Turf Show Times - Los Angeles Rams to play in SoFi Stadium beginning in 2020https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51333/tst-fav.png2019-10-16T11:54:51-05:00http://www.turfshowtimes.com/rss/stream/67215462019-10-16T11:54:51-05:002019-10-16T11:54:51-05:00The state of NFL football in LA, 2019
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<img alt="San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ufxWHFxe5r9twQkuzLpwKKasnf8=/0x0:5568x3712/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65480966/1181072767.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Should Los Angeles be a two-team NFL market? And what about those visiting fans? Our own Skyetollah looks around LA for the answers.</p> <p id="6khliy">Last Sunday, plenty of attention was given to the large contingents of fans in attendance supporting visiting teams at the <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a> and <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a> games both played in Los Angeles County against the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a> and <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, respectively.</p>
<p id="qIVoGP">The way the red jerseys popped on the red seats of the Coliseum drew oohs and awes from Bay Area reporters while the optics of thousands of Terrible Towels in Carson created a cringy visual of LA football.</p>
<p id="6ioON7">Is there really any problem though?</p>
<p id="bDwjFy">First, we shouldn’t put the Rams and the Chargers in the same boat. Regardless of whether there are a bunch of local and traveling 49ers fans at the Coliseum, the Rams have already proven that they can fill a large stadium as well as draw strong local television ratings. They have sold plenty of personal seat licenses at the soon to be opened SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood and have already become the 4<sup>th</sup>-most valuable franchise in the NFL — a ranking that should continue to climb when their new stadium opens.</p>
<p id="l1MplE">Is it a bummer that season ticket holders look to double and triple their money when popular teams like the 49ers, <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> and <a href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a> play in LA? It certainly can be irritating particularly if the Rams lose, but ultimately though nothing is failing. Money is being made and will continue to increase in increments that few other markets can replicate regardless of what kind of split the crowd brings. </p>
<p id="SXiMfR">The Chargers are the second team to arrive in Los Angeles and <a href="https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/chargers-psl-struggles-confirm-what-we-already-knew-they-don-t-belong-in-la-01dn0cgd1sfs">have sold far less personal seat licenses for SoFi Stadium than the Rams have, even at discounted rates</a>. They have fans but significantly less than the Rams seemingly who spent 48 seasons in Los Angeles prior to their 21-season interlude in St. Louis. While the Rams have had nearly 50/50 crowds against the most popular teams, they generally enjoy having about 70%-90% of the crowd on their side for most home games. The Chargers on the other hand enjoy a 50/50 crowds on their better days, and are often outnumbered by out-of-towners or Angelenos masquerading as out-of-towners.</p>
<p id="nncUI3">Does any of that even really matter to the NFL? Money is money right? </p>
<p id="SLc77G">Well, it might matter in the Chargers’ case, more so than with the Rams’. The Chargers currently play in tiny Dignity Health Sports Park until they arrive in the luxurious new SoFi Stadium next season where they will have 40,000 more seats to fill on Sundays. Right now, with about 12,000 Chargers fans at a game along roughly 15,000 visiting fans, the Chargers soccer stadium is usually pretty full. But one has to wonder, in a 70,000 seat stadium how many more fans will actually show up? Even against the most popular teams, it’s hard to expect more than 30,000 visiting fans to show up. Are the Chargers going to suddenly quadruple their own contingent? Even with the allure of the new stadium it’s hard to picture the Chargers drawing more than 40,000 fans for games against less notable opponents. Still with all the gadgets, suites, and ad space in Inglewood, the Chargers should make out okay, even if ticket sales leave something to be desired.</p>
<h4 id="kjvtki">Should LA be a two-team town?</h4>
<p id="19GHIs">LA has two teams in every other major American sports league: the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS on top of high-profile collegiate teams like the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans. In <a href="https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/teams">the Overwatch League</a>, LA is <em>the only</em> city with two teams one of which, the Los Angeles Gladiators, happens to be owned by Rams Owner Stan Kroenke (Go Glads). All those teams have enjoyed financial success including the Anaheim Angels and Anaheim Ducks who are based in Orange County.</p>
<p id="boH2Le">So why not the NFL?</p>
<p id="NoekLz">The truth is, the Chargers can remain in Los Angeles and make plenty of money based on the NFL’s television deals and by playing in what should be the world’s greatest stadium. It may take them generations before they start attracting 50,000+ Chargers fans on Sundays. Transplants and fans who chose other teams in the NFL’s absence simply aren’t that likely to switch allegiances, so it comes down to the new generations who are actually growing up with teams in their city. The same is also true for the Rams, though less dramatically. There will always be visiting fans in a cosmopolitan city that people like to move to as well as visit. </p>
