during Wednesday night's Lakers-Clippers contest at Staples Center.
By Ariel Mutha-Tafoya
FSN Sports
Widespread rumors that the 12th Avenue Bakers will relocate to Los Angeles during the offseason gained new momentum this week in the face of the failure of the Bakers’ organization to specifically deny them.
The rumors apparently were set off by a perhaps coincidental visit to the city by Bakers owner QCurl Sharif, who was spotted leaving the Los Angeles County Municipal Building and later was seen touring the Los Angeles Coliseum, which was the home field for the Raiders the last time pro football was played in the city. Sharif’s itinerary — he also reportedly met with actor and longtime friend George Clooney — fueled speculation that the purpose of the trip was to explore the possibility of relocating the beloved, but long-suffering NFFA franchise to California.
While they have not mentioned the Bakers’ organization by name as a target, officials in Los Angeles County have long been known to covet a return of professional football to the area.
In Los Angeles this week, the rumors triggered something of a groundswell of grassroots support for bringing Sharif’s team to town — including T-shirts sporting the name Los Angeles Bakers with a cannabis leaf in the background. Graffiti with the slogan ¡Viva Los Bakers! also has appeared around the city.
As some analysts have pointed out, the move would make sense on several levels. “The Bakers are just one among four teams fighting for attention and turf in Nashville,” noted ESPN’s Skip Clueless. “They could own the L.A. market. They already have a national following, thanks to QCurl and his high-profile celebrity friends, many of whom live in L.A. Plus, you saw what moving out of Nashville did for the Mojo, who were arguably the most festered operation in the history of the league. Sure, they choked this season, but at least they, like, tripled their average annual win total first. So a change of scenery might do the Bakes some good. And could you imagine how people would flock to a Cherry Bomb West?”
Bakers PR Maven Faith Popcorn said Sharif was unavailable for comment, only adding to the speculation about a move by the team. A spokesperson later said that Sharif’s visit to L.A. and meeting with Clooney involved the possibility of an investment in a bar in Brentwood that would be known as The Wine House, an apparent reference to Sharif’s former consort and the mother of the CurlBaby, the ill-fated child who was consumed by Shiva in November.
The rumors apparently were set off by a perhaps coincidental visit to the city by Bakers owner QCurl Sharif, who was spotted leaving the Los Angeles County Municipal Building and later was seen touring the Los Angeles Coliseum, which was the home field for the Raiders the last time pro football was played in the city. Sharif’s itinerary — he also reportedly met with actor and longtime friend George Clooney — fueled speculation that the purpose of the trip was to explore the possibility of relocating the beloved, but long-suffering NFFA franchise to California.
While they have not mentioned the Bakers’ organization by name as a target, officials in Los Angeles County have long been known to covet a return of professional football to the area.
In Los Angeles this week, the rumors triggered something of a groundswell of grassroots support for bringing Sharif’s team to town — including T-shirts sporting the name Los Angeles Bakers with a cannabis leaf in the background. Graffiti with the slogan ¡Viva Los Bakers! also has appeared around the city.
As some analysts have pointed out, the move would make sense on several levels. “The Bakers are just one among four teams fighting for attention and turf in Nashville,” noted ESPN’s Skip Clueless. “They could own the L.A. market. They already have a national following, thanks to QCurl and his high-profile celebrity friends, many of whom live in L.A. Plus, you saw what moving out of Nashville did for the Mojo, who were arguably the most festered operation in the history of the league. Sure, they choked this season, but at least they, like, tripled their average annual win total first. So a change of scenery might do the Bakes some good. And could you imagine how people would flock to a Cherry Bomb West?”
Bakers PR Maven Faith Popcorn said Sharif was unavailable for comment, only adding to the speculation about a move by the team. A spokesperson later said that Sharif’s visit to L.A. and meeting with Clooney involved the possibility of an investment in a bar in Brentwood that would be known as The Wine House, an apparent reference to Sharif’s former consort and the mother of the CurlBaby, the ill-fated child who was consumed by Shiva in November.
