NFL Rumors: Magic Johnson Ready for a Los Angeles NFL Team

Is Los Angeles ready for some football?

Magic Johnson is ready, as he's interested in possibly buying a share for a future NFL team to come to the city.

Earlier this week, the basketball legend sold his interests at the Los Angeles Lakers ($27 million) and his Starbucks stores ($75 million) "because it was a business decision."

Now, Johnson has $102 million floating around and is "interested" in bringing the NFL to the City of Angels.

How feasible is this?

Billionaire Ed Roski is Trying to Build an NFL Stadium

The Los Angeles Football Stadium proposal will be an $800 million project.

Billionaire real estate businessman Ed Roski has unveiled a blueprint for the Los Angeles Stadium, a 75,000-seat stadium to be built in the City of Industry, a Los Angeles suburb 20 miles from downtown.

The stadium would be located at a heavily congested freeway interchange (I-60 and I-57) and would be funded without any taxpayer dollars, with the notable exception of the $500 million bond for infrastructure costs, which was passed by City of Industry voters in a landslide vote (59-1) in 2009.

Part of the argument for a new stadium, developers claim, would be the creation of 18,000 jobs and $320 million in residents' salaries.

A new stadium will be a big lure for a possible NFL team to relocate.

If the Stadium Is Built, Teams Would Be Interested

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OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 10: Michael Bush #29 is congratulated by Langston Walker #70 and Jason Campbell #8 of the Oakland Raiders after Bush scored a touchdwon against the San Diego Chargers at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 10, 2010 in Oakland

Los Angeles used to have some NFL action on Sundays with the Raiders and the Rams.

The Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 when Al Davis was the team's owner. They met with moderate success, including winning Super Bowl XVIII.

However, the Raiders did not stay because of stadium issues. They shared the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with the USC Trojans. However, Davis did not like the neighborhood the Coliseum was located in (Monday Night Football games for the Raiders were always away games because the neighborhood used to be dangerous).

Davis asked for a new stadium, but the city said no, so the Raiders moved back to Oakland. 

The Rams were in Los Angeles for a longer tenure, relocating from Cleveland in 1946. They won an NFL championship in 1951 and competed in Super Bowl XIV against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Moving to Anaheim in 1966 but still representing Los Angeles, the Rams could not get the city or Orange County to commit to building a new stadium because there were three stadiums already in use.

If Roski can complete the project, an NFL team might pack its bags to L.A.

Which NFL Team Would Come to L.A.?

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OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 10: Ryan Mathews #24 of the San Diego Chargers runs with the ball during their game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 10, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

For the moment, the NFL is adamant about not expanding the league after the addition of the Houston Texans brought the team total to 32 and realigned the conferences to four-team divisions.

There are possible buyers in a move.

The San Diego Chargers are the most promising, as they already market themselves in the Los Angeles area. They would also be able to stay in their same division and not move far from their fan base.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are also mentioned in possible relocation plans as they are in financial trouble, but there would be a penalty if the Jaguars opt out of their stadium lease early.

The Minnesota Vikings are another possibility, but that would be unlikely because they have been established in Minneapolis since 1960 and have long-storied rivalries with the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers.

L.A. Is a Great Sports Town

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 21: Fans cheer for the Los Angeles Lakers during their victory parade for the the NBA basketball champion team on June 21, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 87-79 in 7 games for the franchise's 16

The Los Angeles metropolitan area is huge and home to the second largest market in the country.

Sports plays a large role in L.A.'s economy. Professional teams include the Lakers, Clippers, Galaxy, Sparks, Kings and Dodgers. The USC Trojans also have their football team play in the Coliseum.

The fanbase for the Dodgers and Lakers, the city's most storied franchises, are strong. If an NFL team would come to L.A., it could possibly gain a great marketing opportunity and a loyal fanbase.