[Elvis]

http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2015/06/1 ... ve-to-l-a/

NFL Wisely Clears More of Path for Raiders, Rams to Move to L.A.

By Jeric Griffin @JericGriffin on June 12, 2015

The evolution of the NFL’s move back to Los Angeles has been an interesting one, if nothing else. What once started out as three franchises in an every-team-for-itself battle for a new home in L.A. is transforming into a neat, sensible plan to get the Oakland Raiders and St Louis Rams back “home,” even if it is a little rushed.

On Friday morning, it was revealed the rumors of the league looking into temporary homes for two teams in 2016 are indeed true. Pending litigation regarding the Rose Bowl was wiped out and now it’s ready to host a team next fall while a new stadium is built. Now the league will presumably lock in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as a second spot to temporary host a second team, meaning everything is pretty much set for NFL games to be played in L.A. during the 2016 season.

Part of the previously mentioned evolution included the Raiders teaming up with the San Diego Chargers, a division rival, to buy land and propose a stadium in Carson, California. That would have resulted in conference swapping, which nobody wants.

At the same time, Rams owner Stan Kroenke has been plotting a move back to L.A. ever since he purchased land in Inglewood in January 2014. While remaining separate from the Raiders/Chargers movement, he made it clear he’d take the Rams back to Southern California with or without league approval while slyly mentioning his stadium would be able to house two teams. He knew what would happen all along.

Sure enough, San Diego has pulled off the unlikely with a legit proposal for a new stadium and the Chargers are actually listening to this one. It’s also likely the Chargers got wise and realized they’d never have the fan base they do in San Diego, especially since there are still tons of Raiders and Rams fans in the L.A. area.

So now it appears as if our originals prediction will hold true: The Raiders and Rams will be back in L.A. for the 2016 NFL season, albeit in temporary homes (there’s no word yet on which team will play in the Rose Bowl and which will play in the L.A. Coliseum, assuming it’s chosen as the second interim arena).

After that, the two teams will share the new stadium in Inglewood, which the Raiders will undoubtedly help to finance considering Mark Davis has been adamant his team has $500 million to spend on a new stadium. Assuming there are no hiccups in the league approving the new shared move, ground will be broken on the stadium before the end of the 2015 calendar year and it will be open for business by the 2018 NFL season.

Considering what could have happened (i.e. lawsuits about which teams get to go to L.A., Kroenke bulldozing his way into three teams ending up there, two teams switching conferences, etc.), the league deserves some credit for evidently getting this right. Everything is kept nice and neat for the Raiders and Rams in their respective West divisions, the Chargers don’t shoot themselves in the foot by moving to a market that would never accept them and the NFL doesn’t lose the San Diego market for good.

[den-the-coach]

Here is why this makes sense, Mark Davis would have no issue playing second fiddle to Kroenke. And it would be somewhat similar to the Giant/Jet stadium as Jet fans know their second tier in class and in team. Again I'm shocked that the NFL would want Los Angeles associated with the Raiders, but maybe their thinking that the Inglewood project would siphon out the classless and class up Raider Nation.

[Elvis]

It's hard to see how Spanos is happy with the Rams and Raiders in L.A. but i guess if he gets what he wants in SD...

[Hacksaw]

It's hard to see how Spanos is happy with the Rams and Raiders in L.A. but i guess if he gets what he wants in SD...

Exactly. Now Spanos has 2 teams sucking his alleged market share and one is in his own division. If Spanos is wielding such a big stick because he is a 'good ol boy' then I find it hard to believe that would be the preferred choice. Why do I think Spanos' stick isn't as large as it needs to be and that is why (reportedly) "he wouldn't even look at Kroenke" in the meetings.

We are going to hear more and more noise out of StL and Carson over the next few months. They have been behind and clawing their way back into contention. Now will be the time that much of their planning will begin to take focus, and with the meeting in August (which many think will be decision time) they will all keep themselves publicly relevant.
For example. today an article came out in StL stating they can have their stadium done by 2017. It's crap but this is what we are going to have to expect.

It is going to be a tough coupe months for us guys who want our team back where they belong.

[Elvis]

In all likelihood we'll know a lot more after the August meeting.

If Spanos gets what he allegedly wants and the Rams have to wait at least another year to move, will be painful for a lot of us.

Then again, if Stan gets what he allegedly wants, shovels hit the ground in December...

[Hacksaw]

In all likelihood we'll know a lot more after the August meeting.

If Spanos gets what he allegedly wants and the Rams have to wait at least another year to move, will be painful for a lot of us.

Then again, if Stan gets what he allegedly wants, shovels hit the ground in December...

Yeah man. We really ought to keep our hopes in our back pockets for now.

The largest hurdle for us was to get an owner willing to move back to their 50 yr home where no one wanted them to leave from in the first place. You'd think that would be the most important thing.

But there are a lot of roadblocks for him now. At least 2 groups trying to stop him. Not even GF had this kind of opposition.

The fact that the NFL stopped Kroenke and made him wait worries me a bit. He was ahead of the game and you would have thought the NFL had to be in on it. If they were, then why are they really trying to let everyone else catch up? Legal positioning? Appearance of being fair to all parties? Avoidance of legal entanglements / lawsuits? Concerned about their perception by others?
Now this is a huge public fight with major (to me) dollars being spent and the league encouraging everyone but the Rams to keep it up.
There are 2 sides to every coin and my basis for optimism has always been the pure logic in the Rams move back from a restorative standpoint, built in fan base and the owner making every move to relocate here.

If they make him wait another year, then it's not going to happen. And unfortunately, we probably won't hear a thing from the league or teams between August and December during 'lame duck' season.

I still can't believe that ESK would go this far out on a limb and alienate his own market if he didn't have at least some reasonable assurances. Perhaps he is happy with his plan 'B' in Inglewood and figures that StL will forgive him with the right words.

I'm really beginning to dislike lightning bolts and any species of Peacock. lol

[Elvis]