Rams owner Stan Kroenke won more than just L.A.

[Pancake]

You're explaining yourself just fine.

It's perfectly clear the move was a pure money grab for Kroenke. By all reports, the move will at least double the value of the franchise.

And if, in 10 yr (for sake of discussion), he had an opportunity to double his money again by moving the Rams to Whereverville, USA, he wouldn't bat an eye at leaving LA. Nothing hard to understand about that.

Of course, the chances of that actually happening are exceedingly slim with the limited market sizes of other potential locations. But the point is well made and spot on.

Maybe he would move and chase dollars but not if he had a lease with a city and they were to, you know, actually honor the lease they agreed to.

 

[blackbart]

yet you insult st louis??????

I never insulted StL. Some of the writers that have "covered" the Rams on the other hand get the deserved criticism. They are and have been lame for years.

 

[PK15]

First you may have to tell him who they are.



Come on now. That's just ridiculous. His ONLY quotes about the Rams were how STL deserved a team and how he would do everything he could to keep them here, which, in the end, meant doing nothing. Literally, he said he would do everything he could and he literally offered nothing. Nada, zip, zilch. I've let go of the sour grapes, but this is rewriting history.



Some input? Did you think he wasn't offered the chance? Did you think he was ignored? Really????

People, Stan Kroenke will drop LA in a heartbeat and move the Rams if he gets a better deal. You can bookmark that statement for historical reference down the road. I get how cool this is going to be for LA fans, I'm envious, but painting Stan as open and honest and a Rams fan is not reflected anywhere in his history.

Agree here 100%. Bottom line Stan is business. To LA fans: celebrate your team coming back, but easy on the Stan-love. His decision (and the league's) is all about $$, not about helping out a fan base.

But still: go rams.

 

[FrankenRam]

Maybe he would move and chase dollars but not if he had a lease with a city and they were to, you know, actually honor the lease they agreed to.

Oh good grief, are we going to go around in that circle yet again. Yes, the original lease was a dumb one for STL to have ever agreed to. And yes, by the letter of the law, they failed to live up to it. But it was every bit as financially impractical for the city of STL to live up to as it would have been for Kroenke to swallow that much ballyhooed $700mill number that constantly gets tossed around. And it was especially impractical from roughly the 2007-2012 time frame when the country, not just STL, was in the throes of the most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression. To keep tossing around the 'STL Failed' argument is technically true, but argumentatively WEAK.

If Kroenke is Mr Wonderful, he had to know STL would never be able to live up to that original lease. So, why didn't he propose an entirely new arrangement that potentially could work for both him and the STL area? He had all the leverage, and it's clear STL was the one city of the 3 involved in LA discussions that was willing to do something. But SK never made that offer simply because he had no intention of staying in STL once he realized how much $$ he could rake in by moving the team to LA.

If Kroenke is Mr Wonderful, why didn't he build himself a stadium in STL. He could have done that for a far cry less than the $1.5-2billion he'll spend on the LA Stadium/entertainment complex plus the $500mill relocation fee. Granted, he wouldn't have been able to build something on the same scale in STL that he'll be building in LA. But he certainly could have built some sort of multi-sport/use facility here that easily would have made keeping the Rams in STL financially viable for him and contribute MUCH more to the economic vitality of the STL region than the LA Megaplex will ever contribute to the LA area.

Why didn't he do either of the above? Because neither of those options would have lined his pockets the way the move to LA will do.

He didn't do either because he doesn't give a sliver of a lick about his contribution to any region. There isn't a benevolent bone in his body. The ONLY thing he cares about is how his actions impact his wallet.

He'll love LA to death as long as you keep feeding his wallet. But if the Rams remain mired in the mediocrity of the last 4 yr, or worse, return to the haplessness of the 5 or so yr prior, and attendance at his palace starts dropping, don't think for a minute that he won't be looking for an end game for LA just as quickly.

