Relocation and the Rams
by Ryan Van Bibber on Feb 14, 2010 12:45 PM CST
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PrintWith all new owner talk lately, one sidebar has been whether or not the St. Louis Rams will remain in St. Louis. There's news, er, something like it, that the LA group developing the stadium led by Ed Roski is predicting that they'll have a team in the greater Los Angeles area by 2011. That's a much quicker date than I think even the most optimistic LA football enthusiast would have assumed. It also means, if it's a realistic goal, that the Rams won't be in the mix since they can't get out of their Dome lease at least until 2014.
The looming labor situation that could nix NFL football in 2011 also might have something to say about Roski's 2011 deadline. A move happening after the labor crisis is solved makes for a more realistic scenario, especially since a lockout would very likely change the financial picture for the small market teams who might have serious trouble absorbing the financial hit a missed season would entail, even with the guaranteed TV money coming in, not to mention how hard it would be to recapture the fanbase.
Regardless, let's me ask our LA fans what their reaction to a new team in the area would be, a team other than the Rams. Would you be more likely to start following the LA Jaguars than the St. Louis Rams?
And for our St. Louis area fans, what if the Rams did eventually move to LA? You have to think that a lockout would have serious implications for football in St. Louis since the Rams aren't likely to be competitive until 2011. Even a committed local owner like Khan, if approved by the league, would have a hard time keeping a money-bleeder in the area just to keep them close to his home. Would you follow the Rams to LA, as in still be a fan, find someone else to root for or just become more of a general football fan with no one team earning your allegiance?
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Hard to say
Sometimes I think it’s weird that I feel connected to a team because they represent a city I love, but they are a part of our culture. If they were gone I’m not sure if I would feel that same connection. I don’t feel attached to Deacon Jones like LA Rams fans do and he’s a big part of the franchise.
I’d like to think I’ll still be a Rams fan though there’d be some resentment.
I'm from LA
I don’t think you get what the real plan is.
Roski has said over and over again that his plan is to ultimately have 2 NFL teams playing at the new stadium. An AFC and an NFC team. So even if they do get a team in 2011, it doesn’t mean the Rams won’t follow after the lease is up.
i didn't know that
still, 2011 eliminates the rams from being the first team, though i still think the CBA eliminates any team from moving that soon.
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by Ryan Van Bibber on Feb 14, 2010 1:39 PM CST up reply actions
I honestly don't know where the 2011 thing came from
I’ve read numerous times of him saying he thinks that when the team commits to moving, those teams can play at the Rose Bowl or Coliseum until his stadium gets built.
With that being said, most think an AFC team will be put into place first and it makes sense that the Rams come 2014.
And there’s also the potentially contentious lease issue. The Rams most likely will be able to opt out of The Edward Jones Dome after the 2014 season. There is no conceivable way that the stadium will rank among the top 25 percent in the NFL by 2014, as stipulated by the lease agreement. So unless there’s a compromise, the Rams would likely have the freedom to bolt after five more seasons.
And there’s no public money — or sentiment — to fund a new stadium. Somehow, Mr. Khan and civic leaders will have to forge a comfortable arrangement. A stopgap deal to keep Khan happy and keep the franchise in place beyond 2014.
Honestly, the guy is very smart and enthusiastic about the Rams but let’s be real. He really has no connection to the city of St Louis. He might have said all the right things to Chip and company about wanting to keep this team in St Louis but the man is successful for a reason.
This team is back in LA in 5 years guys.
yes i'm a little biased (but so are you) so take this with as much as you want
but honestly, the faster you stop dreaming about the rams being back in la the better for your overall health. it was obviously important for the rosenblooms to sell to someone who they thought would keep the team in st louis, otherwise the deal would have been done a long time ago. the rosenblooms could have very easily sold out to an la group very early in the process, but they held out to find an owner who they thought would keep the team in st. louis.
they have him now, and to think a man who was born in central illinois and has lived there his entire life, went to school at illinois, and has self proclaimed himself a fan would move a team 2,000 miles away from his home is borderline ridiculous. the rams are in st. louis to stay.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 2:19 PM CST up reply actions
Yes, keep dreaming
He has no ties to St. Louis even though he came here when he was a teenager, but he’s itching to move the team back to LA.
Back in LA in 5 years?
