[Elvis]

There was a big rally in front of the BOA meetings today..

https://m.facebook.com/KeepTheRamsInStL ... &source=48

Yep. Message delivered loud and clear...

[SoCalRam78]

The Riverfront stadium was never about offering something substantial to the Rams. It was all about blocking the Rams from moving by waving their arms and yelling, "look here a stadium proposal with flashy pictures.....public money offered...Rams can't move because bylaws....herp de derp." The band leaders have been Shane Gray and Bernie Miklasz from the get go. Of course now that the end game is near and the details and numbers have to be revealed, the finances do no look too hot for the Rams or the NFL. Of course, ESK knew this from the get go. All the voodoo math and shady politics to avoid a vote, and the net result will be a plan that will be deemed shit on arrival. If the NFL blocks the Rams, the new precedent for keeping an NFL team will be this low bar. If this was offered to another prospective owner who would have to also pay a relocation fee to move to the Midwest, it's an even worse deal.

That's why I chuckle every time I hear Bernie M's babble about the city offering two new stadiums in 25 years. Yes, the first one, the warehouse, was built on the government's dime, Bernie. You're at about 30-35% on this one if the aldermen even pass it, and the rest is coming from the team and league. And for what, to lock a team in a crappy market for 30 years? Shockingly, ESK who has made billions in real estate is not so easily fooled.

[bubbaramfan]

SoCal, I'm betting the owners aren't so easily fooled either.

[snackdaddy]

I kind of think that one of the things Kroenke liked about the Rams when he bought them was they had an easy out and, therefore, huge upside potential.

So i'm not sure St. Louis really ever had much of a chance to keep the Rams. They're just not that lucrative of a market.

From everything I remember, I don't think ESK was particular about which team he bought into. He tried to buy into at least one or two other teams before purchasing his 40% of the Rams.

Also, I think he was sincere about making the Rams an international brand in St. Louis. At least up to a point. The more we all see STL and how it does things, I think it becomes clear that they are not easy to work with. Eventually, ESK's money-making genes were going to kick in and if he had to work his ass off to get something done for the Rams, why not focus that energy into a much more lucrative situation? But I don't really feel like his intention all along was to move the Rams. I think it just evolved to that point.

You could be right, he may have been looking at that "out" all along but I don't get that impression.

With Kroenke its hard to figure anything out. He's not a talker. But he's a smart businessman. I have a feeling he was looking at all his options before he even bought out the rest of the team. And LA was on the radar along with all the other options. LA just ended up to be the best one when it was all said and done.