Heck, I'd lay odds right now that Stan Kroenke won't own the Rams for more than another 5 yr. He'll move the team, build his megaplex, and once established, he'll put it all up for sale to the highest bidder. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn that's been the game plan all along.

 

[OldSchool]

Heck, I'd lay odds right now that Stan Kroenke won't own the Rams for more than another 5 yr. He'll move the team, build his megaplex, and once established, he'll put it all up for sale to the highest bidder. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn that's been the game plan all along.

Just out of curiousity what in his sports owner history leads you to this opinion? Looking at the other teams he's owned the only conclusions I can come up with based on his past is he wants to own sports franchises and the stadiums they play in. Along with as much of the developments around those stadiums. He's never once sold a team but he has bought minority shares in a team and gained full control of them.

 

[Pancake]

Oh good grief, are we going to go around in that circle yet again. Yes, the original lease was a dumb one for STL to have ever agreed to. And yes, by the letter of the law, they failed to live up to it. But it was every bit as financially impractical for the city of STL to live up to as it would have been for Kroenke to swallow that much ballyhooed $700mill number that constantly gets tossed around. And it was especially impractical from roughly the 2007-2012 time frame when the country, not just STL, was in the throes of the most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression. To keep tossing around the 'STL Failed' argument is technically true, but argumentatively WEAK.

If Kroenke is Mr Wonderful, he had to know STL would never be able to live up to that original lease. So, why didn't he propose an entirely new arrangement that potentially could work for both him and the STL area? He had all the leverage, and it's clear STL was the one city of the 3 involved in LA discussions that was willing to do something. But SK never made that offer simply because he had no intention of staying in STL once he realized how much $$ he could rake in by moving the team to LA.

If Kroenke is Mr Wonderful, why didn't he build himself a stadium in STL. He could have done that for a far cry less than the $1.5-2billion he'll spend on the LA Stadium/entertainment complex plus the $500mill relocation fee. Granted, he wouldn't have been able to build something on the same scale in STL that he'll be building in LA. But he certainly could have built some sort of multi-sport/use facility here that easily would have made keeping the Rams in STL financially viable for him and contribute MUCH more to the economic vitality of the STL region than the LA Megaplex will ever contribute to the LA area.

Why didn't he do either of the above? Because neither of those options would have lined his pockets the way the move to LA will do.

He didn't do either because he doesn't give a sliver of a lick about his contribution to any region. There isn't a benevolent bone in his body. The ONLY thing he cares about is how his actions impact his wallet.

He'll love LA to death as long as you keep feeding his wallet. But if the Rams remain mired in the mediocrity of the last 4 yr, or worse, return to the haplessness of the 5 or so yr prior, and attendance at his palace starts dropping, don't think for a minute that he won't be looking for an end game for LA just as quickly.

Heck, I'd lay odds right now that Stan Kroenke won't own the Rams for more than another 5 yr. He'll move the team, build his megaplex, and once established, he'll put it all up for sale to the highest bidder. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn that's been the game plan all along.

Because a lot of the hurt fans refuse to acknowledge that it is the key and central reason why the Rams moved. Yes it's about making money for SK too but the fact is the CVC controlled it's own destiny. It doesn't matter if SK is all about money he would have been bound by the lease to stay.

And the excuse that because the terms of the lease were unattainable in the view of some so it shouldn't matter doesn't really fly with me. Really it's basic adulthood. Don't sign a contract you can't fulfill. Don't give your word on something you can't honor....

The CVC of 94' screwed over the fans of today just as much as SK if not more. Because any plan that would have enabled the Rams to stay would have had St.Louis citizens selling their first born thanks to them.

 

[Roman Snow]

I'm sorry but that comment, and you're not the only one I see making it across many Rams forums, makes absolutely no sense. I get the salt directed to Stan and I don't blame anybody for having it. But lets analyze a few things with this statement.

