With public hearings on the docket in St. Louis, Oakland and San Diego, a sliver of hope appeared in Missouri as none of the three teams looking at a Los Angeles move may all be blocked.
According to NBC Sports, a key group of owners, including Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who also happens to be on the NFL’s Los Angeles committee. The key issue for Richardson and his crew seem to be how successful the city of St. Louis has been in screwing over their tax base since the summer.
NFL public meeting on LA relo is part of a process. Here are the 6 things that need to happen before Rams can move. https://t.co/dE87549DYY
— Nathan Rubbelke (@stlbiznrubbelke) October 20, 2015
St. Louis has successfully put together a new stadium proposal with a $1 billion facility along the Mississippi river. The city went to court to overrule the voters and impose a city tax to help fund the deal and won. National Car Rental stepped in with a 20-year deal on naming rights to the new stadium worth $158 million. The only roadblock now is a $150 million funding bill that the taxpayers will get to at least complain about to their state representatives before its voted on.
So St. Louis has actually done all it can to keep the Rams. There’s only one problem. It won’t work.
The issue in this case isn’t the stadium that Rams owner Stan Kroenke is building in Inglewood, Calif. with his own money and with the complete support of every single state and local politician in California. In this case it has everything to do with the Rams’ current year-to-year deal with the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis can build a new stadium. The Rams don’t have to come.
#STLStadium backers have a new spin on how the city can cover gap in their financing. It ain't cheap. Here my blog: https://t.co/QF7U9lob6R
— Ray Hartmann (@rayhartmann) October 23, 2015
With the Rams switching to the year-to-year deal last season, that gives the team until 2025 to sit there and do nothing, if no other reason that to spite the city of St. Louis for blocking their move to L.A. And all that is predicated on Kroenke deciding to forgo a court battle with the NFL to move, which the league would undoubtedly lose anyway.
In Kroenke’s corner is Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, and while Kraft’s position with the league has taken a hit, Jones is still very influential and he made it clear he thinks Kroenke can do what he wants with his team and the NFL can’t and shouldn’t stop him. According to Jason La Canforna, Kroenke would have moved to Los Angeles last offseason if not for his desire to follow NFL protocols.
Story regarding #STLNFL financing plan updated with links to BoA bill and financing plan. https://t.co/f0kKRwxEwW
— Nathan Rubbelke (@stlbiznrubbelke) October 23, 2015
The league itself has made it clear it wants a team in Los Angeles too, but the owners Richardson represent would rather it be the San Diego Chargers, as they feel it would be less “disruptive” to the fan base. I would think the legion of Rams fans in L.A. who haven’t had a team for the last 20 years would probably disagree.
As for the Chargers, they’ve announced they’ll officially apply to relocate to Los Angeles, even without a stadium plan in place. There’s a good chance that the Chargers and Rams could share the Inglewood stadium. The Chargers are open to staying in San Diego and seem to be the only team in the three-way race willing to stay in their current city. Only the city hasn’t come up with a viable stadium option to keep them.
Chargers counsel confirms they will apply for LA relocation. Wrote primer this week on all things NFL-LA: https://t.co/J97ONlaihN
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) October 24, 2015
The Chargers also have the most to lose by letting the Rams come into L.A. alone as 25 percent of their season ticket revenue has come from the Los Angeles market. But moving with the Rams could only be good for both teams.
The public forum in St. Louis is Tuesday at the Peabody Opera House and it will be standing room only as all 1.500 spots have been filled as local city officials and Rams season ticket holders meet with representatives of the NFL. The forum in Oakland will be Wednesday and San Diego Thursday.
Of all the cities that could potentially lose their team, St. Louis has the most viable situation for another team. Will the NFL be willing to placate them with an expansion team? Would St. Louis be willing to plug in a displaced Jaguars team that should have been theirs to begin with?
Jacksonville Jags continue to play in London, Wonder if they would head to StLouis if Rams move back to Los Angeles #NFL knows best!
— Chris Myers (@The_ChrisMyers) October 22, 2015
We should know more by next weekend, but one thing is almost certain. The Rams have all the power in the move and the only thing that will keep them in Missouri is if they choose not to use it.
