[Hacksaw]

Stumbled across this on yahoo..... best describes Kroenke's ability or lack thereof to run a major sports franchise.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... da1a5.html
I think it speaks for itself.

A voice of StL speaks for itself.

Gordo: Fans of Kroenke's inept teams continue to suffer
By Jeff Gordon St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Stan Kroenke enjoyed quite a sports weekend.

His Colorado Avalanche concluded a winless five-game homestand by falling to the Dallas Stars 3-0 Saturday, losing defenseman Erik Johnson to a broken leg in the process. The ’Lanche sank to last in the NHL’s Western Conference at 9-13-1.

His Denver Nuggets absorbed a 128-110 beating at home to Houston on Friday night, then fell at Utah 105-98 Saturday night for their fifth loss in six games. That left them 7-13, good for 10th place in the NBA’s Western Conference.

His Los Angeles Rams succumbed to the New England Patriots 26-10 Sunday afternoon hours after news of Jeff Fisher’s contract extension finally leaked. The Rams (4-8) lost for the seventh time in their last eight games to drift further from the NFC wild card playoff race.

Add it all up and these three teams are 20-34-1 this season for the land-hoarding recluse. Each franchise is suffering from chronic Kroenkitis, a debilitating malady caused by hapless management from the owner on down.

(So far this affliction hasn’t reached Kroenke’s soccer holdings. Arsenal is running second in the English Premier League and the Colorado Rapids finished second in the Western Division of the MLS this season. So at least Stan can stand tall on the pitch.)

The professional sports industry punishes inept leadership. Advantages that can help a man succeed in commercial real estate — marriage to a heiress, easy access to capital, rules designed by billionaires for billionaires — ensure nothing in sports.

Kroenke has amassed land holdings visible from space, yet his football, basketball and hockey teams just keep losing and losing and losing some more.

Ego is a powerful motivator, so competition among pro sports owners is fierce. Dan Snyder wants to get the best of Jerry Jones in football. Mark Cuban covets the basketball championship Dan Gilbert just won. Mike Ilitch wants to build a baseball dynasty like the Steinbrenners enjoyed.

This industry isn’t a pure meritocracy. Big markets have a big revenue advantage over smaller markets. Some places (Oklahoma City, Winnipeg, Buffalo) will always be less attractive to high-end talent than others.

But smart ownership can overcome all. Smaller markets like Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Kansas City have celebrated recent championships while jealous fans in New York and Los Angeles looked on at their parades from a distance.

The best owners devise the right plan for their market and stick with it, through all the crazy bounces and untimely injuries. They hire great management to support it. They remain engaged without being meddlesome. They invest aggressively but wisely in talent. They trust the process and stay the course through whatever misfortune befalls their operation. From their owner’s box or their courtside seat near the bench, they maintain the long view.

The Cardinals have prospered with model ownership led by Bill DeWitt Jr. The Blues have built a top-flight hockey operation under Tom Stillman’s group.


The Chicago Cubs ended their epic championship drought because the Ricketts family hired the accomplished Theo Epstein and gave him the time, means and freedom to do this thing.

The Patriots became the NFL’s Evil Empire because owner Robert Kraft gives his coach a wide berth. Bill Belichick dresses like a vagrant and operates like a Third World dictator, but his team contends every season.

Kroenke, on the other hand, gave his kid (Josh Kroenke) or somebody else’s kid (Kevin Demoff) control of his teams. Both men are ambitious, but where would either rank among their sports industry peers?

Demoff’s allegiance to Fisher is baffling, yet understandable. Kevin’s father, prominent agent Marvin Demoff, helped him get into the Rams front office back when John Shaw still had pull.

As luck would have it, Marvin has also represented Fisher. The relationship seemed beneficial when the former Tennessee Titans coach agreed to clean up Steve Spagnuolo’s mess ... but then the losses just kept coming.

How many other NFL front offices would stick with Fisher through thin and thin?

Kroenke’s major sports failure isn’t just a one-year thing, a temporary downturn. The Avalanche are threatening to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, and they haven’t won a playoff series since 2008.

The rebuilding Nuggets appear destined for their fourth consecutive losing season. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2009.

As for the Rams, well, you know the story. They are now 31-44-1 under Fisher. This season is a bit different because of burdensome relocation logistics, but fans (especially around here) don’t want to hear that excuse.

