NFL Teams Most Likely To Be Blacked Out In 2012

Um, Mike, maybe it's because you threatened to move the team back in 1995. Oh, and because you told them the stadium would create jobs and revenue, but ended up costing Hamilton County, Ohio, $540 million. That debt climbed as the recession deepened and expanded to a $30 million budget deficit this year alone. Add annual stadium costs to taxpayers that rose from $29.9 million in 2008 to $34.6 million in 2010 and sales tax revenue that's declined steadily since 2000 and you get crushing debt that eliminates funding for programs such as a juvenile court and rolls back the property tax cut promised as part of the stadium deal.

"Sold-out houses?" Brown's team made the playoffs last year and couldn't sell out more than two of its home games.

San Diego Chargers
Number of television blackouts last year: 2
Number of blackouts in the past five years: 5

This team sold out 48 straight games through 2010 but started feeling the blackout bug that year as mainstays such as LaDanian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie left and team ownership sought a new stadium from San Diego or the next highest bidder. This year, the Chargers have already blacked out a preseason game.

As Los Angeles and Chula Vista lick their chops, the Spanos family that owns the team is all too happy to black out the fans who refuse to pack Qualcomm(QCOM) Stadium just to watch their team drift further into mediocrity.

"We're in one of the oldest stadiums in the league, and don't have opportunities that other teams have to increase revenue with things like a bigger naming rights deal or digital signage," executive vice president and CEO A.G. Spanos told the North County Times. "We rely heavily on ticket sales as a primary revenue stream. This market has shown an ability to sell out games over the last 10 years, and we need to take advantage of that."

Never mind that the Chargers haven't shown an ability to make the playoffs since 2009 or a will to commit to the San Diego market in nearly as long. Eighty-five percent capacity won't pay for their old, publicly funded stadium or do much for their efforts to cajole a new one out of the city.