[Elvis]

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/1/12/ ... an-kroenke

How St. Louis Lost The Support Of The NFL And The Rams

by misone


The city of St. Louis never really stood a chance in keeping the Rams, but it became more evident with their financing plan....

When you're trying to prove that you are deserving of something involving money being spent, the last thing in the world to do, is to ask for money.

The city of St. Louis managed to be the only NFL team between themselves, the Raiders, and Chargers to come up with a viable stadium plan. First off, let's pause right there. Viable seems to be the most commonly associated term to the Rams Stadium plan. By definition, viable means;

Capable of working successfully; feasible

It doesn't mean sure lock. Feasible by definition means;

Capable of being done

So the Rams never had a deal on the table that screamed absolute. Why is that?

Well let's start with the simple truth in all this, the Rams were asking Stan Kroenke -- the same person who wants to move the team -- to fork over $250 million dollars.

When I wrote an article some months ago asking did Stan Kroenke keep his promise?, I alluded to a key point in financing. The city of St. Louis can jump every hurdle it wants to on the way to a viable stadium plan, but you can't force someone to fork over $250 million of their own money. Furthermore, the city went a step further by asking the NFL to include an extra $100 million in the G4 loan allowed to teams for new stadiums from the NFL. Teams generally only receive $200 million. The only stadium plan to receive $300 million was MetLife Stadium in New York. The league indicated that stadium received an extra $100 million since it hosts two teams: the Giants and the Jets.

I, for one, believe that if you want to keep the Rams, you don't ask the guy trying to move them to help you do that. You also don't ruffle the feathers of those who are willing to help you accomplish this feat, by essentially saying what you're offering is not good enough, we need more.

Even so, I can't help but believe that if St. Louis had found a way to cover the $250 million being asked for from ownership, the NFL might have been willing to work with them on the extra $100 million. Seeing a city put forth that type of effort would have had to count for something. But instead, the NFL balked at the additional $100 million request. Well, at least Roger Goodell did.

Now let's be clear here, Goodell has no say so whatsoever in what happens with stadiums and relocation. That is all owners. Goodell is merely their puppet. He's the guy they hired to do the dirty work, but make no mistake about it, he answers to them. So if he says it, he's probably getting it from someone.

The nail in the coffin, or the proof in the puddin, or whatever cliché metaphor you want to use, had to have been when Goodell called all the stadium plans inadequate. That to me was the NFL saying none of these cities have a right to retain one of OUR teams, and the city of LA will have it's choosing from the crop.

Simply put, don't hold your breath on the Rams staying in St. Louis.

There's simply no way, even if Kroenke is denied by some unbelievable chance, that ownership will pay $250 million to someone they have zero interest in working with. He hasn't spoken one word to the city officials, and now he's suddenly going to give you a boatload of cash to help prevent him from reaching his goal?

[Stranger]

The poor fans of StL has been so misled by StL media and online fan forums. I feel for them now that some real honest self reflection is pouring out.

[moklerman]

I still don't see why St. Louis fans are directing their angst toward Kroenke. It was Georgia and Shaw who put the poison pill in the lease. It was the CVC who agreed to that lease. It was the CVC who chose, for decades, to not maintain the terms of the lease by keeping the stadium top tier. It was the CVC who chose not to agree to arbitration. It was the local government who chose to try and play hardball with Kroenke.

Then, when Kroenke finally gets pissed, the fans are shocked and angered that Kroenke would respond?

[OldSchool]

I still don't see why St. Louis fans are directing their angst toward Kroenke. It was Georgia and Shaw who put the poison pill in the lease. It was the CVC who agreed to that lease. It was the CVC who chose, for decades, to not maintain the terms of the lease by keeping the stadium top tier. It was the CVC who chose not to agree to arbitration. It was the local government who chose to try and play hardball with Kroenke.

Then, when Kroenke finally gets pissed, the fans are shocked and angered that Kroenke would respond?

You have to realize the St. Louis people choose to ignore the top tier clause and any issues with it because they've been conditioned by their media talking heads. They've been told it's unrealistic so it can't be used against them even when told they never land the Rams without it. As far as they're concerned the Rams should have realized it wasn't going to upheld so it's their fault for expecting the cvc to honor it.

[RamsFanSince82]

Stan K. is an easy target for the people in STL. It's a lot easier to blame him than blame themselves/STL (the CVC) and they don't want to blame someone (John Shaw) that helped get the Rams to STL.