“Stan knows what we’ve been through and he knows the direction we are headed as a franchise,” Fisher told reporters after his latest drubbing.

Does he know? Does he really? A good owner, one who paid attention and actually wanted to win, would have reacted to such relentless failure by cleaning house.

But Stan is Stan, so fans in Denver and Los Angeles can expect to endure more of what they suffered through over the weekend.

[Hacksaw]

Didn't ESK have to give his kids the teams to satisfy cross-ownership rules set forth by the NFL?

And what other owner is developing a small city around the greatest football / multi-use 2 team stadium in the world?

Oh and "The rebuilding Nuggets appear destined for their fourth consecutive losing season. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2009." Same can be said about the Lakers and I'd put that franchise up against any. (even with the younger Buss'.)

Gordo is reaching and the bias is obvious.

[Rams the Legends live on]

Didn't ESK have to give his kids the teams to satisfy cross-ownership rules set forth by the NFL?

And what other owner is developing a small city around the greatest football / multi-use 2 team stadium in the world?

Oh and "The rebuilding Nuggets appear destined for their fourth consecutive losing season. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2009." Same can be said about the Lakers and I'd put that franchise up against any. (even with the younger Buss'.)

Gordo is reaching and the bias is obvious.

gordo.image.jpg

Yea is so a reach and not the full story. While the full transfer was not completed for some years if I recall out here in the local news when they carried the story they had said he did transfer control of day to day operations when he became the majority owner of the Rams.

So if I recall correctly he met that requirement pretty fast out of the gate the hold up all these years has been him divesting his ownership on the books as in the amount of majority pct he owned.

So this story is slanted and does not report all the factors involved and the complete story or like Paul Harvey would say "The rest of the story".

[rather]

I can absolutely see why fans in St. Louis hate him. The local politicians played St. Louisans perfectly to make sure Kroenke got all the blame for them leaving.

Setting that aside, if Kroenke gets rid of Fisher after this year then all is forgiven as far as I'm concerned. It proves that everything really was about getting the team out of that hellhole. I am OK with the 5 seasons of semi mediocre garbage it took in order to make that happen. I want the Rams to be relevant and they cannot in St. Louis and/or under Fisher.

[dieterbrock]

I can absolutely see why fans in St. Louis hate him. The local politicians played St. Louisans perfectly to make sure Kroenke got all the blame for them leaving.
.

I so agree with this.
Being completely impartial to the situation, that's how I saw it.
And Peacock was even worse.
I saw him being so self serving in his attempt to look like he was fighting for St Louis.
He was in the ultimate win/win. Unless you saw thru his charade.
I never understood his approach to Kroenke, felt he was always baiting Stan K, poking the lion if you will. Rarely if ever referred to the as the Rams, but St Louis NFL team. What a jerk
But yeah, Kroenke was sure played out to be the villain, and he clearly wasn't opposed to the role

[Haden]

I think Gordon is right. StanK doesn't care until his bottom line is affected. If fans keep showing up, he will avoid dealing with the issue.

[Hacksaw]

I think Gordon is right. StanK doesn't care until his bottom line is affected. If fans keep showing up, he will avoid dealing with the issue.

Really? I imagine there could be some truth in that but the guy was a jock and is a very competitive individual.
He has an ego too. He (+ JJ ) took on the world and won the relo. He put up a ton of dough to do it. Gunslinger if you ask me.
If Fisher is demoted or not retained, what other proof do we need?

[moklerman]

In the conversations related to this topic, I don't recall any of the critics explaining what they feel Kroenke should be doing as an owner to prove that he cares about winning.

I only follow the Rams but he's done this team right as far as I'm concerned. A lot hinges on whether he brings Fisher back, but I appreciate that he doesn't want to be knee-jerk as an approach. Maybe he's hung on too long but I don't fault him for the approach. Certainly not to the extent of hating him.

Doesn't meddle, spends to the cap, green lights trades...just what is he supposed to do about getting more wins on the field?

[dieterbrock]

Doesn't meddle, spends to the cap, green lights trades...just what is he supposed to do about getting more wins on the field?

Also has one of the highest paid coaching staffs

I'm with you. I guess he needs to go Leo Farnsworth and suit up to prove he wants to win?

[Hacksaw]

Also has one of the highest paid coaching staffs

I'm with you. I guess he needs to go Leo Farnsworth and suit up to prove he wants to win?

Since the QB thing is handled, put him in at left tackle.