cowboys that would have just torn this city 353 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: apart with some of their personal antics. And uh, and 354 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: the team Underwayne and Undershot a sort of said, no, 355 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 1: you know we we realized we've got a military town, 356 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: a southern town, and and we've got to play with 357 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: character and that's as important as winning. And Uh, someone 358 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: who's been a mayor, I appreciate that the Jaguars were 359 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: a Cinderella of shorts arriving at the ball in style. 360 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: But what was already apparent was that the life of 361 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: a small market team in the big NFL would never 362 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: be happily ever after. There would always be floors to 363 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: mop City Hall in the franchise worked hand in hand 364 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,159 Speaker 1: to build the stadium and would have to stay on 365 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 1: the same page in the years ahead. How come other 366 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: cities don't do that? Well, you can do that in 367 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 1: Dallas and New York and in in l A because 368 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: there's so much collateral revenue going in. You don't have 369 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: that in the small market towns and that's why governments 370 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 1: have to become partners on those constructions, on the construction 371 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: and bringing a team to town. Uh. Wayne Weaver in 372 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,440 Speaker 1: the Jaguars really revolutionized the club seat area. Prior to that, 373 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: Joe Robbie had done it with the Dolphins where he 374 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: ran the clubs kind of around the upper rim of 375 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: the stadium. And Wayne's saying, well, you're in the end 376 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: zone and you're paying a premium, let's put them all 377 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: between the thirty five yard line. And all of a sudden, 378 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: it was like people slapt their forehead. Why didn't we 379 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 1: think of this before? Um, not long before there was 380 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,239 Speaker 1: the realization that the Sweets Act sale where where there 381 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: could be the major money, where you'd get the major 382 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: corporate sponsors and headquarters. And um, it was a big stadium. 383 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: It was selling out. The clubs were really going for 384 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: a premium. But I give you one little anecdote of 385 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 1: some of what happened. UM. A friend of mine, um 386 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: Baryln Houston. She's from the McGhee mac paper family in town, 387 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: and her husband was a physician who had died some 388 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: years earlier. And she told me one time, she said, 389 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 1: you know, the only good thing about being a widower, 390 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 1: was no football. And she says, now where am I 391 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: on a Sunday, I'm sitting in a football standing watching 392 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: them watching a football game. And so, um, a lot 393 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,439 Speaker 1: of people bought tickets early that couldn't really do it 394 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: beyond the first couple of years. I think usually think 395 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: there's a three or four year, five year sign up 396 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 1: on on some of those tickets. And so you still 397 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: had people, you know, in there in their forties and 398 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: older that were really more going to Gamesville and going 399 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: over to Tallahassee and you know, taking the whole day 400 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 1: to go to that game. So you had you had 401 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: a little windowing. And of course that coincides when you 402 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: get losing. Um, as Patton said, Americans level winner. And 403 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: and that's that's that's true of this town as well. UM. 404 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: I still maintain that this town has done a phenomenal 405 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: job of supporting a team when it's had some hard 406 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: times on the field in terms of a win loss record. 407 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: And and uh, um, I mean the saturation level, the 408 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: the TV ratings have always been very very high for Jacksonville, 409 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: you know, both home and away. Um, when you think 410 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: of the percentage of the population that has to be 411 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 1: in the stadium on on a on a home game 412 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: on a Sunday, it's immense and um and forget take 413 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: out little kids and elderly people that uh, you know 414 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: maybe you can't move. Um. So I I think the 415 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: city has been great with it and um and you know, 416 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: we've had two great owners. I mean that's that's a blessing. 417 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: Not every city gets at and um uh you know, 418 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: people that are interested in the town and interested in 419 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 1: in that game day experience. And uh so there was 420 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: some resistance in the early years to improving the facility. 