Angels renewing stadium talks with the city of Anaheim

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are looking to renovate the Big A after looking over some near by areas for a possible relocation. While discussions are in the early stages, this could be a hot button issue for the fans more than anything.

The Angels have had some interesting moments as a franchise since their inception in 1961. In 1961 the team was officially named the Los Angeles Angels. Then in 1965 the name was changed to the California Angels; that name, would stay with Angels for over two decades. The Anaheim Angels became the new team name in 1996. Now, the Angels are known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

It’s not uncommon for a team to reinvent itself. Whether by relocation, logo change, or even a team name change, teams come up with ways to enhance themselves. In the NBA, the New Orleans Hornets became the New Orleans Pelicans following a name change at the hands of the Charlotte Bobcats who became the Charlotte Hornets.

The Halos however, are quietly having a bigger problem. A problem that could trickle down from ownership to fans given the situation. The problem is deciding to remain at Angel Stadium or move to a different location.

The Halos tried to strike a deal with the city of Tustin, a city in Orange country eight miles from Anaheim. The talks however broke down to lack of economical resources need to fund the project. The Angels have revisited talks with it’s current stadium home in Anaheim to renovate the current stadium.

The Angels have a lease with the city that runs until 2029. They have the ability to opt-out of that lease in 2019. However, reportedly there has been no communication with the city council on the matter.

Should Halo fans be concerned? Yes, losing a stadium could almost ensure a relocation. When the Seattle Supersonics owner Clay Bennett could get the city to financially help with the rebuilding of Key Arena, they relocated to Oklahoma City as the Thunder.

One thing is clear, the Angels of Anaheim do not want a situation like Seattle to be at their door step.

The situation involving Seattle became ugly at it’s beginning. The fans of Seattle had their team’s history taken from them. There was finger pointing and two sides to the story that made headlines across the sports world throughout the process. While Oklahoma City itself did nothing wrong, you can’t help but feel bad for the city of Seattle.

Currently, The Angels are flirting with the same predicament. Quietly going to other cities and inquiring about moving the Angels out of Anaheim is a sign that Arte Moreno has other plans for this organization.

The Angels are born, rooted, and alive in Anaheim despite their record this season. The team has a home with the city and it’s fans. It would be a shame to see this city lose it’s Angels. Originally, the Angels ended talks with Anaheim in 2014.

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The Angels have branched out to Los Angeles, Carson, and Irvine and probed for stadium negotiations. As of now, no on-going talks are being reported. As this story continues to gain momentum locally, and nationally it will not benefit the Angels or the fans.