NFL IPO on The NYSE? I Want To Buy Stock In The Bills First

[BillsImpossible]

If The Packers can do it, why can't Bills fans? Imagine how many shares of stock this team could sell to their loyal customers? That would make a great Christmas present. I hate double standards. Why are the Green Bay Packers the only team that is allowed to be owned by their fans?

And why doesn't the NFL itself go public with an IPO? In 2004 Google went public with an Initial Public Offering of $85 per share. Today, Google is trading for more than $1,063 per share. Maybe the NFL doesn't want to go public because they don't want to open up their books? Vegas might have a slight say in the matter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers)

"The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States."

http://www.packers.com/community/shareholders.html

Green Bay Packers Inc., has been a publicly owned, nonprofit corporation since Aug. 18, 1923, when original articles of incorporation were filed with Wisconsin’s secretary of state.
One of the more remarkable business stories in American history, the Green Bay Packers organization has been kept viable by its shareholders — its unselfish fans. Even more incredible, the Packers have survived and thrived during the current era, permeated by free agency and the NFL salary cap.
Fans have supported the team financially through five stock sales: 1923, 1935, 1950, 1997 and 2011.
Today, 364,122 people (representing 5,014,545 shares) are owners of the iconic franchise.

[Skooby]

Dream, dream dream dream.

[alohabillsfan]

Rofl

[Crisis]

If The Packers can do it, why can't Bills fans? Imagine how many shares of stock this team could sell to their loyal customers? That would make a great Christmas present. I hate double standards. Why are the Green Bay Packers the only team that is allowed to be owned by their fans?

And why doesn't the NFL itself go public with an IPO? In 2004 Google went public with an Initial Public Offering of $85 per share. Today, Google is trading for more than $1,063 per share. Maybe the NFL doesn't want to go public because they don't want to open up their books? Vegas might have a slight say in the matter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers)

"The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States."

http://www.packers.com/community/shareholders.html

Green Bay Packers Inc., has been a publicly owned, nonprofit corporation since Aug. 18, 1923, when original articles of incorporation were filed with Wisconsin’s secretary of state.
One of the more remarkable business stories in American history, the Green Bay Packers organization has been kept viable by its shareholders — its unselfish fans. Even more incredible, the Packers have survived and thrived during the current era, permeated by free agency and the NFL salary cap.
Fans have supported the team financially through five stock sales: 1923, 1935, 1950, 1997 and 2011.
Today, 364,122 people (representing 5,014,545 shares) are owners of the iconic franchise.










Because it's specifically not allowed anymore and the Packers got grandfathered in.

Teams use PSLs to get easy money out of fans now since they can't sell stock.

[OpIv37]

We've been over this: the NFL changed the rules after the Packers went public. Now, every team must have a principal owner who controls 40% of the team (Iirc- it may be a majority). If the league wants to move a team, they want the financial interests controlled by an individual or a small group. There is too much at stake to leave it in the hands of a city full of rabid fans.

The Packers were grandfathered in.

[SpikedLemonade]

I find his posts more and more amusing.

[GingerP]

The Packers were grandfathered in.

This.

League bylaws strictly prohibit corporate or public ownership. Teams have to be privately owned, other than the Packers who were public when the league was formed.

There actually was talk of the league forcing the Packers to find a private owner, after their last "stock" offering where they raised millions for worthless pieces of paper. The other teams got their noses out of joint because they couldn't do the same. Never went anywhere, though.

[GvilleBills]

We've been over this: the NFL changed the rules after the Packers went public. Now, every team must have a principal owner who controls 40% of the team (Iirc- it may be a majority). If the league wants to move a team, they want the financial interests controlled by an individual or a small group. There is too much at stake to leave it in the hands of a city full of rabid fans.

The Packers were grandfathered in.
Yep. While it would be awesome, thems the breaks.

A Google search could've replaced this thread.

[OLDSRIP]

This question has been asked and answered many times over the years.

Happy Thanksgiving evyone!!

[K-Gun]

This question has been asked and answered many times over the years.

Happy Thanksgiving evyone!!

but why can't those rules be re-written? Its not written in stone.

[SpikedLemonade]

but why can't those rules be re-written? Its not written in stone.

Because the NFL has no interest in doing so.

[Raptor]

I love how this exact thread pops up at least twice a year

[Raptor]

but why can't those rules be re-written? Its not written in stone.

it actually is, the leverage of a possible move is how most new stadiums get built in the NFL. Zero chance NFL gives that up

[sukie]

Question... If the Packers can do it why not Buffalo? (Or has this been gone over hundreds of times already?)

[LVGrown]

Yep. While it would be awesome, thems the breaks.

A Google search could've replaced this thread.

I don't think there has been a topic on this discussion board that could not have been answered by google. We may as well close these boards ... after 10 years of visiting them I don't think there's anything on here that hasn't been beaten to death.

[stuckincincy]

I don't think there has been a topic on this discussion board that could not have been answered by google. We may as well close these boards ... after 10 years of visiting them I don't think there's anything on here that hasn't been beaten to death.

True. Football is a 4 act play that's been running for over a century.

That's why drinking is so important. :beer:

[Generalissimus Gibby]

As countless others have said in many many threads, its because the league changed the ownership rules and the Pack's community ownership was grandfathered in. BTW, two questions:

1) When did the league change the bylaws?
2) Who --what owners voted what way-- was responsible?
3) Is there any primary source material out there online that one wouldn't have to go to Canton, OH to peruse?