421 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: Now I think it's sort of expected. You know, you've 422 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: got virtually every other city has either a new or 423 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: all actually brand new stadium, and you do have to 424 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 1: do some keeping up with the Joneses and so shot 425 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: and Lamping Mark Lamping. I think I've done a phenomenal 426 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: job and being creative and making this more and more 427 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 1: attractive for people to come through and you know, adjusting 428 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:14,719 Speaker 1: the seat size and those kinds of things to make 429 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,120 Speaker 1: it work. And uh but it's always gonna take work 430 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 1: in a in a smaller, medium sized market and um, 431 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: you know, I understand what it's like being being mayor 432 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: of the city that that you know, the cah A 433 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: is with those bigger cities that have longer, deeper history 434 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: or have old old money or old corporate old corporate money, 435 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: and um you know, pick on Indianapolis for example, essentially 436 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: that's the only city in that state and the capitals 437 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: there as well. You know, we have three NFL teams 438 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 1: in this state, and um so a lot of these 439 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: other places. They're kind of the player. Um Carolina with Charlotte. 440 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: That's kind of it really for two states when you 441 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: get down to it, and they can draw from the Greenville, Sparkinburg, 442 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: Columbia market as well to go to a go to 443 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: in a NFL game there. So, so we're up against 444 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: a lot to make this work, not the least of 445 00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: which is University of Florida and Florida State that are 446 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: just a couple of hours away. The Jaguars became a 447 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: success three in their first five season, going to the 448 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: playoffs four times twice making the a f C Championship Game. 449 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: The partnership was clearly a winner. They put the band 450 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: back together in two thousand to try and win again 451 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: for North Florida, this time Super Bowl thirty nine. That 452 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 1: is an incredible story on the landing of the Super Bowl. UM. 453 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: I did not really have an idea for how complicated 454 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: logistically that is. UM, whether it's the hotel rooms, the generators, 455 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 1: the cable um, UM, the security UM. UM. You know 456 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: they don't want planes flying over a stadium. UM that 457 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: they've they've really got a protocol. It's a thick notebook 458 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,360 Speaker 1: they hand you when you're applying. This is what you've 459 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 1: got to do to be able to get a Super Bowl. 460 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: And that was really an act of will by Wayne Weaver. 461 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: That's another thing where where the ownership group their people too, 462 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 1: and relationships count there and the owners liked Wayne and 463 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: sort of another one of the revolutionary things along with 464 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: the way he rethought the club seats, UM was this 465 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: idea that you know, you need to move that Super 466 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: Bowl around, you need to reward a team or a 467 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: city that has invested to upgrade the facilities. And it's 468 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 1: a way for the team to start to make a 469 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: little bit of money back to be able to help 470 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: put back into the facility. And UM, so its revolutionary. 471 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: And I had no idea the amount of work that 472 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: that took. I mean I sat on that committee and UM, 473 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 1: the Tom pet way and Peter Rummel chaired, and and 474 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: they hired the right people to come in to to 475 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: make it work. Um, I mean cruise ships. We didn't 476 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: have enough hotel rooms, so we bring in all these 477 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: cruise ships and uh, which worked out great. People loved him. 478 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: It was kind of like having a party and and 479 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 1: uh um. You know, in a lot of the cities 480 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 1: other than the big, huge ones like say in Miami, Um, 481 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: you know, people will stays hours away to be able 482 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:49,680 Speaker 1: to come in to go to a Super Bowl, and 483 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:51,880 Speaker 1: drive to three hours to be able to come in. 484 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 1: And uh. I remember talking to the then mayor of Miami. 