Unanswered questions in the Rams ownership saga
by Ryan Van Bibber on Jun 2, 2009 10:26 AM CDT
in St. Louis Rams sale
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So Checketts is in the mix to buy the Rams. That much we know. But I still have some important questions that we really don't have answers for...and may never have answers for.
If Checketts has been interested in the Rams for some time, even approached Rosenbloom about it awhile back, according to Miklasz. The owner of the city's hockey team, the St. Louis Blues, says he now has the investors together. Is Rosenbloom trying to get other bidders to get the best price he can for the team, hence the decision to hire Goldman Sachs? (That point was actually made at Pro Football Talk, not always a reliable source, but that is a valid point worth passing along.) I'm not passing judgement on him if he is; that's just business. If that's the case, could Checketts be closer to buying a share of the team than we realize?
Now to the Kroenke issue. If Kroenke wants to buy a majority share or get controlling interest, the league has to change the rules regarding his ownership of pro sports franchises in another NFL city. However, if the league wants a team in LA and sees the Rams as the most likely possibility, why would they change the rules for Kroenke? Of course, there may be teams more ready to move to LA than the Rams. Will Checketts and Kroenke end up competing to buy controlling interest in the team? Both have stated interest in obtaining that level of ownership, so how does that reconcile with the larger goal of finding a buyer for the 60% share owned by Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez?
Some food for thought.
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Way too many IFs for me.....
however, if it is true about Checkettes wanting the Rams, and it sounds pretty convincing to me after reading today’s PD, then I would like to know WHY did they put a scare into all the loyal Rams fans and not mention this when they dropped the ‘Rams for Sale’ bombshell?
I mean, come on, the article said he approached Rosenbloom months ago. Checkettes said, and I qoute
We (Checkettes and investors) have the ability to get this done and we have communicated this to the Rams, We approached this with the Rams months ago and have since that time put together a partnership of both concerned St. Louisans and outside capital.
Full story here:
It’s almost like they didn’t want us to know this. Having said all that though, I am GLAD the Rams seem to have a suitor in St. Louis.
Go Rams!
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now." --- Bruce Coslett, New York Jets Head Coach circa 1990s
I think
they wanted to find another bidder to negotiate a better price.
Turf Show Times
by Ryan Van Bibber on Jun 2, 2009 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Thats what I am figuring too
Free Brandon Wood!
Hahaha…you guys in St. Louis are finally getting a taste of what we went through here in SoCal. If the Rams end up moving back to LA…I’m going to laugh my a** off!!!
we've been through this before in St. Louis
…the Cardinals?
Turf Show Times
by Ryan Van Bibber on Jun 2, 2009 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Another possibilty
Toronto has been trying to get a NFL team for a while. I’ve heard rumors that there’s interest in Toronto for the Rams as well.
I have two concerns
One leaves me optimistic, not so much on the other.
The first is the owner’s philosophy in running the team, both in terms of motivation towards putting together a quality team and invigorating fan bases. It seems Checketts passes the test on that front. Great.
My second concern is the stadium. Once this team gets to a point where they can be competitive with any team week in, week out (which may well be very soon), the stadium could well be the worst aspect of the franchise. I worry how viable the team could be financially with a stadium that lags behind so many of our competitors’.
Your uncle molests collies.
by 2014 the landscape could be a lot different
the economy will have (hopefully) improved and there would be people/public willing to take action on the a stadium, be it in St. Louis or one of the suburban areas.
Turf Show Times
by Ryan Van Bibber on Jun 2, 2009 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions
That's true
and I am not nearly qualified enough to talk about the St. Louis area economically or culturally to assess the long-term relevancy of the franchise. I certainly woud like to see them stay, even though I don’t live (nor have I ever lived) in St. Louis. By my only concern is this part of your comment:
there would be people/public willing to take action on the a stadium
I worry that much of that will be based on how many Ws the team gets over the 2010-2012 season, which at this point is impossible to determine.
Your uncle molests collies.
by 3k on Jun 2, 2009 3:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Right, Van...
In this economy, nobody is building anybody a stadium, and it would be foolhardy to ask. In 4-5 years, hopefully it will be a different story. Of course there is still the issue of the CBA. Who knows what the NFL landscape will look like by the time a new one is negotiated.
That's true
the CBA will also be a huge factor, but that will also depend on who buys Rosenbloom’s stake
Your uncle molests collies.
by 3k on Jun 2, 2009 6:47 PM CDT up reply actions
not only...
is Rosenboob trying to seek other interested parties to run up the asking price, he’s also putting the team front and center as much as possible. This is his chance to get a last place team the focus of the league regardless if it is positive or negative press.
Dave Checketts seems to really want another failing franchise as of late much like he did with the Blues. If he can turn things around, which you can’t go further down unless you are the Lions, then I’m in full support of him buying the Rams.
I haven’t been interested in Rams football since I got free tickets for a game a few years back. And if Checketts has control of the team, my interest for all three major league sports here just hit a new high. I love the Blues, but I feel proud going to a game now a lot more than over the 20 plus games I went to over the 2 seasons after the NHL lockout. I might actually not be ashamed to wear my Rams jersey’s anymore.
You shouldn't be
Our depth chart is in much better shape than many other teams around the league.
Your uncle molests collies.
by 3k on Jun 3, 2009 5:12 AM CDT up reply actions
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