He didn't receive any offer from LA. He went out and purchased land and fought for the right to build his own stadium on that land. He could have gone out and sold the Rams to many different open cities, including London, to try to get himself a "better deal". Didn't happen, he's not taking taxpayer money he's not getting any free rides. He could have chosen a path of least resistance but didn't. He bought land and fought for the right to put the Rams on it. He's putting down $2+ billion dollars for this development that includes what the other NFL owners described as a football palace and the jewel of the NFL. He, and his partners, are going to make a fortune off of it which I think we can all agree is his #1 goal in life.

He already had the opportunity to go out and find the best deal he could get for himself. And for him that's having total control over his stadium and the surrounding area(something many of us myself included stressed and were scoffed at for it). Never in the process with Inglewood did he ask for money or a sweetheart deal.

Now lets look at it from what the NFL will do if he tries to move down the road. You may remember that each team filing for relocation had to agree to several things. One they couldn't sue the NFL for the way the voting went and the decisions that were made. Secondly and most important they agreed to very heavy and strict fines and punishments for selling their team or again trying to relocate after moving to LA. There's two heavy penalties that add to the logical reasons why he won't "jump at a better deal" down the road. It just doesn't make sense when you honestly look at the situation without salt colored glasses to think he'll relocate again for a "better deal" he's got a billion dollar cash cow tied to a team returning to a city that loves it and hasn't had an NFL team in 20 years. Simple logic tells us he won't move again.

Nailed it old school. I think we are being taught more to use emotion, sadly, and less to think with logic and reasoning.

 

[FrankenRam]

Just out of curiousity what in his sports owner history leads you to this opinion? Looking at the other teams he's owned the only conclusions I can come up with based on his past is he wants to own sports franchises and the stadiums they play in. Along with as much of the developments around those stadiums. He's never once sold a team but he has bought minority shares in a team and gained full control of them.

It's not an opinion. It's a WAG, and possibly a seriously wild one. The one diff between the Rams situation and his other sports franchises is that I doubt he's never had the opportunity to make as much $$, even in terms of % ROI, in one fell swoop as he does in this case. Plus, he's 68 now.

 

[OldSchool]

It's not an opinion. It's a WAG, and possibly a seriously wild one. The one diff between the Rams situation and his other sports franchises is that I doubt he's never had the opportunity to make as much $$, even in terms of % ROI, in one fell swoop as he does in this case. Plus, he's 68 now.

Ok so in your opinion from your WAG where could he possibly make more money than with the stadium he's building? I keep seeing lots of these comments "until he moves the next time" which honestly I think are just meant to be insults to Stan and LA instead of an actual logical thought. So where could he move again with the restrictions already cited that the NFL placed on the Rams/Raiders/Chargers whoever ended up approved to move, and make more money.

Also him being 68 means nothing, he could live for another 30 years or not. His son who runs the Nuggets and Av's is only 35.

 

[bluecoconuts]

It's not an opinion. It's a WAG, and possibly a seriously wild one. The one diff between the Rams situation and his other sports franchises is that I doubt he's never had the opportunity to make as much $$, even in terms of % ROI, in one fell swoop as he does in this case. Plus, he's 68 now.

There's a pretty fat tax if he tries to sell, and by most reports the move was about legacy and ensuring that his family is well set up long after he's gone. Doesn't make sense to drop that kind of cash, then sell and pay a fine.. The Rams aren't going to be worth enough for that to make sense.

 

[FrankenRam]

Because a lot of the hurt fans refuse to acknowledge that it is the key and central reason why the Rams moved.

That's your opinion. It's just as easy to view it as the lever that was used like a sledge hammer to extricate the Rams from the existing agreement.

Yes it's about making money for SK too but the fact is the CVC controlled it's own destiny........
........The CVC of 94' screwed over the fans of today just as much as SK if not more.......

Now that's just laughable. The CVC, for all their faults in this, hasn't 'controlled' any part of this since the original was signed. All the leverage was on the side of the owner of the Rams.

