In a news conference on Saturday, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue talked with the media, voicing his intentions to combine the New York City's two professional football teams, the Jets and the Giants, into a single franchise.
"With the advent of re-alignment, and after talking with the owners of both franchises, we thought maybe it was time for a change," Tagliabue said.
"Strangely enough, it was my 12-year-old nephew who asked me why New York [City] has two teams. I couldn't come up with any good answer, so I gave it some thought and have been talking with the owners all week."
The owners of the Jets and the Giants have yet to decide on which name the new team will take, or whether to draft a new one. Fans can vote an http://www.espn.com, or send an e-mail with the subject line "New Name" to nymascot@nfl.com starting Thursday.
They plan to announce the results following the 2002-2003 season.
Home games will continue to be played at the Meadowlands, but extra seating will be built to accommodate the combination of New York football fans the owners hope will create the biggest home-field advantage in NFL history.
"This is my dream come true," said Manhattan resident Bob Richards. "I can now die a happy man."
