Rams moving?

[Upper Class Trash 67]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/kroenke-buys-a-stadium-sized-plot-of-land-in-l/article_af7e5b59-0b30-5978-ad5d-2a7b3b0878d6.html

 

 

So, us St. Louis folks found out last night our owner purchased 60 acres in Los Angeles in 2012. He did this before he met with the city and didn't mention it. He had one of his other companies purchase the land hoping nobody would find out. It's pretty well known he has a media deal in place already should he move the team to Los Angeles. With a large private media deal, he can contribute more towards building a new stadium himself. The NFL has already stated they "must" have a franchise in LA prior to the next tv deal being negotiated. Kroenke can move the team anytime after 2014 with no issues as his lease here is up.

 

Personally, I hope he goes. We've supported this lousy franchise by selling out every home game. Most fans leave at halftime as we are usually losing, especially over the last 8 or 9 years, but the games are always sell outs. St. Louis cannot afford to build him a new billion dollar stadium. We have the 2nd worst economy in the nation, behind only Detriot, but we have supported this lousy franchise. Knowing he's already made this land purchase makes them moving seem like a done deal. He broke off talks on a new stadium here in the Fall. There isn't a man I respect less than Kroenke.

 

So, I hope Ebola strikes Kroenke. He's a shady ass businessman that has ties to LA. He screwed Khan out of buying the Rams, but waited to take over until his media deal in LA was worked out. Not a big loss as I fully expect Khan to move Jacksonville here if the Rams leave. Still, sad to see the team is run by a guy who treats the fans this way. They are getting better as a team just in time to excite another city. Looks like us St. Louis Homers will be paying more attention to the Jaguars draft this Spring.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

If the Rams leave and Jags come in, why not just trade franchises and keep the Rams in St. Louis.

 

It has happened before.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086414/2/index.htm

[Upper Class Trash 67]

Kroenke is a jackass, but a very smart jackass. He could have purchased the Jaguars, or any other team for sale, had he wanted. I think he's only worth around $15 billion. I was reading on various sites that he could get $200 million from the NFL if they move for relocation fees, hundreds of millions from the sale of PSL's and gather current investors in LA willing to put another $400 to $500 million into moving the Rams there. He would get his billion dollar stadium without paying a penny. Khan would move the Jaguars here within a couple years. In all honesty, I hope the Rams do move. Kroenke isn't willing to spend a dime on the team or the new stadium he wants. Khan made it very clear in his interviews he will put hundreds of millions towards a new stadium out of his own pocket. I'd prefer an owner willing to invest in his team and the city supporting them.

[TheFantasyFootballSow 5]

St. Louis Jaguars.... works for me.

 

The rams history of relocation is what it is. But please don't complain about how bad they've been until 2031, as that is when you are next DUE up. (32 years = 32 teams winning it.) You guys had the greatest show on turf years, so you can shove it about watching some bad football... which St. Louis hasn't even been that bad. Except for wasting the prime of SJax, that was horrible.

 

However, Khan and the Jags moving to town seems like a best case scenario for St. Louis. You could finally rename the franchise something regional that the city is known for. Like the St. Louis Riverboat Disasters.... or the St. Louis Beers. Or the Auto Parts.

 

You know, something classy.

[R8RMick 242]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/kroenke-buys-a-stadium-sized-plot-of-land-in-l/article_af7e5b59-0b30-5978-ad5d-2a7b3b0878d6.html

 

 

So, us St. Louis folks found out last night our owner purchased 60 acres in Los Angeles in 2012. He did this before he met with the city and didn't mention it. He had one of his other companies purchase the land hoping nobody would find out. It's pretty well known he has a media deal in place already should he move the team to Los Angeles. With a large private media deal, he can contribute more towards building a new stadium himself. The NFL has already stated they "must" have a franchise in LA prior to the next tv deal being negotiated. Kroenke can move the team anytime after 2014 with no issues as his lease here is up.