That is pure delusion on your part. NOT happening. Khan will own the Rams, not Roski. The Rams will stay in St. Louis and the dome lease will be re-worked to extend its life. Its much cheaper to re-work the dome lease than to build a new stadium in the short term anyway. Chances of this happening? 99 in 100. Chance of Khan re-selling to Roski and moving to LA? 1-100 to no chance at all.
by Mean Machine II on Feb 14, 2010 5:17 PM CST up reply actions
Still can't see
Where the Rams would move to LA now, given the fact that owner lives in Champaign and would not want to travel 5-6 hours to see his team play in LA, and the additional cost to make the team move to LA. Also, the lease with dome provision to be in the top 25% can easily be modified if both parties agree. Another thing to consider is this lease is a sweet deal. Minimal cost with most of the revenue going right back to the team, not the CVC. If the Rams start winning again, the Ed is still a big money maker for the owner..
by Mean Machine II on Feb 14, 2010 1:11 PM CST reply actions
Simply put:
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
by TrojanRam on Feb 14, 2010 1:52 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Simply put:
HELL NO.
I’ve poured too much time and love and appreciation into this Rams team over the last 10 mostly happy years to change just because another team is at the LA Stadium. I knew before we had a new owner that a move was highly unlikely anyway. I became a fan of the St. Louis team, and no LA whatever could make me change that. Home is where your heart is at, and it’s in St. Louis as far as the NFL goes because the Rams are there. USC is all the LA football I really need.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
by TrojanRam on Feb 14, 2010 1:55 PM CST via mobile reply actions
except they're going down the dumps too ;)
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 2:21 PM CST up reply actions
Lol.
Not with our top 5 recruiting class again. If you’re referring to the NCAA, you’ll be sorely disappointed when you see the “sanctions.”
Only thing is, Kiff is unproven, but then again, he’s never had this much talent. Fight On!
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
by TrojanRam on Feb 14, 2010 4:45 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Excuse Me
Number one recruiting class. Let’s be fair now. haha…Fight On!
--Conquest Chronicles, SBNation's USC Trojans blog
by Joey Kaufman on Feb 14, 2010 4:49 PM CST up reply actions
I stand excused.
Though I’m sure I would have proclaimed #1 if a few more sites had said the same. Pretty much a consensus top 5, and hands down the best offensive class in the country. I mean, to do it in the midst of a coaching change was remarkable to me.
Fight On Kiff! Fight On ’SC!
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
by TrojanRam on Feb 14, 2010 9:31 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
if you say so
notre dame has had some damn good recruiting classes lately too. i believe they went 6-6 this year.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 4:58 PM CST up reply actions
hmm...
as the colts are only maybe a half-step behind the rams in my current allegiances, i’d have to say indy would probly become my primary team. hard to say, though. i hope never to find out exactly how i’d feel if the rams left the stl.
capital letters suck.
Rams Fan, NOT A Fan Of A City!
I root for the Rams just like I have since December, 1972.
It doesn’t matter to me if they play in Los Angeles, Anaheim, St.Louis, Bangor, Baghdad or Poughkeepsie.
I’m a fan of the team. Not a city.
By the way, I’ve NEVER lived in any of those cities mentioned or even within a 7 hour drive of them. I was born and raised in Raider and 49er country. The northern part of said country.
by HORNHEADICUS MAXIMUS on Feb 14, 2010 2:10 PM CST reply actions
Well said by an original rams fan
Team first ……City second….Always
by FightingAmish on Feb 14, 2010 3:30 PM CST up reply actions
Well put.....
I live in Modesto,CA and have rooted for the Rams since 88. I know compared to some I’m new. But I’m loyal. I tried to jump ship when they moved to st Louis, but how was I kidding. I’m a Rams fan. So no matter where they go, as long as they stay the Rams, I will follow. They need to go back to the old colors. Blue n yellow are sweet. And build the defense, it sucks. I don’t mind losing if we can at least keep the other team from using us as their “C” squad.
by Skunkburner on Feb 15, 2010 4:18 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
i won't lie
if the rams moved out of st louis it would hurt. a lot. and i can’t really honestly tell you what i would do in that situation. barring another team moving to st louis i would probably have to root for the rams simply because i lacked a replacement team. however if the city received a new team, i would probably be a bigger fan of them (at least over time) than the la rams.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 2:23 PM CST reply actions
Need input--
The Rams going back to LA is like a guy re-marrying his former wife. After a really nasty divorce, I think it should be over and done. A move to LA would only be an exercise in futility.
Raiders moved back to Oakland so it has happened before
--Conquest Chronicles, SBNation's USC Trojans blog
by Joey Kaufman on Feb 14, 2010 4:50 PM CST up reply actions
I want them back...
But I’ll root for them where ever they are based. But for those who say a return to L.A. is impossible, I must caution against that thinking. Remember when Georgia died and her children said they would not be selling the team? Yeah right!!
This new owner is businessman first and a fan, second. He’ll do what makes most sense from a business standpoint and given the contractual clauses in the EJD lease agreement and the insanely ridiculous stadium that will soon be built in Los Angeles, the possibility for a return is conceivable.
Check the link:
show me a link where the rosenblooms said they never intended to sell
i don’t recall that ever being the case.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 7:34 PM CST up reply actions
Tuesday May 20th 2008
http://www.stlouisrams.com/article/67759/
That would be the official Rams website.
that was 21 months ago
and three months after she died. nowhere in that article does it claim that the rosenblooms had no intention to sell, it simply stated that the team was not for sale at that moment. they had too much to deal with in the first few months to focus on selling the team the right way. after they got that taken care of, they were able to focus on selling the team. finding an owner that they liked and who they believe would keep the team in st. louis.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 8:37 PM CST up reply actions
Are we reading the same article?
Three times in the article, the owners are quoted as saying the team is not for sale. Obviously they changed their minds, which as owners of the team, is their choice. My point is just because the new owner is from St. Louis, it doesn’t mean he won’t make a business decision as to the city in which the team will ultimately play. Just like the children who changed their minds, this new owner, despite what he says now, may with reflection, choose to change his mind as well.
they weren't for sale AT THAT TIME
that in no way means that they didn’t have intentions to sell. they didn’t change their minds. they intended to sell the team the whole time, but they wanted to wait until they more important things taken care of before officially declaring the team “for sale”
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 9:24 PM CST up reply actions
that is a pretty disingenuous way of debunking a rumor...but
I suppose a theoretical interpretation reads as you suggest; but why not then just say the team is not for sale “right now, but may be at some point in the future” when “more important things are taken care of”?
With the “At that time” logic, the new owner could keep the team in StL for one or two years and then decide he’s moving it to Los Angeles, and when questioned about it say he DID keep the team in StL (for two years) but that in no way meant he would keep it there forever. Again, IMO, a pretty weak way of skirting the issue and one’s true intentions.
you can go ahead and use the same logic with khan if you want
but i highly doubt he has intentions of moving the team to la eventually.
and they didn’t want to publicly say the team was going to be for sale eventually because they honestly didn’t want to deal with anything involving a sale until they were ready.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 14, 2010 10:28 PM CST up reply actions
You can argue this all day.
but LA fans will never admit that a team or owner could ever be happier in St. Louis than in Los Angeles. It’s inconceivable to them.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
St Louis is my hometown...
I root for whatever team plays in my hometown…given that a relocation is almost always contentious, I cannot see supporting a team that leaves my hometown…I went through this with the Cardinals, even though my folks had Big Red season tickets, once they were gone, I no longer wished them well, even though the issues that caused them to move were not 100% Bidwill’s fault. Relocation leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many people. Except for some of those shady WHA-ABA teams, who basically had no fans and moved in the middle of a season, the city and fans who lose a team don’t feel good about it, and it think it is up to each person individually, to determine how they feel about the franchise after it’s gone, and whether they still want to follow it.
Ditto that...
Once the Big Red left I stopped supporting them. Once the Rams moved in I became a Rams fan. Nothing against the team first guys, but my loyalty is to the town I grew up in, St. Louis. Theres nothing wrong with supporting your hometown’s team. I lived in Phoenix the past 14 years and the only time I’d go to the games was when the Rams came to town. I could never support the Big Red after Bidwill trashed St. Louis’ rep during and after their move. Some of us are wired differently. That doesn’t mean theres any thing wrong with that. One could also question the LA crowd about supporting a team that opted out on its commitment to staying in their hometown.
If LA is so great a market and such a lock,
then why did’t Chip and Co. keep the team and relocate them to LA where they’re based?
It may have had to do with...
