St. Louis Rams wide receiver Steve Smith, a member of the team until the league year flips to 2013 at least, was in Los Angeles over the weekend for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and the Blogs with Balls conference. During the panel discussion of the NFL's return to L.A., Smith, a USC alum, noted that he and his teammates talked often about how great it would be to play in sunny SoCal.
Here's Smith reiterating those remarks on video with Conquest Chronicles, SB Nation's USC Trojans blog. Fast forward to the last 45 seconds to hear Smith.
Obviously, he's just talking, and by his own admission, as a SoCal guy himself, it's admittedly his own opinion. What is interesting about this is that he again mentions the other players on the team.
It's a glimpse into the Rams' stadium and location situation with the players' perspective. Players don't know any more about the stadium lease negotiations than you and I do, but like any employees, they gossip about what's going on higher up the food chain. It's clear from Smith's remarks that the Dome and Los Angeles is a topic of consternation and conversation in the locker room.
Take this for what it's worth, which isn't really much other than a glimpse into what players are thinking. It shouldn't be a huge shock that LA, the weather and all the trappings associated with it are of greater appeal to a bunch of twentysomethings than St. Louis.
The more important question is where Stan Kroenke prefers to be located. If he can get the stadium deal he wants here, in St. Louis, then there's no reason to move.