<h4 id="U8qzzb">But still…</h4>
<p id="TGqpc7">Imagine the Chargers finding a home of their own where they are actually welcomed and enjoy a stadium to themselves. Imagine if they tapped into London’s economy, or unlocked Mexico City or claimed the Sydney of the North in Toronto? They would thrive. They would have a megamarket to themselves. Even if swaths of Dallas Cowboys or <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> fans remained in those cities, they wouldn’t have another more popular home-town team to compete with. </p>
<p id="Cr0V8B">From a Rams’ perspective, they would be able to go from a valuable team with a smallish but growing fan base, to one of the league’s power teams financially and in terms of fan numbers. Imagine if they didn’t have to split headlines and sports reports in LA. What if they could simply plant their flag and grow without another team sharing their market? Few other teams have had to deal with that type of an obstacle something the national media rarely considers when posting potshot photos of opposition fans on social media every week. Even if the Chargers moving only gained the Rams about 20% more fans, wouldn’t that come in handy as far as having a crowd that was wearing mostly blue and yellow? </p>
<p id="QN143u">They would thrive.</p>
<h4 id="KPsFrv">And if things remain?</h4>
<p id="0Hqxfw">When the LA Galaxy hosts friendlies against teams like Barcelona or Arsenal (also owned by Kroenke - Let’s Go You Gunners), there are inevitably tons of fans cheering on the high-profile opponents. So why should we expect anything different when NFL teams come to town representing a more popular American sport where tons of transplants and visitors have access to the event? If you’re, say, a <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> fan in LA, you can pay top dollar for one a game every five seasons or so whereas the locals would be less inclined to do so. So should LA continue to have an NFC and the AFC team playing in the greatest stadium on Earth, perhaps we should stop freaking out. Generations will grow up with local teams and balance will eventually be achieved. And if visiting fans find some level of worth because they’re shocked to see other visiting jerseys, and want to crow about “taking over” who cares? They didn’t take over anything, they just bought an inflated ticket for way more than any of the season ticket holders did.</p>
<p id="j9V529">Congratulations, and welcome to Los Angeles!</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/10/16/20916838/los-angeles-nfl-football-2019-rams-chargers-attendance-crowds-visiting-fansSkye Sverdlin2019-09-17T15:01:12-05:002019-09-17T15:01:12-05:00Rams to play at SoFi Stadium starting in 2020
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<p>The Rams’ future home has a name.</p> <p id="8m5Qkd">Well, we finally made it official on Sunday prior to the <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a>’ <span>Week 2</span> game against the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a>.</p>
<p id="iyXk7M">The Rams’ new home at the LA Stadium and Entertainment District at Hollywood Park will be named SoFi Stadium. The “digital personal finance company” signed a 20-year agreement for the naming rights. So much for keeping politics out of sports...</p>
<p id="zDrPqu">Rams Executive Vice President of Football Operations/Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff spoke to CNBC about the stadium deal:</p>
<div id="PbuUpS"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2264%;"><iframe src="https://player.cnbc.com/cnbc_global?playertype=synd&byGuid=7000098753" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="ZksMqz">The first event at the stadium? A two-night concert from Taylor Swift.</p>
<p id="ATu08V">Along with the Rams and <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a> moving in next season, the stadium will host a variety of sports events in the coming years including <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/super-bowl-lvi-2022-los-angeles?_ga=2.220549855.699176906.1568656523-910204379.1568656523">Super Bowl LVI</a>, an annual college football bowl game, the 2023 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff-national-championship">College Football Playoff National Championship</a>, the 2028 Summer Olympics and more.</p>
<p id="1kccDc">Per NBC Los Angeles, developers have also secured the first three tenants for the surrounding area:</p>
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<li id="SQvlul">A 20,000-square-foot beer garden/brewpub from <a href="http://www.threeweavers.la/">Three Weavers Brewing Co.</a>
</li>
<li id="Rf9kmb">A 21,000-square-foot gym from <a href="https://olympixfitness.com/">Olympix Fitness</a> </li>
<li id="07Lx2t">A <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcinepolisusa.com%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.turfshowtimes.com%2F2019%2F9%2F17%2F20871000%2Fla-stadium-entertainment-district-hollywood-park-sofi-stadium-rams-chargers-2020-taylor-swift" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cinépolis</a> movie theater</li>
</ul>
