The NFL has had no presence in Los Angeles since 1995, when the Rams and Raiders went missing. More accurately, the Rams took off for St. Louis and the vagabond Raiders returned to Oakland. The NFL kept looking at L.A. as an expansion site, but the failure to secure an appropriate stadium site instead sent the league elsewhere, elsewhere being Houston in 2002.

The league is taking the lead on re-establishing itself in the nation’s No. 2 market, and making the kind of noise that indicates a coming timetable. Three teams – the Raiders, the Rams and the San Diego Chargers – have serious stadium and/or lease problems, and any one of them (or perhaps two) could relocate to L.A.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that the NFL would begin surveying potential suite holders and buyers of club seats and season tickets as to what amenities they’d like in a stadium. It’s a good start.

Rarely has the citizenry clamored for the NFL. The good people seem happy with college football on Saturday, thanks to UCLA and USC, and Sunday spent watching out-of-market games while not having to sit one more time in freeway traffic. The Rams and Raiders left town for exactly that reason – not enough fans in the stadium seats. The NFL wants to be there, though, and again hold the Super Bowl in that gigantic market.

The Chargers are probably the favorite to move; they already have a presence in L.A. The Raiders may be the most desperate, sharing a decrepit ballpark with the Oakland Athletics. The Rams’ lease issues can probably be worked out in St. Louis, but their owner also owns land in L.A. that could be a prime stadium site.

Today’s question

Does it make sense for the NFL to go back to L.A., and which team should move there?

Answers in the comment box, please.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .