I doubt the St. Louis Rams expected the response they got to the news that they would be playing one home game in each of the next three seasons in London. In case you decided to keep your IQ above 75 and avoid local talk radio for the last two weeks, let me just say that fans did not receive the news well. I believe PR shit storm might be the most apt description. Now, the Rams may have run afoul of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, who claims that their decision to play in the UK at the expense of one of their home games violates their lease on the Edward Jones Dome.

That sound you heard was Stan Kroenke shrugging ... or maybe counting his "jack."

"We immediately brought this to the Rams' attention and are awaiting their response," the CVC said in a statement reported in the Post-Dispatch on Friday.

Reports of this first surfaced this morning on KTRS. We reached out to the Rams for clarification, but have yet to receive a response.

It's hard to believe that this possibility wasn't considered, unless by some strange chance the Rams haven't really paid attention to the details in their bargain basement lease on the Ed Jones Dome. Somehow I doubt that, since the franchise is fully aware of their out clause in the lease come 2015 and the steps that must be taken between now and then to resolve that issue.

The first milestone in the lease negotiations happens next Wednesday, Feb. 1, when the CVC is due to present a plan to the Rams for upgrading the Dome to put it in compliance with the "top tier" clause that lets them out in 2015.

As for who gets the say in what constitutes "top tier," that ultimately falls to the arbitrator, should the two sides go that far. Of course, arbitration is non-binding.

Fan feelings about the potential for the Rams to leave are already a little raw in the wake of the relocation talk during the Jeff Fisher saga and the London news. In fact, one local nut got tossed in the pokey for making death threats on KTRS.

The Rams went on a minor PR offensive in the wake of the poorly-received London news. Now, the lease negotiations start in less than a week with more than a hint of acrimony.

[Note by Ryan Van Bibber, 01/27/12 5:22 PM EST ] As nextSTL points out, this is obviously a leverage play by the CVC, their tit to the Rams' tat of deciding to play in London. As for how much leverage it buys them, that remains to be seen. I suspect not a whole lot in the grand scheme, emphasis on scheme, of a deal of this magnitude.

I'll say this, when politics start getting factored in, I think you have to favor the Rams. Stan Kroenke is a master of getting public bucks for suburban shopping center developments, and those lessons won't be lost in the Dome negotiations. I suspect that in the end, the city and state will pony up a sizable amount of money to keep the Rams here ... and not run afoul of a billionaire whose day job is directly associated with one of the largest corporations in America.

Six months ago, with the Vikings lease on the Metrodome up at the end of the season, it seemed impossible for the team to get any public money, with members of both parties blustering about tight public budgets. All that's changed since then, and another cash-strapped state walked back from previous statements. Whether you agree or disagree with taxpayers dollars for stadiums (I tend to think schools and universities and infrastructure make for better investments), politicians of both parties tend to acquiesce in stare downs with corporations who fund campaigns.

Updated at 12:25EST by DouglasM

Here is a the Rams response to the St. Louis CVC courtesy of ESPN's Mike Sando:

Don Banks at SI.com rolled out his first 2012 NFL Mock Draft of the season on Friday. It reflects some of the reports out of Mobile, AL, this week at the Senior Bowl. As for the St. Louis Rams, Banks' mock draft offers something vaguely familiar, a trade.

Check it out after the jump.

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Quarterback Sam Bradford was one reason the NFC West was supposed to belong to the St. Louis Rams in 2011. Obviously, things did not work out that way, for various reasons. Bradford's unofficial status as the division's best quarterback could be slipping. Following rumors of Peyton Manning's possible arrival in the division, Matt Flynn of the Packers could land here as well.

In an interview with ESPN in Milwaukee, Aaron Rodgers noted the possibility of Flynn landing in Seattle. The Seahawks general manager is John Schneider, who left the Packers to take his current gig. He also shares a name with the actor who played Bo Duke on television's love note to Nixon's vision of the South.

Is Flynn a better quarterback than Bradford? No. But, it certainly would make the division more competitive. Seattle finished 7-9 last season, and not in a flukey way similar to their 7-9 finish in 2010.

Many still see Miami as the likely destination for Flynn, Rodgers included, following their hire of Joe Philbin, the Packers former offensive coordinator.

Though it makes it tougher, it's good for the Rams and the other teams if the overall level of competition rises in the NFC West. It's about time.

Prediction is not the value in a 2012 NFL mock draft. The real beauty of the drafts is to generate discussion, dialog about the prospects and the teams that might consider drafting them. We all know that the St. Louis Rams need a receiver, a tackle and a heaping helping of talent all over the roster. Running back is a priority too, a player to complement Steven Jackson and take over in case of injury or the realities of the business.

This mock draft from the NFL Spin Zone (where's the NFL no-spin zone?), supposes the Rams trade down with the Browns to pick number four. With that pick the Rams select Alabama running back Trent Richardson, over Justin Blackmon, Morris Claiborne or any of the offensive tackles on the board after Kalil.

We need to start keeping an open mind about that possibility. Here's why.

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Hey everybody! Long time no see! I've been busy adjusting back to my college schedule but have no worries! I'll be getting back into the fold and get some post up for y'all. For now, let's get to the links.

What does "first tier" mean?

Matthew Hataway from stltoday.com had an article trying to make sense of what being a "first tier" stadium actually means. I recommend reading the full article for better details, but basically there are 14 categories that are being used to measure the Dome, and to be a first tier facility, it must place in the top 25% in each category. It's really difficult to judge what that even means. How good is top 25%? It still seems very unlikely that the Dome will pass this test.

Patrick Rishe, a sports economist at Webster University, said while the CVC might be able to satisfy some portions of the first-tier requirement, "I doubt very seriously that, without significant investment of let's say $200 to $300 million at least, the Edward Jones Dome could qualify overall."

Pro Bowl Tweeting

FYI, the Pro Bowl is this weekend. Many find this game a waste of time, but the NFL is trying to spruce it up by allowing the players to tweet on the sidelines at the game. If only Chad Ochocinco wasn't horrible now....

It's up to St. Louis to keep the team

Will from Ramsherd reminds us that it's not up to Stan Kroenke to stop the team from moving to LA or London; it's up to the city of St. Louis. The ball is in their court and it has been this entire time. The proposal about possible renovations to the Dome is due February 1st. The city will have to decide how much they want to keep the Rams in St. Louis, because if they propose a fair offer to Kroenke; one that is at least competitive with the lure of LA, and would allow for the development of a new stadium, Missouri native Stan Kroenke will keep the team in St. Louis in all likelihood.

Is the SB really a rematch of 2007?

Shalise Young of the Boston Hereld points out that of the 106 players in the 2007 game, only 23 remain. Yes the quarterbacks and the head coaches are the same, but the teams have both changed drastically in four years.

That's all for today. Have a good one and GO RAMS!!

It's become a matter of assumed fact that the St. Louis Rams can trade their second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to a team looking to move up and take Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. Picking immediately after the Rams, the Minnesota Vikings are in a similar situation. They have a first-round pick, Christian Ponder, drafted last year to be their franchise cornerstone. Their third pick could just as easily be had, undercutting the Rams for a quarterback-needy team.

The Vikings made it known yesterday that their third pick can be had by the highest bidder. "We're the third overall pick, so we'll be looking at all the options," Rick Spielman, the Vikings' GM, said. "If someone wants to come up and get our pick, we're going to be more than willing to listen."

Teams that do want to move up for RG3 - the Redskins have already been identified in recent rumors - could hold out until the clock gets to Minnesota. That's a risky move, since there could be another team willing to make the deal for the second pick.

However, a new rookie wage scale takes away the barriers to move up in the draft, and picking between two and three doesn't offer much difference in terms of the trade asking price or the player contract. The second pick last year, Denver LB Von Miller, signed a four-year, $21 million deal. Last year's third pick, Bills DT Marcell Dareus, signed a four-year, $20.4 million deal. Six hundred thousand dollars is a small price to pay for a team willing to bet that they're drafting a franchise cornerstone.

The odds would certainly still favor the Rams' second pick as the preferred destination, but there will definitely be some intrigue between now and until the clock starts ticking on the Rams' pick.

Something else to factor in here is the possibility of the Vikings and the Rams both trading their picks. A team could target the Vikings third pick with an eye on Matt Kalil or Justin Blackmon. If Blackmon was off the board when/if the Rams traded down to Cleveland's fourth spot or Washington's sixth, that could effect their draft board.

The St. Louis Rams are still looking for a general manager. After hiring Jeff Fisher, offensive and defensive coordinators and a handful of assistants, the team now turns its attention back to the executive level. One candidate, Les Snead of the Falcons, will have a second interview with the team over the weekend, according to Ron Clements, and a new name may be on their radar.

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Reports of Stan Kroenke's interest in the Los Angeles Dodgers first surfaced on Monday. A report in the LA Times said that the St. Louis Rams' owner was considering making a bid for the Dodgers franchise, up for sale as a nasty divorce sunk the fortunes of owner Frank McCourt. Now, a report is surfacing from the Daily Mail in the UK that says Kroenke did submit a bid for the Dodgers.

Kroenke's interest in the Dodgers has stoked the fires of the Rams potential to relocate, again (re-relocate?), to Los Angeles. Talk of the Rams future in St. Louis is already on uneasy ground with a Feb. 1 deadline looming for the city to make the Rams an offer to upgrade the Ed Jones Dome, making it a "top tier" facility and keeping the Rams from wiggling out of their lease in 2015.

The Dodgers, the Rams and Stan Kroenke ... how does it all fit together?

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