Football fans in the three markets in danger of losing their professional franchises will have a chance to talk directly to the National Football League.
The NFL announced Monday a series of public hearings in San Diego, Oakland and St. Louis at the end of October. The league says the purpose of the events is to “provide an opportunity for fans and others in the community to ask questions and express their views directly to the NFL before any decisions are made about potential relocation of a club or clubs from a current market.”
That sounds great but in reality it’s likely an audition for the NFL to judge how passionate fans in each market truly are about keeping their teams. Commissioner Roger Goodell will not attend the meetings but is sending members of his executive staff to speak and answer questions directly from fans.
As with most things involving the NFL, there are certain rules and restrictions to follow. One big one is, you have to pre-register to get in to the hearings. Here are the important things to remember:
- Online pre-registration and a non-transferable entry pass with a valid barcode is required for entry.
- Those interested in pre-registering to request an entry pass can do so by visiting www.nfl.com/sdhearing.
- Registration availability is based on a first-come, first-serve basis and is subject to the available seating at each venue.
- Audience members who have the opportunity to provide comments will be allotted three minutes in order to enable as many people as possible to have their voice heard.
The San Diego hearing will take place on Wednesday, October 28 at the Spreckels Theater (121 Broadway #600) from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm. The pre-registration site (www.nfl.com/sdhearing) is active starting at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20.
Season ticket holders will be granted the first shot at getting a pass, which come on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fans who can’t attend the meeting can send written comments through sd.hearing@nfl.com starting Tuesday, October 20 through November 13, 2015.
The meeting in St. Louis will be on October 27 and the one in Oakland is set for October 29.