<p id="eVkeLK">The Rams are set to move in beginning with <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2020-los-angeles-rams-preseason?_ga=2.10703347.699176906.1568656523-910204379.1568656523">the 2020 preseason</a> next year.</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/9/17/20871000/la-stadium-entertainment-district-hollywood-park-sofi-stadium-rams-chargers-2020-taylor-swift3k2019-09-05T11:00:00-05:002019-09-05T11:00:00-05:00The Los Angeles Rams fourthmost valuable franchise per Forbes
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<img alt="Rams Rookies Tour New LA Stadium Construction" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LoHWoOpJP8_i0fBdFMwf_-vPw6c=/307x0:5953x3764/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65181904/1154486927.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Daily Breeze via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Rams estimated value of $3.8b represents a 19% increase since last season. </p> <p id="4r7vND">In the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/teams/los-angeles-rams/#7ce4f82f47c5">annual Forbes NFL team valuation rankings</a>, the <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a> once again were ranked fourth with an estimated value of $3.8b which represents a 19% increase since last season. They currently trail the <a href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a>, <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>, and <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> in value. The Giants were estimated to be worth $3.9b, so it seems conceivable that Rams could leapfrog them and maybe even the Patriots at $4.1b next season when they open their new stadium in Inglewood, California.</p>
<p id="U0Z6fF">It’s a jump up <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/7/22/20704258/forbes-worlds-50-most-valuable-sports-teams-la-rams-12th-most-valuable-sports-franchise-worldwide">from late July in Forbes’ international sports franchise rankings</a> where the Rams were valued at $3.2b.</p>
<p id="pRVthV">This ranking represents continuous league-wide growth, as well as a massive bump following the teams return to Los Angeles in 2016. In 2015, the Rams final season in St Louis, the team was ranked 28th in the league with an estimated value of $1.45b. </p>
<p id="57nq0y">The increase has not been without cost for owner Stan Kroenke who is funding his new canopied stadium/amphitheater/megalopolis in Inglewood. The stadium is estimated to cost roughly $4b with help coming from funding mechanisms such as Personal Seat Licenses and naming rights. Of course, Kroenke will be generating far more than just football money the venue which is expected to host everything from Final Fours to international soccer matches and will be surrounded by an entertainment district. Also, by next year the Rams should be valued at more than the $4b dollar price tag of the stadium and surrounding property. </p>
<p id="BOTwL5">Here’s what Forbes had to say:</p>
<blockquote><p id="XJWmzG">The Rams had a great year on the gridiron, winning 13 regular season games in 2018, the most in the NFL. The Rams made it to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> where they lost to the Patriots 13-3. Off the field, the move to Los Angeles has gotten more expensive for team owner Stan Kroenke. The cost of the new stadium, set to open in 2020, could hit $4 billion, versus an initial expectation of less than $3 billion three years ago. In August, American Airlines agreed to pay $90 million to sponsor a plaza in front of the new stadium near. The 10-year deal has American Airlines branding the space formerly known as Champions Plaza. Naming rights for the stadium itself could fetch $20 million a year.</p></blockquote>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/9/5/20850537/forbes-2019-nfl-franchise-value-rankingsSkye Sverdlin2019-06-02T06:00:00-05:002019-06-02T06:00:00-05:00Is the Rams’ fan base growing?
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<img alt="Divisional Round - Dallas Cowboys v Los Angeles Rams" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qJwgwOzHsBdPak8LQCTAaxEGo6I=/0x0:8030x5353/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63935241/1081681562.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Rams have one of the smallest fan bases in the NFL. Is their recent success changing that?</p> <p id="Q9LMPQ">The <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a> have one of the smaller fan bases in the NFL.</p>
<p id="dmqXKq">That’s been the case for the franchise extending back into their years in St. Louis, and it continues to be the case in 2019.</p>
<p id="bjh1Bc">There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. Quantity and quality are two different things. It’s not in any way something deficient about a fan base to have a lower number of fans. If it were, nearly every NHL fan base would have to bow down to nearly every NFL fan base.</p>
<p id="JLpN2u">But the Rams are in a unique position. From 1990-98, the Rams’ best season was a 7-9 campaign in 1995 in the first year after relocating to St. Louis. The Greatest Show on Turf kicked off in 1999 and took the Rams to two <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>s including one championship amid a six-year period with five playoffs appearances. The next three eras brought about a run that coupled with the 2004 season created a 13-year run without a single winning season.</p>
<p id="tEdbWn">From 1990-2016, the Rams made the playoffs just five times, moved from LA to St. Louis and then moved back.</p>