1) Inheritance taxes or
2) the lack of a feasible stadium location/plan;
And not necessarily Los Angeles as a market. Keep in mind we have 9 professional teams and two big time colleges who play here. The market is solid. And there is now a feasible stadium plan in place which leads me to believe it was the taxes that compelled them to sell.
Good business accumen
Anaheim is only slightly larger than Stl. A tie really. Santa Ana too. So why not. That is if you don’t count LA’s 4 mil and LB’s 1/2 mil people. Chip and sis knew they had to sell the team. I’ve seen this in baseball. May have been my Dodgers. Since they couldn’t keep the team why not honor their mother’s wishes?
Alwys a Rams fan
I’ve moved and bought a place in NC. I tried to star following the Panthers but I have too many memories. The Rams are actually closer to me now than if they moved back to LA. I could drive to a game. I would have to spend the night there but I’d make it.
I won’t follow an existing team that moves to LA. First of all there is no way I’m rooting for an AFL team. The vikes. I hate them with a passion. In fact I pretty much already have negative feelings about all existing teams. The only way I’ll root for any team in LA is if the Rams go back or if its an expansion team. An NFL team in the NFL West division. Other than that the NFL can go screw itself. They don’t think a team in LA is important. Conversely I don’t think LA needs the NFL.
i stil think it will be the vikings that move to LA..
there lease expires in 2011…
the have been very clear that the will not play one more game then they have to there..
Ed Roski is a vikings fan
Ed Roski has more money then god
the seat are purple lol
it just makes the most sense to me all the rest that are in play have to long of a lease and ect..
but if they do i see the vikings switching to the west and the rams switching to the north
I think the Jaguars make a lot of sense
How many teams can be in a playoff run and have that many blackouts? They were expected to have all 10 home games blackedout before the season started. That sounds like a team that needs to move. So if there’s supposed to be an AFC and NFC team, then the Vikings and Jags could already be there before its time for us to move. I think we’ll stay in STL.
Been a Rams fan since they were in LA
doesn’t matter where they go. I’ll still be a Rams fan
Steve Nash plays D!!
Twitter: @PhxSuns86
You LA guys have to know it really irritates St. Louis people
when you keep saying the Rams are going to move back to LA. So why do you keep saying it unless you don’t care at all about fans in St. Louis and just enjoy making someone else mad. And don’t try to say it’s just because you are enthusiastic and you don’t see why we should be upset. That’s baloney. You are doing it intentionally to irritate the fans in St. Louis and I’ve had about enough of it. It’s not funny and it’s not clever.
two things..
1) The post asked for our opinions; providing them has nothing do with not caring about the feelings of the StL fans or making them mad;
2) I figured the StL fans would remain fans regardless of location, just as countless others did when they left LA for StL.
I don't see too many (if any) AZ Cardinals fans in St. Louis
The only ones I can think of are Kurt Warner fans and won’t care about them at all now that he’s retired. And some LA fans might only hang around because there hasn’t been a football game played in LA in 15 years.
I see that point...
but there is no reason to be a fan of the AZ Cards when the Rams are in StL. We in Los Angeles don’t have a team and so it makes sense, as you suggested, that some of us would still love and root for the Rams. But there are still many others, as evidenced by the posts, who will follow the Rams regardless of location.
There was like 10 years between the Cardinals and Rams being in StL.
Any Cardinal feelings in StL ran out about 4 or 5 years after the move to Arizona. Local tv tried to continue to carry Cardinal games as “local” games but the interest simply wasn’t there after a few years.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
And they say
Angelinos don’t care about football. St. Louigians gave up after only 4 or 5 years and the Rams still have a following of Angelinos and would be welcomed back.
It would be different if the Rams were to move...
simply for the fact that the team has had a great deal of success here. When the Cardinals moved, most St. Louisans had seen enough futility and the shrewdness of Bill Bidwell didn’t help the matter.
My opinion is that the great people of St. Louis are more attached to the Rams than they were for the Cards. Even in just 16 years…
by The Classical on Feb 16, 2010 9:21 AM CST up reply actions
I can understand
I lived in Pheonix when the Cards moved there. The first thing they did was alienate the local populace by DECIDING WHO should get to attend home games. I had always liked the Stl. teams because both of my first football and baseball games were against the Stl. teams. First games I went to that is. That just made sure I’d have nothing to do with the Cards.
Unless you count Will Leitch
That’s one!
