Despite having a football team with a 1-8 record, it looks like Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan will have a much easier time getting City Council approval of his planned $63 million renovation than his predecessors had when they went for what was a $134 million remake of the old Gator Bowl.
Back then, there was no NFL team, just a lot of hope from Touchdown Jacksonville, a group of investors led by insurance agent Tom Petway who was hellbent on landing an NFL franchise.
Khan is asking the city to back $43 million of the $63 million it will cost to fund the world's two largest scoreboards and other stadium improvements at Everbank Field. The council could vote on the request during a meeting Tuesday.
For several years, Petway was the name, the face and the soul of the campaign to bring NFL football to Jacksonville.
Petway knew the odds for Jacksonville were long. He also knew there would be no team without a much-upgraded Gator Bowl.
Today, it's easy for us to forget what the struggle was like 20 years ago or all that went into getting the NFL to select Jacksonville for an expansion team in 1993.
For the benefit of those who were not here, it got ugly.
At one point, Touchdown Jacksonville and the city signed a lease agreement based on the city spending more than $110 million for stadium improvements.
The agreement was set to be approved by the council and a big signing ceremony was to be staged in the Jacksonville Landing.
But, at the last minute everything fell apart and the council sent the agreement back to a committee for further review.
My memory is that eventual Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, who had stepped forward as the majority investor for Touchdown Jacksonville, threatened to desert the Jacksonville effort and Touchdown Jacksonville dropped out of the NFL bidding.
Yet, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue wanted to keep Jacksonville in the hunt and personally intervened with Weaver and Mayor Ed Austin to put the deal back on track.
After more than a month of turmoil, the council negotiated a new deal based on a pledge by the city to spend $121 million to renovate the stadium.
And, the rest is history.
Now, as Khan pushes for stadium upgrades, he has an entirely different set of issues.
At the time he needs support, Khan is facing dwindling fan enthusiasm because of the team's poor performance.
It's not unusual to see cynical comments on social media from people who ridicule the idea of the city spending money for super scoreboards and water features while contemplating closing libraries.
Khan and the Jaguars will pay $20 million and Mayor Alvin Brown has said the city will finance its $43 million share by bonds paid for with a portion of the city's bed tax that is currently being used at the sports complex facilities, including EverBank Field.
That means the money to finance the bonds will come from a tax on hotel rooms paid by visitors. Yes, the same visitors who watch the Jaguars and the opposing team on television. The same fans from Indianapolis or Buffalo who see the river, the waving palm trees and the short-sleeved shirts and shorts of the fans hanging around a water feature that would be frozen outside their door.
That money will not come from property tax revenues or any fees paid by local taxpayers.
Although not common knowledge and not communicated well enough, by law, these bed tax funds can not be used to fund libraries or other city services.
As I said earlier, it is hard to like the Jaguars being 1-8, but I have to think that most people here believe the Jaguars are good for Jacksonville.
People sure don't want the franchise to move to another city as has been rumored by national sports writers.
Khan seems to have done everything possible to dispel the notion that he or the Jaguars are leaving Jacksonville.
He's put in millions of dollars to renovate the locker rooms.
He financed the purchase of the Laura Street Trio and Barnett Bank Building.
During the recent London trip, he stepped out in front to turn international attention on Jacksonville that will create investment and jobs.
But, he still faces skeptics.
When Khan spoke to the council last week in an effort to secure funds for the stadium improvements, he was very bullish, calling the team a civic asset and a "world class kind of attraction" that draws economic power to Jacksonville.
The super scoreboards and other improvements are part of what Khan calls improving the game-day experience for fans.
Nothing improves the game-day experience — and generates enthusiastic fan support — like winning football games. I still have a sense that this season, although not the desired record, is part of a plan to build a Super Bowl contender in the next three or four years.
If the Jags were winning, Khan's request of the council would most likely be a slam dunk.
My guess is, for the most part, this council gets it. And, most likely council members will approve the $43 million request on Tuesday, giving Khan his second win of the week.
Let's hope so.
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