<p id="m3VFHA">That’s not a resume that’s going to bring in a ton of new fans.</p>
<p id="eAUtrY">But the baseline has changed. The Rams remade their outlook in 2017 by hiring a new head coach in Sean McVay and making successful personnel decisions in key positions. As a result, they’ve won the NFC West the last two seasons and thus made the playoffs the last two seasons including a playoff run that took them to the Super Bowl earlier this calendar year.</p>
<p id="7Pnh6b">Is it having an effect on building out the fanbase? Is the Ramily growing?</p>
<p id="aueFyZ">It’s hard not to think so. Rams QB <span>Jared Goff</span> is <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/5/29/18642858/banana-republic-jared-goff-la-rams-marketing-sponsorship-this-is-more-important-than-football">the face of Banana Republic’s new volcanoclothes</a>. DL <span>Aaron Donald</span> continues to attract attention as perhaps the best individual player in the NFL. And despite <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/4/3/18292858/la-rams-todd-gurley-knee-injury-arthritis-wear-tear-playoffs-super-bowl-cj-anderson-malcolm-brown">the drama around his knee condition</a>, RB <span>Todd Gurley</span> remains one of the best-known superstars in the NFL if not specifically for his fantasy outputs.</p>
<p id="1l2sYt">But the Rams are working from nearly the bottom.</p>
<p id="fHcGFl">I looked into social media accounts for teams as a pretty simple barometer as to how popular they were across different audiences. Your average Facebook user is different from your average Instagram user, but looking at those as well as Twitter at least gives us a sense of a general fan base size:</p>
<div id="apY6c3"><div data-anthem-component="table:6362688"></div></div>
<p id="MjYfAo">Part of this is the strength of Facebook as a social media platform compared to Twitter or Instagram as lesser platforms, but the numbers are stark even as entirely unscientific as this is.</p>
<p id="GgfTDs">The <a href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a> have more than 8.5m Facebook likes. The Rams have less than 870k.</p>
<p id="MFuZz9">And just to point this out again, that’s not a condemnation of the Rams’ fan base. <strong>Quantity is not quality</strong>. The <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> had periods before and after the <span>Peyton Manning</span> years that, should the current one continue to extend their losing records, could well see the tectonic plates of NFL fans shift.</p>
<p id="ovvi6t">And that’s really what brings us to the current era of the Rams.</p>
<p id="fVs4CI">How do fan bases grow? Winning matters more than anything, but it also requires sustained winning and playoff appearances. Winning nine, ten, or eleven games is what grows a fan base internationally. Not Super Bowls. Not superstars. And the Rams are seemingly in a window where they can stack up at least a few more winning seasons even if the next few years go south. Otherwise, we could be looking at the best Rams era since the 1973-1989 run that built up so much of the generation of Rams fans that power the older end of the fan base.</p>
<p id="9wA5PZ">And I wonder what that means as we head into a new stadium in 2020.</p>
<p id="jfp1IX">The Rams are on the upswing. The fan base is entering into an era of growth as we bid farewell to the Coliseum this year. That’s coming as the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, the most successful team in the history of the NBA (suck it, <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a>), are in the lowest point of their franchise timeline. The <a href="https://www.conquestchronicles.com/">USC Trojans</a> are similarly in a nadir with their worst season win-wise since 2000. The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Los Angeles Dodgers</a>, on the other hand, look like world-beaters, so it’s not as if the Rams get to take over LA-area media. But if the 2016 landscape put up a wall for the Rams to break through, (a) the Rams didn’t break through it with their 4-12 season, but (b) that wall came down thanks to some other teams in the LA zeitgeist failing on their own merits.</p>
<p id="bOWVmr">So into the 2019 season we go.</p>
<p id="Q8fCVW">The Rams are coming off of a Super Bowl or bust season that successfully saw them reach that pinnacle. Already, <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/5/29/18643741/los-angeles-rams-2019-expectations-super-bowl-or-bust-season-preview">there are similar aspirations being floated for this year</a>. But those aspirations attract attention. And interest. And, ultimately, attraction.</p>
<p id="w0nrpa">Los Angeles went without an NFL team for 21 years. Expecting Angelenos who had figured out how to apply their fandom to suddenly switch to become Rams fans just because the franchise relocated was silly. Beyond that, a resume of what the Rams brought to LA was among the NFL’s worst of the last decade. Things are much, much, much (, much, much, much) better now. That’s an attractive proposal in and of itself aside from being buttressed by a gleaming palace in Inglewood opening in a year’s time.</p>
<p id="CCGKci">The Rams remain one of the smallest fan bases in the NFL. But could winning ways and sleeker homes change that?</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/6/2/18649100/los-angeles-rams-sean-mcvay-era-fan-base-attendance-population-size-matters3k2019-05-29T14:26:33-05:002019-05-29T14:26:33-05:00Rams to play SoFi Stadium in 2020?
