According to a report by Mark Maske, Les Carpenter and Jay Greene in the Washington Post, there’s strong support by the NFL and its 32 owners for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos buying a team, with an NFL source saying Bezos has expressed interest in the Seattle Seahawks.
NFL teams rarely hit the market, but following the death of Seahawks owner Paul Allen last year, Seattle could be an option if Bezos is indeed interested.
While a source familiar with Seattle’s thinking said the Seahawks are not for sale, Bezos has strong support from the NFL’s other owners.
“I’m sure that eventually it would be in everyone’s best interests if someone that’s as community-oriented as him gets involved in the Seattle situation,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also expressed interest in Bezos buying the Seahawks shortly after Allen’s death last year, saying at the time “I’d carry him piggyback to get him to the NFL.”
Bezos has not publicly confirmed interest in owning a professional team but would easily be able to make it work given he’s worth an estimated $109 billion.
CBS Sports reported Bezos has spent significant time around Redskins owner Dan Snyder and watched the Super Bowl last year from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell‘s suite.
Redskins spokesperson Sean DeBarbieri told the Post, however, the Redskins are “100 percent not for sale and Daniel Snyder is not looking to sell any portion of the team.” DeBarbieri added Snyder “has not seen Jeff Bezos in a decade.”
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There are Reasons for Jeff Bezos to buy the Seattle Seahawks. He lives their, both of his companies(Amazon & Blue Origin) are headquartered there. But that is not a rationale for buying the team. That would just be a billionaire family selling their toy to another billionaire.
But if Mr. Bezos bought the Chargers and moved them back to San Diego and built Blue Origin Stadium, that would be a rationale for buying an NFL franchise. Remember, Seattle and Washington DC are not Super Bowl locations, San Diego is. Bringing the Chargers back to San Diego would be the greatest ownership change in the history of the NFL!(It would also give him good press after the Queens debacle).
Mr. Bezos has said the Blue Origin is the most important thing he is doing. He needs to promote and sell rides to space, he needs to put Blue Origin out into the ether. An advertisement in between youtube videos is not going to sell many rides to space, but selling rides to space on location at the stadium will generate a lot more enthusiasm and ticket sales for rides to space.
San Diego is the origin of orbital rockets. The Atlas Rocket was developed and built in San Diego in the 1950’s. It has sunny blue skies, perfect for Blue Origin Stadium. Petco Park, The San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Legoland, Del Mar Racetrack, Balboa Park and much more. It is like a lagrange point with rich people orbiting in and out of San Diego.
If it is about Blue Origin, buying the Chargers is a smart play. Buying the Seahawks and the Redskins would be worse than a mistake, it would be a lost opportunity to really promote Blue Origin and space travel.