New: Latest on Kroenke, Rams and NFL in STL

[RamFan503]

I thought not catching liquor and weenie reference was proof enough!

Not sure how to take that.

 

[Big Willie]

Politics, preferred stadium design and teams aside, residents of the LA area...which Southern California location is best for a stadium? (Everything I read from the cities and teams is posturing. I would like the real scoop in terms of which location is most accessible and manages traffic best.)

 

[D L]

Just let this play Gentlemen soon all of us will know the answer and it's not going to take much longer. Summer is beautiful season and the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor as well as stopping to smell the roses.

The upcoming season looks bright and with OTA's and Training Camp looming on the horizon so much to discuss and debate. Soon we'll have all the answers, but at this point some things are clearer than others and the Rams will either be staying in St. Louis or playing in Los Angeles and none of us know the answer and at this point that decision has still not been made. As always JMHO.

Summer sucks. Winter is the best by far.

 

[OldSchool]

We’re Suing the City of Carson

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/why-were-suing-the-city-of-carson/

In February, the Chargers revealed they were planning a new football stadium that would cost more than $1 billion to share with the Oakland Raiders in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson. Team officials said they’d been secretly negotiating with Carson leaders for at least a month prior to the announcement.

What did those negotiations consist of? Not a single email, text message, memo or anything on paper at all between the teams or the NFL and any elected official in Carson, according to city officials.

Less than a week after the Carson stadium news broke, we asked the city for any communications between Carson’s mayor or City Council members and the Chargers, Raiders or the league. We asked again after the city approved the new stadium at a Council meeting. Both times Carson’s attorneys requested multiple extensions of the state’s public records law before telling us twice that no records existed.

Carson is not saying that written communications between its elected officials and the Chargers, Raiders and league should be shielded from public view because they are part of real estate negotiations or other legitimate exemptions from the state’s records laws. No, they’re saying that there are literally zero electronic or paper communications between Carson’s elected officials and the NFL.

We find this hard to believe. So we sued Carson on May 27, asking a court to compel the city to turn over any documents that might exist. From the suit:

The city’s refusal to provide the records sought by Voice’s first two [public records] requests lacks any substantive or evidentiary justification and instead relies upon an unreasonable suspension of belief – namely, that a small city may interact with multi-billion dollar organizations like the NFL and the teams without the production of a single email, text message or letter, even those relating to public hearings which the city has already held in approving the stadium project without a vote of its citizenry and circumventing CEQA.

The suit may not ultimately yield any new documents. But we’ll keep you updated on the case.

I found the fact that the city of Carson said no emails had been exchanged nor any kind of communication that can be documented. So they planned this nearly $2 billion project without any electronic or phone communication from three different cities? That's impressive and interesting.

 

[RAMbler]

Well first of all, with Stan's background, he probably has a plan B and C and that likely means some other development on the property.

But I'm sure what he is saying is that this provides no new info that hasn't always been there. That property is getting developed. There is nothing absolute in the stadium development on that site even though Mayor Butts wants that to be the case. It's possible, maybe even probable but a lot can happen in the next several months.

Well I'm still looking for plan B. Mayor Butts can say what he wants, but where is the guy who is suppose to be speaking up for plan B? The news broadcast mentioned the stadium, and Stan Kroenke by name. And I haven't been seeing any newscasts, or reports showing drawings, or plans for what SK will be building on his $100M piece of Cali, IF he doesn't build his stadium.
The old Hollywood Park being demolished is news. But the emphasis was on the Kroenke project.

 

[D L]

Are there any more lawsuits to be filed to potentially screw St. Louis' chances to keep the Rams? I swear to God.

 

[RamFan503]

Politics, preferred stadium design and teams aside, residents of the LA area...which Southern California location is best for a stadium? (Everything I read from the cities and teams is posturing. I would like the real scoop in terms of which location is most accessible and manages traffic best.)

Well - I'm not sure I would ever set foot in Carson without a real good reason. To me, the Inglewood area has been established as a sporting area. It fell on some pretty hard times but I always liked going to Laker games there. It just seems that a stadium replacing the race track would be a natural and a quick lift back up for an area that I think could quickly return from troubled times.

Carson on the other hand has always just been heavy industrial. I just don't see it as a place where you put a shiny new NFL stadium. I suppose the Raiduhs might fit there though.

 

[RamFan503]

Well I'm still looking for plan B. Mayor Butts can say what he wants, but where is the guy who is suppose to be speaking up for plan B? The news broadcast mentioned the stadium, and Stan Kroenke by name. And I haven't been seeing any newscasts, or reports showing drawings, or plans for what SK will be building on his $100M piece of Cali, IF he doesn't build his stadium.
The old Hollywood Park being demolished is news. But the emphasis was on the Kroenke project.

Why would you expect Kroenke or Stockbridge to announce a plan B? What possible motivation could he have at this point? All he would do with that is possibly remove some of the leverage he has in St Louis and with the NFL. If he's not building a stadium, the rest of the project can go along as planned and the zoning allows for him to revert to uses already approved for the area. It's not really that complicated.

 

[RamFan503]

We’re Suing the City of Carson

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/why-were-suing-the-city-of-carson/



I found the fact that the city of Carson said no emails had been exchanged nor any kind of communication that can be documented. So they planned this nearly $2 billion project without any electronic or phone communication from three different cities? That's impressive and interesting.

I gotta say - that's pretty weird if true. Nothing in writing - anywhere?

 

[mr.stlouis]

Well, glad I haven't said anything out of line in my time back. So this is all I got...

So in my last informative rumor session, I stated several reasons why Carson was in the lead. In that time the following has happened.


-Demolition of Hollywood Park
-Negotiations between SD and the Chargers
-Lawsuit of MO legislators to constipated progress in STL.
-Oak contues to be deafeningly silent.