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<img alt="New Inglewood Stadium" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/u9aBAdp27OvC-obGtHqMfC9yNhY=/94x0:1107x675/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63915830/LA_stadium10.0.0.jpeg" />
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<p>It is clearly 2019.</p> <p id="zWiTsh"><a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/sofi-nfl-naming-rights-stadium">Per Fox Business</a>, SoFi, an online company that provides student loan refinancing, is in “late-stage talks” to purchase the naming rights to the stadium that <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a> Owner Stan Kroenke is building in Inglewood, California.</p>
<p id="eoA6F3">The piece notes that SoFi could pay as much as $20m per year for the rights to the stadium which will host the Rams and the <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a> in the NFL as well as play host to a variety of sports events in the coming years including <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> LVI, an annual college football bowl game, the 2023 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff-national-championship">College Football Playoff National Championship</a>, the 2028 Summer Olympics and more.</p>
<p id="zZ9Ncx">One random note? SoFi’s CEO is Anthony Noto who was the CFO for the NFL for two and a half years vacating the position in the leadup to the 2011 lockout. After a couple years in the financial sector, Noto became Twitter’s CFO. He left that position in January of last year to become the CEO at SoFi. So he has a pretty intimate knowledge of the NFL and the sports marketing landscape.</p>
<p id="jo4xrL">But man. For the “keep politics out of sports” crowd, it would be both hilarious and incredibly 2019 to have a company that makes millions from student loans sponsor the biggest stadium development in North American history.</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/5/29/18644239/sofi-final-negotiations-sponsorship-naming-rights-future-los-angeles-rams-stadium-inglewood-lased3k2019-02-27T17:35:00-06:002019-02-27T17:35:00-06:00The new uniforms in 2020 will create a schism in the Rams’ fan base
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<img alt="Super Bowl LIII - New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Hrf0lDv3AFP7gxns9N6VbPlJWhY=/808x455:3709x2389/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63139193/1127182646.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Rams are still over a year away from officially revealing a new color scheme and uniform design that will surely be a major sticking point with the fanbase.</p> <p id="ucwTgY">There is a common belief among die-hard <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a> fans that once the <a href="https://www.therams.com/stadium/la-stadium">new stadium opens in 2020,</a> COO Kevin Demoff and the rest of the front office will do the right thing and make the official colors of the Rams yellow and blue in accordance with the color scheme they adopted beginning in 1973:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LA Rams Fans! Please sign our petition to help Bring Back Our LA Royal Blue & Yellow uniforms and colors. Pls share!<a href="https://t.co/tI7E6DeUwj">https://t.co/tI7E6DeUwj</a></p>— (@AdamPendleton2) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamPendleton2/status/921160660481986562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2017</a>
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<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="0N7UOp">It’s been made abundantly clear by old school Rams fans that the uniforms that are currently used as <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/1/20/18191064/los-angeles-rams-to-wear-throwbacks-in-superbowl-53-nfl-2019">the throwback uniform</a> should be the default look of the team, with possibly some minor improvements (like the blue in the helmet matching the blue in the jersey). </p>
<p id="LN9Ugi">Or some believe that a modern take on the yellow/blue will be the eventual look.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H6hRxlXeILuAuK0hZINr-ryUxuI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/14681670/6_8508370.jpg">
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<p id="tEHkVM">In fact, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President of Football Operations <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/LA-Rams-Announce-They-Will-Wear-Throwback-Uniforms-489406371.html">Kevin Demoff told season ticket holders at a breakfast last year</a> that the team is heading towards the direction of going in this direction. Good news for old school fans, right? </p>
<p id="ixOkFH">But Demoff and the rest of the Rams’ front office don’t have<a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/2/7/18215114/los-angeles-rams-todd-gurley-sean-mcvay-kevin-demoff"> a sparkling record in matters of transparency and honesty</a>. Just ask Rams fans in St. Louis..</p>
<p id="UKzhFz"><a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/turf-show-radio">On the Turf Show Radio podcast this week,</a> we discussed the fact that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Kroenke">Rams Owner Stan Kroenke</a> is standing to make an endless amount of dollars on this new stadium complex that he’s funding himself. Yet, for the money to roll in, Kroenke knows that the product needs to appeal to a newer, younger group of fans.</p>