485 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 1: He kind of shrugged his shoulders about a Super Bowl. 486 00:22:58,119 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: He says, you know, it's kind of a pain in 487 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: the neck. And we've had so many of them. It 488 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: doesn't mother me if we don't get one this year. Um. 489 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:05,879 Speaker 1: That's a little different when you're a big, big city 490 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 1: or a big metro area like Miami, you know, l 491 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: a New York, et cetera. And um, um, so ill 492 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: we'll get another one eventually. And um, I always had 493 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: the worry that we didn't have enough time. The one 494 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: advantage I had as I left office in July of 495 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: two thousand three. So it was Mayor John Payton's issue. 496 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: And and I often joke it's easier to get a 497 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: super Bowl and it is to put one on. And 498 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:29,960 Speaker 1: so he actually had the harder job, although he was 499 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 1: of course mayor when the super Bowl was here and 500 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: and uh uh and was able to represent the city 501 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: well and all those you know, international and national interviews 502 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: that go on to kind of talk about the city. 503 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: So it was a good showcase for us. There's a 504 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,120 Speaker 1: few hiccups, there's no question that that happens. I went 505 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: to Sam Musa, the the city CEO under me and 506 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,880 Speaker 1: under the current mayor. Um we went to the Atlanta 507 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: Super Bowl um um to kind of get a little 508 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: feeling a vibe for it, the one that Emmett Smith 509 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: sort of just ripped it open to win. And and uh, 510 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 1: there's no question in Atlanta is a natural fit with 511 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: the amount of open space that it has in the downtown. 512 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,879 Speaker 1: But Bay Street just turned into a big street party. 513 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: You know, from the Main Street bridge all the way 514 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: down to the stadium. That's I don't know a mile 515 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:12,400 Speaker 1: and a half or two miles mile and a half. Um. 516 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: So we pulled it off the cruise ships were critical 517 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: to it. And uh, but you know, since then, we've 518 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:23,199 Speaker 1: added the you know, the arena, the baseball park and um, 519 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: which are usable to be able to kind of be 520 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: able to you know, nurse those those games along, bring 521 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: them along. Tiny Jacksonville, the market everyone wanted. His second 522 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: guest found a way to win again. It required vision, passion, 523 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: and the special personal touches brought first by Wayne Villere's 524 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: Weaver and end Coon family. I grew up Cincinnati where 525 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: with the Cincinnati Reds, and I was there when the 526 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: Bengals came to the town. They actually had an NBA 527 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: team at the time. And um, of course I was 528 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: a kid. But um, they're kind of distant, you know. 529 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 1: And some of these other cities, the owners really don't 530 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 1: live there, you know. Or and um shots here a lot. 531 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: He may as well live here. And but he's kind 532 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: of a man of the world. Um. I don't know 533 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 1: if there's any owner in any sport, in any franchise 534 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: that worked as hard to be a part of this 535 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: community as wayned the Lord's Weaver. Um, you know, they're 536 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: worth a fortune that can live anywhere in the world 537 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: they want. Um, they fell in love with the town 538 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: and um um and you know, have given away tens 539 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: and tens of millions of dollars to try to make 540 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: the town even better. And they really don't want anything, 541 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 1: you know. And and uh but it's beyond that to 542 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,120 Speaker 1: the other ownership group, you know, Laurie Dubo and Tom 543 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: Petway and and uh. Um you can kind of run 544 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: down the list that they are people that are here 545 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 1: in town. I think, what Wayne Way, they're nice people, 546 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: you know, do you start with that? They're they're not 547 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: you know, aloof haughty, better than better than that, That's 548 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: just not who they are. And um and of course, 549 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,159 Speaker 1: when you've got to town this size, um to be 550 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: able to buy those suites and buy blocks of club tickets, 551 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,959 Speaker 1: you are integrating with the bankers and the realtors and 552 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: the manufacturers and the you know, the businesses that make 553 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: up the backbone of the town. And um and and 554 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 1: Wayne was willing to go and talk to people. UM. 555 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 1: I don't know if many owners do that, you know, 556 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 1: maybe for one big sponsorship naming the stadium. But Wayne 557 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: was willing to talk to, you know, blocks of people 558 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: that were looking at buying a few club seats. And UM, 559 