 

Personally, I hope he goes. We've supported this lousy franchise by selling out every home game. Most fans leave at halftime as we are usually losing, especially over the last 8 or 9 years, but the games are always sell outs. St. Louis cannot afford to build him a new billion dollar stadium. We have the 2nd worst economy in the nation, behind only Detriot, but we have supported this lousy franchise. Knowing he's already made this land purchase makes them moving seem like a done deal. He broke off talks on a new stadium here in the Fall. There isn't a man I respect less than Kroenke.

 

So, I hope Ebola strikes Kroenke. He's a shady ass businessman that has ties to LA. He screwed Khan out of buying the Rams, but waited to take over until his media deal in LA was worked out. Not a big loss as I fully expect Khan to move Jacksonville here if the Rams leave. Still, sad to see the team is run by a guy who treats the fans this way. They are getting better as a team just in time to excite another city. Looks like us St. Louis Homers will be paying more attention to the Jaguars draft this Spring.

 

I wouldn't worry too much, this definitely won't happen. There is a reason LA hasn't had a football team since 1994. There were reasons then, and they have multiplied tenfold since.

 

On paper, it may look good at first. I actually grew up very close to the area in discussion, adjacent to the LA Forum and what used to be a horse racing track at Hollywood Park, and I know it well. I used to sneak into Laker and Kings games as a kid at the Forum. If Hollywood Park was still open, it would be much easier. But that land got sold for development. You could've used that parking, the parking at the Forum, yeah it may have worked at one time. I know Al Davis toyed with this idea and actually almost pulled it off. The Raiders were going to build a stadium next to Hollywood Park, and play their games either at Dodger Stadium or the Rose Bowl until it was finished. He got very little help, and a big pain in his arse from the LA Coliseum Commission, which had strong political ties. He took the sweeter deal and went north to screw the people in Oakland.

 

Logistically the sight has pros and cons. The most important, if you live in the LA area, is accessibility. There are three major freeways on all sides of this property, with large side streets leading in to boot. This is VERY important to fans there, trust me. The city airport LAX is maybe five miles away at most, and Inglewood is maybe 10-15 miles from downtown LA. The area had a rich sports history with the Lakers and Kings. I always liked Inglewood as a sports city.

 

On the flip side the location lies in an economically poor section of the southland. The LA Riots in 1992 began just a couple miles east of there, and it was always a place to watch your back. Nothing as bad as the Coliseum mind you, but potential trouble. Also, it is directly, and I mean DIRECTLY in the flight path of LAX. Think Shea Stadium here, but worse.

 

There are other groups that have an interest in bringing football to LA, both at Staples and that pipe dream in Irwindale. They would push back. Plus there is still the bloodsucking trolls on the LA Coliseum Commission, though I'm not sure how much power they wield these days. Couple all that with IMPOSSIBLE environmental impact regulations foisted on the state by its progressive legislature. And lastly any venture to build a stadium will not receive one thin dime from public money, THAT is guaranteed.

 

As much as it hurts me to say so, LA is just not a great sports town anymore. The distractions, the melting pot of immigrants (from other US states NOT south of the border), have molded the atmosphere into one of just not giving a f*ck' when it comes to an NFL team. They'd rather get their extra game on TV. I'm not kidding.

[LaChup 158]

L.A. already has one pro football team........USC! They may not play like it, but they get paid like it.

[R8RMick 242]

L.A. already has one pro football team........USC! They may not play like it, but they get paid like it.

This is very much true, though that Bandwagon has lost a little luster in recent years.

[AnaheimRams 28]

The reason LA will not have an NFL team anytime soon? Once somebody moves there... owners won't have that big 'ol bat to bludgeon their hometowns into buying them stadiums.

 

Secondary reason... LA doesn't even WANT a football team.

[Upper Class Trash 67]

 

St. Louis Jaguars.... works for me.

 

The rams history of relocation is what it is. But please don't complain about how bad they've been until 2031, as that is when you are next DUE up. (32 years = 32 teams winning it.) You guys had the greatest show on turf years, so you can shove it about watching some bad football... which St. Louis hasn't even been that bad. Except for wasting the prime of SJax, that was horrible.