--Conquest Chronicles, SBNation's USC Trojans blog
by Joey Kaufman on Feb 15, 2010 7:01 PM CST up reply actions
It's not a big deal
They just need to accept that the Rams aren’t coming back to LA. And that Ed Roski does not own the team and cannot make Khan move the team across the country at the sound of his dog whistle.
Khan Doesn't Own The Team Either
Jake Locker in 2011
Oh I guess that's right
Chip and Lucia will move the team to LA THEN Khan will be owner.
that just makes me laugh
because it shows you’re in denial.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 16, 2010 9:56 AM CST up reply actions
Have you ever seen LA
I do it as a joke. I started it when they moved to Anaheim. I guess if I wanted to be correct I’d call then South West Cleveland.
Doesnt matter where they play
I’ll be a fan…I live in AtL so its not like im able to go toi alot of games anyway. I’d prefer them staying in StL but wherever is ok really. But we need to remember why they and the Raiders ran from LA…neither team could sell out the stadium. If StL REALLY wants to keep the Rams then they need to buy tickets and go to the games, and not worry about them losing or winning and just support them.
agreed.
We Rams fans, and fans with St. Louis ties need to support our team. Wear the gear, buy tickets, and keep the team relevant. We, the faithful, will laugh at the bandwagoneers of the future. All those traitorous dregs who will claim they always believed in the team.
I live in Los Angeles, I feel the pulse of the city. There will not be an NFL team in City of Industry before 2015. By then, the Rams could very well have won another Super Bowl, and all this talk will be behind us.
by mooseknuckles41 on Feb 15, 2010 12:53 AM CST up reply actions
Always will be a Rams fan
no matter where they play.
I Will Always Be A Ram Fan No Matter Where
but its funny to see St Loo fans get upset when they themselves put the Rams in the situation to possibly move………Its like the guy who doesn’t appreciate his wife and treats her badly. He thinks “aw she’ll never leave me” only to have her up and leave him one day…….the way St Loo is treating the Rams badly is that St Loo is only supportive when theyre winning….big mistake………they should be supported win or lose. I want to see the Rams back in LA, in a bad way. The situation is perfect for it. Khan can say all day long that the team isnt going anywhere, but thats just lip service, so he can buy the team……once he’s approved anything can happen, like someone said earlier “Khan is a businessman first, a fan second”……….if he feels he has more of a chance making money in LA then he split in second………..As far as St Loo fans frustrated with us LA fans, as long as you guys have a team that comes from another city, it will never end…….Georgia moved the team out of greed so she can take the team to her hometown(aww how sweet, but not a good business move, she was never a good businesswoman)….the same greed that will have the Rams move back to LA, Khan wants to make money too
Jake Locker in 2011
They aren't moving
So nobody is upset. There was a chance that they could now the chance is dimmer and dimmer. Everything LA fans post is pure speculation.
The Rams will make plenty of money if they turn their fortunes around. So stop pining for them to come back because it isn’t likely to happen.
Khan lives close to Chicago.
If he decided he needed to move the team from St. Louis he would more likely move it to Chicago than take it to LA. Chicago used to support two NFL teams until Bidwill moved the Cards to St. Louis and then to Phoenix. That was just Bill being idiot Bill, not a sign that Chicago wasn’t supporting the Cardinals. At best LA is a distant third in the chances to host the Rams in the future. You guys need to get over it and work to get the Vikings or Jags.
They will always be the LA Rams. Unless they change the name from Rams to anything else. St Louis people relax, because you always have Holliday to take one in the nuts for you.
by Skunkburner on Feb 15, 2010 7:53 PM CST via mobile reply actions
good insightful post here
rec
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 15, 2010 9:24 PM CST up reply actions
Fact of the matter is:
While we appreciate the support that old school LA Rams fans keep providing, the team is, and will be for the foreseeable future, the St. Louis Rams. And there is absolutely no indication otherwise.
On a larger scale, the St. Louis Rams are still in their infancy. Not even twenty years yet. The St. Louis Cardinals market, which includes Central and Southeastern Missouri, Southern and Central Illinois, parts of Iowa, and Arkansas- is more than economically viable. Moving the team for financial reasons at this point is akin to the Leno/O’Brien fiasco.
by mooseknuckles41 on Feb 16, 2010 12:34 AM CST reply actions
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