As the potential relocation of a franchise to Los Angeles looms, the league apparently will be taking steps to reduce the potential distraction arising from a team trying to move.
Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal reports that the NFL is considering shrinking the window for submitting relocation applications from January 1 through February 15 to February 2 through February 15.
Not February 1. February 2. Coincidentally (or not), the Super Bowl will be played on February 1.
It’s an obvious move to ensure that news of the Rams, Raiders, or Chargers relocating to L.A. won’t eclipse or undermine the postseason. If a team moves, folks in the city to be abandoned will be upset. Why have that dark cloud looming over the playoffs?
“It never made sense to me that the window to apply for relocation began right at the start of the playoffs,” former Raiders president Amy Trask told Kaplan. “I understand why the league would want to take away the distraction of a relocation application, or applications, during arguably what is the most exciting part of the football season.”
Of course, there was no need to change the window is no one would be moving. Now that relocation is becoming more likely, the changing of the window could be the clearest piece of evidence yet that a change of address is coming for at least one NFL team.