 

However, Khan and the Jags moving to town seems like a best case scenario for St. Louis. You could finally rename the franchise something regional that the city is known for. Like the St. Louis Riverboat Disasters.... or the St. Louis Beers. Or the Auto Parts.

 

You know, something classy.

 

 

The Rams wanted to keep their name when they moved from LA. In the local paper, the city voted on the name to be the St. Louis Stallions, with some awesome new uniforms. Georgia didn't want the name changed though.

 

We may have had the Greatest Show on Turf, but what is our record since then? We continually sell out every home game and line the pockets of Kroenke. We have the worst draft record over the last decade of any team in the NFL, per Lindy's magazine. It could be worse, I'll grant you that. My isn't that they are a "bad" team so much as it is the owner wanting to leave when he's putting a product on the field and we're still selling all the tickets. This isn't Jacksonville or Tampa, where the stadium is half empty in the first quarter. I was in Tampa during the first month of the season and you could walk right up to the gate on game day and buy tickets. That owner isn't moving. I can see why Khan will move Jacksonville eventually. It is similar to LA. Too many other things to do in Jacksonville to worry about football. His stadium is surrounded by nursing homes and people who are still talking about the good 'ol days of football, when they didn't wear helmets and are the players made $6 per game. To say the community there is old is an understatement.

[weepaws 2,514]

really ? who cares if they move .

[BuschWack 56]

really ? who cares if they move .

As a fan of the NFL product in general, I found this information and "take" from a SL fan interesting. Will I care if they move? No, but I don't think the OP was asking us to care.

 

Nice post OP.

[tjung0831 4]

   

 

The Rams wanted to keep their name when they moved from LA. In the local paper, the city voted on the name to be the St. Louis Stallions, with some awesome new uniforms. Georgia didn't want the name changed though.

 

We may have had the Greatest Show on Turf, but what is our record since then? We continually sell out every home game and line the pockets of Kroenke. We have the worst draft record over the last decade of any team in the NFL, per Lindy's magazine. It could be worse, I'll grant you that. My ###### isn't that they are a "bad" team so much as it is the owner wanting to leave when he's putting a ###### product on the field and we're still selling all the tickets. This isn't Jacksonville or Tampa, where the stadium is half empty in the first quarter. I was in Tampa during the first month of the season and you could walk right up to the gate on game day and buy tickets. That owner isn't moving. I can see why Khan will move Jacksonville eventually. It is similar to LA. Too many other things to do in Jacksonville to worry about football. His stadium is surrounded by nursing homes and people who are still talking about the good 'ol days of football, when they didn't wear helmets and are the players made $6 per game. To say the community there is old is an understatement.

 

No...the team was always going to be the Rams when they moved here. The Stallions was going to be our expansion team name had we been chosen for expansion.

[Upper Class Trash 67]

You are correct. It was our expansion team name, but when Georgia was asked about changing the name, she flatly refused. I see her point though, it was her husband's team and there was no way she would change it. Still, those mock helmets they had in the Post Dispatch were pretty awesome looking. Hopefully the next team will want a better looking uniform. I've never much cared for ours.

[highsider5 36]

do not want

 

signed, SoCal

[SaintsInDome2006 128]

If the Rams leave and Jags come in, why not just trade franchises and keep the Rams in St. Louis.

 

It has happened before.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086414/2/index.htm

 

Very good article.

 

I knew about this as history but it's an interesting read.

 

This affected a lot of NFL history, the Colts were never so good after Irsay took over, they had been a powerhouse before.

 

The Rams took off under Rosenbloom and seemed to be as competent a franchise as the Colts had been.

 

Too bad all around. It's also interesting to see how the Colts were pushing for a stadium as far back as then in the early 70s / late 60s.

[Cloaca du jour 2,081]

And the Browns get moved to either Jax or Tenn. Depends which moves to L.A or St. louis

[highsider5 36]

can they be detoured to like Anaheim or something? LA is a "wasteland"

 

 

If the NFL puts a team west of the 57, I'll never buy a single ticket

[Raider 84 29]

I hope they become the London Rams. Let's get them out of here.