[Elvis]

I guess i shouldn't take pleasure from this kind of stuff but it's pretty amusing. I mean, it seems like the main difference between Stan Kroenk and Tom Stillman is Stan Kroenke is moving his team out of St. Louis. That difference explains a lot of the ones Karraker brings up...

http://www.101sports.com/2015/08/30/ram ... -stillman/

Rams Owner Stan Kroenke Could Learn a Few Things from Blues Chairman Tom Stillman

Posted by: Randy Karraker in National Football League August 30, 2015

We saw a stark contrast in a seventeen hour span this past weekend as to how communication with and treatment of an owner’s customers can make all the difference in how they respond to your product.

On Saturday night at 7:00, the Rams drew a sparse crowd…appearing to fill less than half the seats in the Edward Jones Dome…while on Sunday at noon the Blues absolutely packed Ballpark Village for their second annual Blues Icebreaker.

By now we all know the story of Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke. The last time Kroenke spoke to the media, and therefore his customers, was on January 17, 2012. No owner in American pro sports has gone longer without communicating with his constituents, save for his comment in the release announcing the Rams trade of Sam Bradford last spring.

During the intervening 44 months, Kroenke has engaged in an arbitration process with the CVC that he won, that cleared the way for him to convert the Rams lease at the Dome to year-to-year. He offered no comments. He purchased a plot of land in Inglewood, California that would suit a stadium.
No comment.

He worked out a deal to build a stadium, presumably for his Rams, in Inglewood, with no comment, and did indeed convert the lease to year-to-year with no comment.

Never an apology for the continued futility of the team. No thanks, even in a letter or an e-mail, to season ticket holders for their consistent support of the franchise. Not even a comment when he engaged his presumed new fans in Los Angeles when he showed up as the Rams practiced there a couple of weeks ago.

Of course, Kroenke hasn’t shown up for a Rams practice this year and, according to sources, has been in his Rams Park office less than a half dozen times since taking over majority ownership of the franchise in August of 2010.

Nobody expects an owner to be Chatty Cathy. We don’t hear from Cardinals’ Chairman Bill DeWitt II all the time, but when the situation calls for it, DeWitt steps to the fore and represents leadership for the organization.

Remarkably, we have the polar opposite of Kroenke here in our own town.

Blues Chairman Tom Stillman roams the concourse of Scottrade Center to find out how people spending money feel about their experience. He regularly engages fans, joins his front office and players in charitable endeavors in the St. Louis area, and makes it clear that he wants his team to win a Stanley Cup, and that “we’re going to do it here.”

At Sunday’s Ice Breaker, Stillman worked the room and talked to any fans that wanted to visit with him. I introduced my seventeen year old daughter, an avid St. Louis sports fan, to him. He said “you’re the kind of fan we want. We want young people in the building.” Here’s the guy at the top of an organization telling a young woman, who by the way was at the Saturday Rams game, too, that his organization wants a relationship with her.
Now, put yourself in her shoes.

And by the way, I say this with full belief that Kroenke wants to move his franchise to Los Angeles.

But if I’m my daughter, when I graduate from college in five years and start making money, I’m going to spend that money with the Blues, even if somehow the Rams are forced to stay in St. Louis. This goes well beyond the performance of the teams or the game day presentation. What this illustrates is that the top leadership-AKA ownership-of the Blues truly cares about the feelings of its customers, and the ownership of the Rams couldn’t care less.

In seventeen hours, the attendance at the Rams pre-season game and at the Ice Breaker event perfectly illustrated the difference between the two franchises. I know the people in both offices both want their franchises to succeed in St. Louis. They’re hard working people that are terrific at their jobs. The Rams marketing and sales staff does incredible work in dealing with their customers and clients, and are amazing with what they do in the community.

Same for the Blues. Sadly, the difference in the organizations occurs at the top. If the Rams owner had shown the same outward commitment to his customers that the Blues owner does, we probably wouldn’t be in the NFL situation that we are.

Of course, Stillman has made it clear with his words that he wants to win a championship in and for St. Louis. And Kroenke, well, he’s made it clear with his actions that he wants nothing to do with the Gateway City and has his desires set on the west coast.

[bluecoconuts]

By now we all know the story of Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke. The last time Kroenke spoke to the media, and therefore his customers, was on January 17, 2012. No owner in American pro sports has gone longer without communicating with his constituents, save for his comment in the release announcing the Rams trade of Sam Bradford last spring.

5 points to whoever can tell me the last time Philip Anschutz (LA Kings owner) sat down to communicate with the fanbase. Spoiler alert, it was before Kroenke became rich.

[TSFH Fan]

And Kroenke, well, he’s made it clear with his actions that he wants nothing to do with the Gateway City and has his desires set on the west coast.

Ok, I admit it . . . I don't get it. What can Kroenke learn from Stillman? So, even though Stan has "made it clear", does Karriker want, in addition, Kroenke to say "yes, I'm leaving. Sorry about that. Please buy tickets and support the team because the league blocked me from moving this year"? Maybe Karriker wants the full Fabrini treatment?

Maybe Kroenke can learn how to put together a playoff team and still manage to lose money in a cap league?

I don't follow Arsenal, but my understanding is that Stan has been in front of the fans at one of the annual shareholders (fan) meetings. So he knows about meeting with fans and taking fire . . . he doesn't need to learn anything.

[majik]

I'm thinking San Diego fans are jealous of the Silent Stan treament after having to deal with Fabiani. I think one keep the Chargers on SD group actually wanted to file a lawsuit to remove Fabiani from negotiations

[bubbaramfan]

Not a word about how St. Louis and the CVC ignored their end of the contract. It's all Stan' fault the Rams are leaving.

[Elvis]

Kroenke is lucky to have someone like Randy Karraker to give him business advice...

[Hacksaw]

I don't think the fans would care if he talked or not if there weren't so many signs the team wants out of that market. That's the problem. True he isn't cheerleading the locals but that as never been his MO in MO.....

[moklerman]

St. Louis was literally given the chance to keep the Rams and they turned it down. Why are there tears now? LA was NEVER given that opportunity so I don't see why St. Louis feels like they've been wronged.

[dieterbrock]

So we can add Karraker to the list of Kroenke antagonists?
All these St Louis guys really giving the warm and fuzzies to Stan to sway him to stay eh?

[azramsfan93]

So we can add Karraker to the list of Kroenke antagonists?
All these St Louis guys really giving the warm and fuzzies to Stan to sway him to stay eh?

My feeling exactly. All of this hate is solidifying Stan and the NFL in moving the Rams back to LA.

The other owners are not vindictive against Stan - the whole "he is not a popular guy" narrative is BS. They will not make him stay in STL in this hateful environment.