<p id="NaVZcI">To put it bluntly — all those trendy football fans in LA that are walking around in <span>Tom Brady</span> jerseys need to guy a <span>Jared Goff</span> jersey in a couple years. Or the kids that will be buying <span>Patrick Mahomes</span> jerseys in the next few seasons need to be copping a Goff one instead.</p>
<p id="T6sX7w">The LA Rams are close to the basement when it comes to revenue, but <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/193534/franchise-value-of-national-football-league-teams-in-2010/">near the top of the list</a> when it comes to value as a team. That means that they have the potential to make a mint from fans since they’re in the huge LA market and they happen to have a winning team as long as they can build one of the smallest fan bases in the NFL into something more populous.</p>
<p id="s4W9CQ">So, once they switch to their throwbacks full-time they’ll be all set, right?</p>
<p id="ikpdES">Not exactly.</p>
<p id="GOWn95">A Rams fan in his 50s or 60s could be very passionate about the throwback colors and uniforms, but a sixteen year-old kid in LA doesn’t have any connection to those colors for the most part. I expect Demoff and the design team at Nike to run extensive focus groups to come up with what they deem to be the coolest take that will change the identity of the franchise.</p>
<p id="3Dwz34">If I had to bet right now, the Rams will keep the helmet design, but everything else is fair game. Again, the Rams do not sell a lot of merchandise right now. And the fact that they have three different color schemes that they are selling in stores isn’t helping. </p>
<p id="2qJOZ3">I like this design because it’s bare bones, but still has the horns on the jersey and the colors just work for me. I’m a blue/white guy because I have a problem with the color yellow for sports teams — I’m sorry, I’m a monster. But the heart wants what it wants.</p>
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<p id="moocWX">Moving forward, the yellow and blue throwbacks will continue to be a large part of the Rams’ identity and the blueberry/gold will be wiped away like a bad dream. </p>
<p id="hNkAsL">And that means that <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/7/27/17623462/los-angeles-rams-uniforms-2018-throwbacks-blue-yellow-white-2020-fashion-anna-wintour">once this awkward transition comes to an end,</a> the new bandwagon fans will most likely accept whatever new design Nike throws out (<em>if</em> it’s cool, and that’s a big if...) and the old school fans will dig in their heels, as they should.</p>
<p id="VaCmms">You’ll either be yellow/blue or whatever the new colors are. There will be two camps in the Rams fanbase. The Sharks or the Jets, the Montegues or the Caputlets. </p>
<p id="ZCKDbA">So, even if the <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/10/18/17992518/los-angeles-la-chargers-viability-speculation-future-nfl-dean-spanos">Fight for LA actually presents itself</a> within the Rams’ fanbase, it might actually be a good thing. It could incite passion, discussion, and merchandise sales.</p>
<p id="fXmSvE">Which at the end of the day, is exactly what Demoff and company are hoping for.</p>
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/2/27/18241821/los-angeles-rams-uniforms-new-design-2020-old-school-fans-bandwagon-fans-yellow-blue-st-louis-reloJoey The Jerk2018-10-18T09:00:02-05:002018-10-18T09:00:02-05:00Concern from the NFL about the Chargers’ viability in LA leads to speculation about their future
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<img alt="NFL: LA Stadium and Entertainment District Construction" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2wjepJHy9GWoW5NxiIWcWNyWnAA=/0x59:7984x5382/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61815847/usa_today_11276697.1539833781.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>From #FightForLA to #FightForEachOther to #FightForAHome?</p> <p id="DXtEKk">As the fat cats of the NFL meet in New York to discuss ways to squeeze more money into their deep pockets, a tweet popped up on Wednesday that sent puffs of intrigue across the Los Angeles sports scene. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A major discussion topic among NFL owners/executives at this week’s league meetings is the Chargers’ viability in LA. PSL sales have been a struggle and team is expected to revise its Inglewood revenue goals sharply to a more realistic number: $400m to around $150m, per sources</p>— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethWickersham/status/1052586039360049152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2018</a>
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<p id="1wbUit">My first thought: “Good. Move the Chargers to England for all I care. The Rams should have the southland to themselves.” OK, I didn’t say “southland” in my thoughts because only news anchors say “southland,” but you get the drift.</p>
<p id="yVm7Hy">The <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a> are struggling mightily to sell seats for their future home in Inglewood, California in 2020. This fact resurrects an idea that <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/9/21/17888178/fanpulse-los-angeles-rams-los-angeles-chargers-week-3-preview-odds-prediction">Rams fans</a> have been feeling ever since the bolts left San Diego: the Chargers aren’t wanted in Los Angeles. </p>
