Feb. 20--Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday remained upbeat about the city's efforts to woo a professional football team, even as newly announced plans for a potential NFL stadium in Carson seemed to diminish prospects of L.A. landing a franchise.
"I still know the best place for it is here," Garcetti said.
For two decades, L.A. has been without an NFL team. In recent years city officials have sought to stoke league interest in a proposed downtown stadium called Farmers Field, next to the Los Angeles Convention Center, which would be upgraded as part of the plan.
Garcetti said the convention center could be improved with or without football.
"We don't remain dependent on football to continue our momentum downtown," he said.
The Times reported Friday that the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are instead mulling a stadium deal in Carson. That development comes after St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced last month that he plans to build an 80,000-seat stadium in Inglewood.
While both deals would be a boon to Southern California football fans, they also seemed to reduce the odds of a team taking up residence in the city of Los Angeles.
Garcetti said the situation could still change.
"Absolutely not," he said when asked whether the possibility of an NFL team in the city of L.A. was dead. "Look, in football, there are always wild twists and new plays, both on the field and off. We remain prepared to be a partner with a great stadium deal."