My opinion

-Inglewood is the most ready site out of any location. You can argue its already begun, but we all know that site could be turned into condos if condos if the owners don't give Stan the green light.

-I would be surprised to see SD make substantial, significant, progress with the Chargers. I firmly believe Spanos has his sites fully set on Carson.
- The law suit is no more significant than the act of grand standing. A bulk of it is interpreting the definition of "adjacent" in terms of extending the bond funds. Being the AG and general assembly passed the budget with no provisions to limit Gov. Nixon's authority of extending the bonds, I feel the law suit is DOA.
-OAK........ nuff said.

Conclusion: Nothing significant has happened, yet. Hollywood park was getting demolished no matter what, Chargers and satisfying the "exhausted all resources" relocation part of moving, STL has not gained or lost ground lately, and OAK is just taking a kneal down.

It's still up to the owners at the end of the day.

 

[RAMbler]

Why would you expect Kroenke or Stockbridge to announce a plan B? What possible motivation could he have at this point? All he would do with that is possibly remove some of the leverage he has in St Louis and with the NFL. If he's not building a stadium, the rest of the project can go along as planned and the zoning allows for him to revert to uses already approved for the area. It's not really that complicated.

No it isn't complicated at all. I don't think for a minute that Stan or Stock bridge would "announce" anything. But I'm not so sure they could stop something that big from getting out there. At the very least reporters want something to report. Whether it be real or rumor.....

I just feel, if there is any focus on a plan B at all, details would have leaked by now. And certain reports would have been all over it.

 

[den-the-coach]

Summer sucks. Winter is the best by far.

All depending on where your Winter's are? In New York, I will take Summer each and every time and have to admit never really found an individual that ever communicated to me in my 48 years in which I've been in every state and abroad that "Summer Sucked." You're the first my Ram brother.

Unless this is tongue and cheek of course.

 

[Big Willie]

Well - I'm not sure I would ever set foot in Carson without a real good reason. To me, the Inglewood area has been established as a sporting area. It fell on some pretty hard times but I always liked going to Laker games there. It just seems that a stadium replacing the race track would be a natural and a quick lift back up for an area that I think could quickly return from troubled times.

Carson on the other hand has always just been heavy industrial. I just don't see it as a place where you put a shiny new NFL stadium. I suppose the Raiduhs might fit there though.

Thanks for the analysis.

 

[RamFan503]

No it isn't complicated at all. I don't think for a minute that Stan or Stock bridge would "announce" anything. But I'm not so sure they could stop something that big from getting out there. At the very least reporters want something to report. Whether it be real or rumor.....

I just feel, if there is any focus on a plan B at all, details would have leaked by now. And certain reports would have been all over it.

You mean to go along with all that other info Stan's people have accidentally leaked out? You really think anyone who knows something would jeopardize everything to give the media a story?

And say there was a plan B. Would it really affect much? Even though I suggested it, I'm not even sure it would do much to affect his leverage except maybe make a few people in St Louis think he was bluffing. And if he was all in on Inglewood, wouldn't he actually want people in St Louis trying to call his bluff?

Part of the problem with what you are saying is that it is already in the amended plan. If you go back through and find it, the City of Champions Revitalization Plan allows for the changes to simply revert back to the previously approved plan. That would likely mean Stan does something else with his 60 acres but I don't really think it matters. He will develop that land or he will sell it for a profit once the other development goes in.

Whether Stan has in his office, designs for a plan B is immaterial. I'm guessing he does but I wouldn't know.

 

[D L]

All depending on where your Winter's are? In New York, I will take Summer each and every time and have to admit never really found an individual that ever communicated to me in my 48 years in which I've been in every state and abroad that "Summer Sucked." You're the first my Ram brother.

Unless this is tongue and cheek of course.

Nope, not tongue in cheek at all. Not a New Yorker, I'm a small town Southern Illinois boy. I get a pretty good taste of all four of the seasons and Winter is by far my favorite.

I'm an oddball for sure.

 

[blue4]

All depending on where your Winter's are? In New York, I will take Summer each and every time and have to admit never really found an individual that ever communicated to me in my 48 years in which I've been in every state and abroad that "Summer Sucked." You're the first my Ram brother.

Unless this is tongue and cheek of course.

I'm the second. Whatever the temperature is outside it's 20 degrees higher where I work. It's too sunny, can't sleep for midnight shift with all the sunlight. Give me a rainy chilly London climate anyday.

 

[den-the-coach]

Give me a rainy chilly London climate anyday.

So you like Seattle????Say it @blue4...Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay it!

 

[den-the-coach]

Nope, not tongue in cheek at all. Not a New Yorker, I'm a small town Southern Illinois boy. I get a pretty good taste of all four of the seasons and Winter is by far my favorite.

I'm an oddball for sure.

Hey different strokes for different folks...But I dislike snow immensely and dream of the day that my White Christmas is spent on December 25th in white sand!

 

[blue4]

So you like Seattle????Say it @blue4...Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay it!

Their weather is perfect. Their team sucks balls.

 

[Goose]

No it isn't complicated at all. I don't think for a minute that Stan or Stock bridge would "announce" anything. But I'm not so sure they could stop something that big from getting out there. At the very least reporters want something to report. Whether it be real or rumor.....

I just feel, if there is any focus on a plan B at all, details would have leaked by now. And certain reports would have been all over it.

Well I disagree. I think plan B is an expanded development of the residential and retail area. It has been mentioned before that they can do other things with that site. The focus is just on the stadium. Just like STL has a plan B so do those guys. These grandstands were going to come down regardless so making a big story out of it seems rather pointless. Why would you hear a rumor of plan B? Nobody cares about plan B. The hot topic is the stadium and that is what is going to get pushed.