<p id="r7WigD">When you go to a Chargers game in Carson, it’s like the “home fans” are visiting. They might even get a hotel for the night. It’s a long drive back to Carlsbad. But if you went to Busby’s on Whilsire on a Sunday, you wouldn’t be swarmed by dudes in Phillip Rivers gear. In fact, I bet I could find more Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans than Chargers fans at most sports bars in Los Angeles. Maybe that’s a little too far. How about the Vikings? Go on a hike at Griffith Park and I bet you’ll find a Vikings fan before a Chargers fan.</p>
<p id="iFnRrd">And because of<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/san-diego-stands-up-to-a-stadium-seeking-billionaire-and-la-is-the-big-loser/2017/01/22/00850ed4-e01a-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html?utm_term=.10edf1f61964"> the mess that the Spanos family made in San Diego</a>, the Chargers don’t belong there either. </p>
<p id="VrVfBE">When the Chargers were included in the move to Los Angeles, it was expected that they would sell $400m in personal seat licenses — a huge portion of the revenue needed for this whole move into a multi-billion dollar stadium. The fact that the Chargers are pulling not even half of their expected revenue is quite obviously a big deal to the NFL. The owners could be taking a dive in profits if the Chargers can’t get fans to <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/7/23/17605674/new-proposed-transportation-project-los-angeles-inglewood-crenshaw-line-lax-lased-people-mover">pay a premium price to see them play in Inglewood</a>. </p>
<p id="IR1zra">To put that in context, the best seat at the Inglewood stadium will come with a licensing bill of<a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/10/1/17924618/los-angeles-rams-bandwagon-fans-super-bowl-or-bust"> $100,000 for Rams season-ticket holders</a> and $75,000 for Chargers season-ticket holders. That 25K difference makes it very clear to me that the Spanos family made an embarrassing maneuver to invade Los Angeles. </p>
<p id="8spmqJ">Our brother site for fans of the Chargers, <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com">Bolts From the Blue</a>, had <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2018/10/17/17989958/nfl-chargers-franchise-viability-los-angeles">this to say about the matter:</a></p>
<blockquote><p id="kuylQp">Much of the Chargers’ lingering debt is tied to their relocation fees ($650 million over 10 years), which the NFL directly controls. The Chargers also are in need of a home, which the NFL has the ability to finance. If the owners feel that they can negotiate a new or revised stadium deal with the Chargers that covers or increases their expected income from that (about $209,000 per team per year), then things start to look a lot more likely that action might take place.</p></blockquote>
<p id="1BGfP7">How does any of this affect the <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a>? Simply put: they could be losing a roommate before moving day. This idea sounded insane even a couple of weeks ago. If you read the tweets by Vincent Bonsignore, you’ll know that the Chargers are going to be in LA for the next 30 years. And as much as this is, Vinnie is probably right.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">California isn't a state that readily agrees to put taxpayer money to stadiums. But not every market in this state makes sense for an owner to foot the entire bill themselves or has enough land available around it to develop in order to recoup construction cost. Rock/hard place <a href="https://t.co/1i6Pw3NdU0">https://t.co/1i6Pw3NdU0</a></p>— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) <a href="https://twitter.com/VinnyBonsignore/status/1052634371570655232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2018</a>
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<p id="o3Z4UV">Even though there were jokes about the attendance for Rams’ games throughout 2016 and early 2017, the numbers are quite different now that the Rams are regularly pulling in roughly 69k fans into an old stadium that doesn’t have the modern amenities of a first-class organization. Meanwhile, the Chargers are pulling in about 25k fans with state-of-the-art amenities (for a <em>soccer stadium). </em>And going to a Chargers’ game is a fun experience — the sight-lines for an NFL game are amazing. Every seat has a perfect view.</p>
<p id="penOkN">The problem? The fans from San Diego have been burned by the Spanos family. Even though the Chargers are competitive and have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs, I don’t blame fans in San Diego for not wanting to fork over thousands of dollars so they can drive 2 and a half hours up the gridlocked 5 freeway to be outnumbered at a home game. </p>
<p id="GdQ93t">And the fans in San Diego have a right to be mad and stay at home. <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2018/9/23/17892684/five-questions-with-turf-show-times-los-angeles-rams-chargers-nfl">They didn’t want to start a fight for LA</a>, they just wanted their team in their hometown. As a kid, I felt burned by Georgia Frontiere’s decision to move the Rams to St. Louis. It took me a while to get over it. And my friends in Orange County felt the same way — it was the 90s and kids just moved on once the Rams and Raiders left town. Sure, some remained faithful, but my experience was that kids my age started following the big market teams that were fun to watch — the Dallas Cowboys, Elway and the Broncos, and even Brett Favre’s Green Bay Packers. Home-town loyalty quickly died out. And that’s what I think is happening in San Diego. </p>
