Jaguars’ downtown development plan will ultimately be win for Shad Khan
Look for the most important audible call in Jaguars’ history – a Plan B response to the City Council not passing the Lot J downtown development proposal – to ultimately be a victory for Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan.
Why? Several reasons, chief among them the Jaguars and president Mark Lamping did their homework. They came out Thursday with a better game plan, labeling it “1st DownTown Jacksonville.” They were more transparent in making their case for a taxpayer-funded Sports Performance Center ($120 million at a 50-50 split) for the Jaguars, as well as letting the public know the inevitable need for a renovated TIAA Bank Field that will come at a price tag likely in the $500-$600 million range.
For now, the focus is on a $441 million investment – with more than $150 million being funded by taxpayers – in a Riverfront development that includes an unnamed five-star hotel, a six-story office building and improvements to the city marina, in addition to the sports performance center.
The presentation had a more transparent feel to it than Lot J. The fact it was attended by a half-dozen City Council members, including some who voted no on Lot J, and several Black pastors was a clear indication of the Jaguars wanting to be more engaged with the community.
“This rollout was a lot different,” said City Council member Ju’Coby Pittman, who voted yes on the Lot J proposal. “It was engaging. They were more transparent about what they wanted to do. That’s what I liked about it.
“I’m sure [Khan] did all of his due diligence. He doesn’t like losing. He’s going to make sure this happens. I think they’re doing it the right way now. I think it’s lesson learned.”
The plan:Jaguars unveil $441 million plan for Four Seasons Hotel development and football complex
More:What we know about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ plans for Shipyards, football performance center
Nate Monroe:Seeking a needed reset, Shad Khan finds new allies on downtown development
Maybe it’s because Khan has fallen short trying to convince city leaders to see things his way on other projects, but this proposal has a more focused vision. There’s also a tantalizingly close now-or-never feel to this outcome for Jacksonville politicians and football fans.
If another Khan proposal is rejected, then the Jaguars’ future here beyond the lease’s expiration in 2030 becomes a significant concern. And nobody, especially politicians, wants to have their name connected to the reason an NFL team left town for a better deal elsewhere.
Khan is smart enough not to issue a public ultimatum when it comes to shelling out taxpayer money that will benefit the Jaguars and, ultimately, his bottom line. Still, every NFL owner has a limit on how far they’re willing to go to make a private-public partnership work over the long haul.
At some point, all this negotiating, posturing and counter-proposing comes to an end. Then, the city of Jacksonville must decide whether it’s willing to invest in downtown development, including the price tag for keeping the Jaguars.
Jacksonville power-brokers have to know someone like the Jaguars’ owner isn’t coming along in their lifetime to invest in the city, not from a philanthropic or business standpoint. It can’t afford to keep putting him off, which is why Khan has a better shot with this proposal and will ultimately be approved. . . .
There have been few things more bizarre in Jaguars’ history than seeing first-year head coach Urban Meyer agreeing to be part of a pay-per-view, All-Elite Wrestling script. Obviously, AEW executive Tony Khan, son of the Jaguars’ owner, coaxed Meyer into pretending to be surprised when wrestler Chris Jericho burst into his office to continue his match with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, beating on MJF with a laptop the Jaguars’ coach handed to him. Meyer bragged that it took only “one take.”
So what next cheesy AEW script does Tony Khan have in mind involving the Jaguars, some kind of tag-team thing with Trevor Lawrence and Tim Tebow? If Khan had dared to pursue this same entertainment ploy with Tom Coughlin in charge of the Jaguars, he might have had a computer thrown at him. . . .
Think this will get under the skin of Florida Gators fans: Of the top 20 incoming SEC football recruits listed by Lindy’s Sports magazine, 10 of them belong to Alabama and half of those players are from the Sunshine State, including Bradenton IMG Academy teammates JC Latham, an offensive tackle, and receiver Jacorey Brooks. The lone UF player among those 20 recruits is Miami Palmetto cornerback Jason Marshall. . . .
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin was in a tough spot on what to do about women’s basketball coach Cameron Newbauer, whose team has a woeful 15-47 secord in SEC play over four seasons. With his contract one year from expiring, Stricklin could have justifiably fired Newbauer, but chose to give the coach he hired a three-year extension this week to see if he could turn things around.
For whatever reason, the Gators have struggled in women’s basketball since coach Carol Ross (9 NCAA appearances in 12 years) exited in 2002. The SEC is such a deep league, especially now with legendary coach Kim Mulkey leaving Baylor for LSU, so Newbauer’s job is even tougher than when he got hired. . . .
A lot of numbers can attest to the amazing coaching career of Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, which will end with his retirement after the 2021-22 season. Here are two that stand out: from 1986 until 2015, Krzyzewski’s teams went to the Final Four 12 times. In that same time period, the rest of the ACC had 13 FF participants. Here’s a breakdown of the other major basketball leagues over that period: Big Ten (22), SEC (19), Big East (15), Big 12 (13) and Pac-12 (9).
Besides his record Final Four appearances, which is tied with UCLA’s John Wooden, it’s hard to envision any coach surpassing Krzyzewski in Division I wins (1,170 and counting). With 982 wins, Syracuse’s 76-year-old coach, Jim Boeheim, would have to coach at least another eight years to have a shot at catching Coach K. West Virginia’s Bob Huggins (829 D-I wins), who is 67, would also have to coach well into his 80s to approach Krzyzewski’s victory total. . . .
It’s hard to say definitively that the Los Angeles Lakers would have beaten the Phoenix Suns and possibly defended their NBA title had Anthony Davis and LeBron James been healthy, but the New York Knicks have no excuse for bowing out in five games of their first-round playoff against the Atlanta Hawks. They just affirmed their reputation as the most overrated franchise in major pro sports. . . .
So far, the entertainment value and drama in the NHL playoffs far exceeds what the NBA is putting out, with the notable exception of the Denver Nuggets’ Nicola Jokic and Portland Trailblazers Damian Lillard trading offensive fireworks. . . .
All the uproar and controversy over tennis star Naomi Osaka pulling out of the French Open because of her issues with anxiety about talking to the media could have easily been diminished if tournament organizers had exercised one option: compassion. Tennis erred by initially being more fixated on punishing Osaka than showing support for its star’s ordeal.
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