[moklerman]

I still don't see why St. Louis fans are directing their angst toward Kroenke. It was Georgia and Shaw who put the poison pill in the lease. It was the CVC who agreed to that lease. It was the CVC who chose, for decades, to not maintain the terms of the lease by keeping the stadium top tier. It was the CVC who chose not to agree to arbitration. It was the local government who chose to try and play hardball with Kroenke.

Then, when Kroenke finally gets pissed, the fans are shocked and angered that Kroenke would respond?

You have to realize the St. Louis people choose to ignore the top tier clause and any issues with it because they've been conditioned by their media talking heads. They've been told it's unrealistic so it can't be used against them even when told they never land the Rams without it. As far as they're concerned the Rams should have realized it wasn't going to upheld so it's their fault for expecting the cvc to honor it.

The only sticking point that I see, that I agree with, is that agreeing to arbitration(paying $700M in upgrades) would still only get them to the original end date of the original lease.

That's an understandable gripe and concern but certainly a negotiable one. It would have been a perfect opportunity to call Kroenke's hand. If the CVC had said that they would agree to the upgrades but only with an extension of 30 years on the lease and Kroenke balked, then his motivations would be in question. But the CVC and St. Louis have, from the start, acted as if they are owed something. That because the lease in 1994 was so one-sided that they should now be paid back.

What seems to be lost in all of that is that they wound up with an NFL team. It's almost like they take that part of it for granted. Why is anyone supposed to make up for them screwing up their expansion bid? Why should anyone make up for them building a stadium before they had a team? Why should anyone feel sorry for them being held to the terms of a lease they shouldn't have signed?

[moklerman]

Stan K. is an easy target for the people in STL. It's a lot easier to blame him than blame themselves/STL (the CVC) and they don't want to blame someone (John Shaw) that helped get the Rams to STL.

I understand anger and betrayal but direct it at the right person. I think Shaw is most likely Satan or at least one of his minions, so I would completely understand StL fans hating him.

But, there's a BIG difference. LA fans were stuck with him. St. Louis CHOSE to get in bed with him.

What's that old adage about sleeping with someone who's in a relationship? If she cheats on him to be with you, it won't be long before she's cheating on you.

[dieterbrock]

I still don't see why St. Louis fans are directing their angst toward Kroenke. It was Georgia and Shaw who put the poison pill in the lease. It was the CVC who agreed to that lease. It was the CVC who chose, for decades, to not maintain the terms of the lease by keeping the stadium top tier. It was the CVC who chose not to agree to arbitration. It was the local government who chose to try and play hardball with Kroenke.

Then, when Kroenke finally gets pissed, the fans are shocked and angered that Kroenke would respond?

I am so with you on this.
Frankly it pisses me off when people try and just brush off that top tier clause under the rug.
It was put in there because the ED was a budget friendly vanilla stadium that was being built for an expansion team that never came.
And no team would move there in to that stadium unless there was a commitment for improvement.
The turf was horrible, and despite the success of GSOT they still didnt make the improvements
The CVC or whoever we want to label, took advantage and just assumed the Rams would stay.
Shame on them and thats why they dont deserve the team
Painitng Kroenke as the villain is rich. Sure he makes it easy by not speaking, but he's doing what any reasonable business person would do
Khan would have used the clause to move to London

[OldSchool]

Two things about the dome always pissed me off.

1) red seats......you have a blue and gold team and they play for 15 years in a stadium with red damned seats.

2) there are St Louis Cardinalds in the ring of honor. They were great players yes but they weren't Rams!

[moklerman]

Two things about the dome always pissed me off.

1) red seats......you have a blue and gold team and they play for 15 years in a stadium with red damned seats.

2) there are St Louis Cardinalds in the ring of honor. They were great players yes but they weren't Rams!

What, you don't think of Dan Dierdorf when you think Rams?

The two items you list and I'm sure many others are all symptomatic of the situation. The fans, CVC, local government don't care anything about the Rams, they care about St. Louis. It is my impression that they'd just as soon take "Rams" off the name of the team. The have no respect for the team's history and no real passion for the team. They want the NFL brand on their town but they don't give two craps about the Rams team itself.

Red seats...not only do they not match the home team, they DO match the 49ers and Cardinals! If I was a season ticket holder, I would have long ago brought in a can of blue Krylon for my seat.