<p id="Dl6Cq9">But the Chargers don’t have time to wait for fans to get over their feelings of betrayal. Money that could be going to the owners is just being left on the table and that will not stand. </p>
<p id="xWDQX1">Just look at what commissioner Roger Goodell had to say about the matter: </p>
<blockquote><p id="P3khNx"><em>Lots of football, lots of building still to do. And frankly, we were out of the market for a long time, and we have to earn our way back with our fans. We have to build that relationship back with our fans and make sure that we do it right. Both teams are committed to that. It will be something that we have to work at over a period of time. They both have very exciting young teams, and I think that will be helpful also. But I think all of those things will come together over the next two years. That’s the work that needs to be done.</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="1fStbh">That’s a very political answer. The fact that he’s forced to comment on the idea of the Chargers’ not finding a fanbase means something. I think he wants to make a big move and get the Spanos family out of this contract. This is all conjecture, but the Chargers could keep their “Los Angeles” name and play in a stadium in the City of Industry — a location closer to San Diego and also has millions of people who hate going up to Los Angeles. The <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim</a> have been flourishing on the other side of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Curtain">orange curtain</a>, and they make loads of money. And Orange County fans and Inland Empire fans will embrace a team if they feel like it’s theirs and not the weirdos who live in the Hollywood Hills. </p>
<p id="VZXZai">Of course, the more likely landing spot for the Chargers would be overseas where any cast-off NFL franchise seems likely to end up in the next decade or so. </p>
<p id="V0fFh8">The London Chargers doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but you know what does? <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20824189/how-nfl-international-series-games-london-helped-make-uk-fans-loud-proud">80,000 screaming fans</a>. Let the Chargers make a fortune in the U.K. You can even rebrand them and call them the London Hufflepuffs for all I care. Just end the embarrassment of the Chargers trying to make it happen in LA. It’s awkward and everyone (including the Spanos family) knows it. </p>
<p id="0mNUiz">Can the Rams dominate the sports landscape in LA while sharing a stadium with the Chargers? Sure, why not. Do you really want a banner of Melvin Gordon in a Chargers’ uniform, hanging over the wall when you walk into a Rams’ game? No. I want the Stadium to be officially known as the Rams House. Think about how rad that would be if the only NFL franchise playing in the Inglewood stadium was the Rams. </p>
<p id="wfWU2f">The fight for LA still rages on. Yes, the Rams are involved, but they’re in a war with the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> and <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> for the focus of LA.</p>
<p id="0MNeF0">And the Chargers are on the outside looking in.</p>
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https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/10/18/17992518/los-angeles-la-chargers-viability-speculation-future-nfl-dean-spanosJoey The Jerk2018-09-06T17:41:09-05:002018-09-06T17:41:09-05:00Premier, Reserved seating for new stadium open
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<p>2020 just got a little closer.</p> <p id="qEeAWZ">The <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a> announced today that they will begin getting in touch with season ticket members and anyone who signed up for the new stadium deposit list the week of September 17.</p>
<p id="aLzhXq">Reserved Seats will cost $1,000 to $5,000 for the stadium seat license with season tickets costing somewhere between $60 and $125 per game. Premier Seats range from $7,500 to $15,000 with season tickets costing $150 to $200 per game.</p>
<p id="9oOBnC">The team previously made Club seats available for $15,000 to $80,000 with season tickets costing $375 per game.</p>
<p id="Wj3WJy">Per a release from the team:</p>
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<p id="BRtnfD">Club Seat holders will have a host of benefits at the new stadium including the possibility of purchasing tickets for other sports and entertainment events at the stadium. In addition, these seats have benefits such as VIP parking, access to numerous exclusive Club areas with LA-authentic dining experiences as well as wider, cushioned seats and extraordinary sightlines.</p>
<p id="C3teV2">...</p>
<p id="Ek51u8">Premier Seats offer the next level of exclusivity after Club Seats, including dedicated access into the building, exclusive concourse areas and the opportunity to purchase parking on-site.</p>
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<p id="UCrz7b"><em><strong>(UPDATED at 6:41pm ET)</strong></em></p>
<p id="AqXJQ7">The following images are from a marketing campaign from the Rams detailing the offers for Premier and Reserved seats:</p>
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https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/9/6/17827690/los-angeles-rams-begin-offering-premier-reserved-seating-new-stadium-lased-inglewood3k