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: I think as as you look too. He knew early 560 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: on a small market midsize city is going to be work, 561 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: but he sure was willing to do it. And and 562 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: his wife too. I mean, they're very much partnership. They 563 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: were co owners. Um Um. You can't really mention Wayne 564 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: without mentioning Dolores and vice versa. It hasn't always been easy. 565 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:46,120 Speaker 1: Life rarely is, but it's always been rewarding for Delaney 566 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: and the city of Jacksonville, who in twenty nineteen celebrate 567 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 1: twenty five seasons with the Jaguars, twenty five seasons in 568 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 1: the NFL. Well, you know, I think what we've got 569 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: to keep, and it's it's a great frame of reference, 570 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 1: is how much it really has changed. You know, the 571 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 1: practice fields used to be on the south end of 572 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,440 Speaker 1: the of the stadium where that Pepsi Plaza has been, 573 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: and what now is the Daily's place, the Amphitheater. Uh, 574 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: we've got an enclosed practice facility, which you really need 575 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,959 Speaker 1: in the south because of the of rainstorms and and 576 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: the temperature is not not necessarily the issue. Um Um. 577 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: How deeply seated the the the owners, the consecutive owners 578 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 1: have been in terms of supporting the community and and uh, um, 579 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:30,959 Speaker 1: I just like the integrity of the team. I mean, 580 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: you know, obviously, you know some players are going to 581 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: get into trouble, but but overall, the team has really 582 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: kind of put some values on what its role in 583 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: the community. And and uh, but yeah, it's it's hard 584 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,399 Speaker 1: to imagine that old Tinker Toy Gator Bowl stadium. You know, 585 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: it was metal. Um you know, you bang your feet 586 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: when you know if you were a bulldog or a 587 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,360 Speaker 1: Gator for the Florida Georgia game or in the Gator 588 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: Ball game. And and to have the thing we've got 589 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 1: now with the amenities and the clubs, it's it's really 590 00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: the arena next door. I said, it's like watching a 591 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: sporting event in the luxury home till it's a it's 592 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 1: a great way to go. Um. I thought doing the 593 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: big jumbo tron TVs were crazy. I was crazy. It's 594 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 1: they're spectacular. I mean, they're absolutely spectacular. And um uh 595 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 1: the Dailies placed the Amphitheater. It's a phenomenal place to 596 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,159 Speaker 1: watch a concert in the show. It's just it's just, 597 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: you know, additional amenities the Jaguars have helped bring to 598 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 1: this town and so many of the players stay in town. 599 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:25,159 Speaker 1: There here, they like this town, they like raising a 600 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 1: family here in town. And that's quite a compliment. Um. 601 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: I think I think Jackson has been good for the NFL. 602 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: And it's sure as vice versa as well. I've often 603 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: said l as l a with her without an NFL team, 604 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: um Um, the same could frankly be said for New York. 605 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: But um uh, this is a big part of our 606 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: identity and our psyche and and we need to do 607 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: our best to keep this town that this team in town. 608 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: And uh, things change, you know, TV starting to starting 609 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: to have a little impact on attendance, whether it's college 610 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: or or in the NFL. And and just like anything, 611 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: it's a competition. You gotta keep up to uh to 612 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: make that entertainment dollar work. And so um it's fun 613 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: for my kids and my grandkids to be a Jaguar. 614 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 1: They're growing up as Jaguar's first and um, and it's 615 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: just becoming very it's it's become a very big part 616 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: of the town in the time of town psyche and 617 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: to be wearing the jerseys and the hats and the 618 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: colors and those kinds of things, and it makes it 619 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: a special part of this town and and uh, um, 620 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: you know the near run to the super Bowl. You know, 621 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: one or two whistles, bad whistles or lack of whistles 622 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: away a year before last we would have been in 623 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: the super Bowl. And um, and should have been in 624 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: the super Bowl. Um. And you know that's gonna happen 625 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: with his team, and it's gonna, it's gonna The city 626 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 1: is just gonna love it. It's gonna rise up and 627 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: enjoy it.