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January 30, 2012
Rams, St. Louis battle over London "home" games
A couple of weeks ago, new St. Louis Rams majority owner Stan Kroenke upped the ante in his simmering lease war with the city of St. Louis by scheduling one "home" game a year for the next three seasons to be played in London's Wembley Stadium. This was widely seen as a slap in the face of his hometown as he tries to angle for either a new or improved stadium to replace the 17-year-old one that was built by the city to lure the Rams in the first place.
Now, St. Louis has slapped back, insisting that playing home games across the Atlantic would violate the team's lease, which requires that the Rams play all their home games at the Edward Jones Dome. And then the team slapped back in return, issuing a statement that they "look forward to having amicable and meaningful dialogue with the CVC on many issues and believe those conversations should remain between the parties."
The issue here likely isn't over whether St. Louis fans get to watch one less game a year in person — after the last few years, Rams fans could be forgiven for wishing that their team played all its games somewhere far, far away — but rather that it gives the city a bargaining chip in its lease squabbles with Kroenke, who's trying to exercise a "state-of-the-art" clause to threaten to move the team if he doesn't get a new stadium. The city faces a Wednesday deadline to produce a stadium plan that could be implemented by 2015, or else the Rams could conceivably break their lease after the 2014 season — though as we've seen elsewhere, getting out of a lease doesn't do much for you unless you actually have someplace else to go.
"...getting out of a lease doesn't do much for you unless you actually have someplace else to go."
I thought it had already been decided that they're moving back to LA. Along with the Raiders, Jaguars, Bills, Chargers...
Posted by Keith on January 30, 2012 08:49 AM
An NFL Stadium for every suburb is going to be my campaign platform when I run for LA County Commissioner. We can have an all LA conference, and then the second conference can be teams from Boston to DC!
Posted by Joshua Northey on January 30, 2012 11:01 AM
You jest of course Keith, but at the same time the LA stadium in Industry is just waiting for a team to commit, the AEG stadium of course has it's issues to still work out but if a team committed to move to LA they'd get worked out pretty fast. If the Rams want they do have an out as soon as they can get out of their lease.
Posted by Dan on January 30, 2012 02:15 PM
Neil - So the Rams want a new stadium after 17 years in their current stadium, which was built for them?
What's the average number of years in a new stadium before the team starts asking for yet another new stadium/major improvements to the existing stadium? It's sounding like 15-20 years is normal.
Posted by SantaClaraTaxpayer on January 30, 2012 03:41 PM
SCT,
Hey, I've been with my wife for seventeen years now, the Rams are giving me ideas...Just kidding!
But don't worry about Santa Clara because council person Patty Mahon said we're "going steady" with the 49ers and we are going to soon "get married." Things like what's happening in St. Louis couldn't happen here because of this love.
Edward Jones Dome is a special case; it was a dump when it was brand new...and hey, it's right there in the lease that the rans can opt out. If MO wanted to keep them, why sign that?
Posted by Lou on February 1, 2012 06:37 AM
That'd be "because they were idiots":
www.fieldofschemes.com/news/archives/2010/07/4237_tales_of_city_m.html
Posted by Neil deMause on February 1, 2012 07:02 AM
L.A. is more valuble to NFL billionares as a threat than a reality. Dare'em to move to that bankrupt s hit hole.
Posted by T.J. on February 17, 2012 01:05 AM