 

[PressureD41]

I'm sorry but that comment, and you're not the only one I see making it across many Rams forums, makes absolutely no sense. I get the salt directed to Stan and I don't blame anybody for having it. But lets analyze a few things with this statement.

He didn't receive any offer from LA. He went out and purchased land and fought for the right to build his own stadium on that land. He could have gone out and sold the Rams to many different open cities, including London, to try to get himself a "better deal". Didn't happen, he's not taking taxpayer money he's not getting any free rides. He could have chosen a path of least resistance but didn't. He bought land and fought for the right to put the Rams on it. He's putting down $2+ billion dollars for this development that includes what the other NFL owners described as a football palace and the jewel of the NFL. He, and his partners, are going to make a fortune off of it which I think we can all agree is his #1 goal in life.

He already had the opportunity to go out and find the best deal he could get for himself. And for him that's having total control over his stadium and the surrounding area(something many of us myself included stressed and were scoffed at for it). Never in the process with Inglewood did he ask for money or a sweetheart deal.

Now lets look at it from what the NFL will do if he tries to move down the road. You may remember that each team filing for relocation had to agree to several things. One they couldn't sue the NFL for the way the voting went and the decisions that were made. Secondly and most important they agreed to very heavy and strict fines and punishments for selling their team or again trying to relocate after moving to LA. There's two heavy penalties that add to the logical reasons why he won't "jump at a better deal" down the road. It just doesn't make sense when you honestly look at the situation without salt colored glasses to think he'll relocate again for a "better deal" he's got a billion dollar cash cow tied to a team returning to a city that loves it and hasn't had an NFL team in 20 years. Simple logic tells us he won't move again.

Well said... Every single word written above makes sense. This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[PressureD41]

Well said.

Great commercial but crown royal is better, and dam the maple favour is outstanding! JMHO

 

[FrankenRam]

There's a pretty fat tax if he tries to sell, and by most reports the move was about legacy and ensuring that his family is well set up long after he's gone. Doesn't make sense to drop that kind of cash, then sell and pay a fine.. The Rams aren't going to be worth enough for that to make sense.

Oh.., you mean the 'Relocation Guidelines, Part Deux - And This time We Really Mean It'.

C'mon....even the LA crowd can't really believe any such 'written' rules the NFL creates are worth more than the paper they're written on.

 

[tonyl711]

I never insulted StL. Some of the writers that have "covered" the Rams on the other hand get the deserved criticism. They are and have been lame for years.

were they supposed to kidnap Stan and make him talk? the man wouldnt talk to any St Louis media, or any national media for that matter, so how do you come to your conclusion? also the EJD is far from a dump.

 

[Doug Ramfan]

I'm thinking "should I post?"
Nah I never thought before I put my foot in my mouth so why start now?
I read the article and I found out he is rich he is old and all that matters he brought back the Rams to LA and right the wrong that
Georgia Frontiere :rant: brought to The Los Angeles Rams. My hope that the city of LA and or Inglewood has a "do not move clause" in the deal of keeping the Rams in LA.

 

[blackbart]

were they supposed to kidnap Stan and make him talk? the man wouldnt talk to any St Louis media, or any national media for that matter, so how do you come to your conclusion? also the EJD is far from a dump.

EJD may be "far from a dump" but it was not kept up to the standard the contract agreed to. They gave the opening for the Rams to move saying they could not afford to upgrade the ELD.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...request-to-upgrade-edward-jones-dome-rejected

A reporter handed the assignment of covering a professional sports franchise has been though enough to figure out how to deal with the angles and get close to the right people in the organization. It is their job to figure it out. If you want to take that stance you are welcome to it. I think they could have and should have done more and better. You don't have to agree with me.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Oh.., you mean the 'Relocation Guidelines, Part Deux - And This time We Really Mean It'.

C'mon....even the LA crowd can't really believe any such 'written' rules the NFL creates are worth more than the paper they're written on.

No, I agree there could be ways to beat that, but him signing an agreement to that would make it much harder to beat in court.

Again, most said it was about legacy and wanting to set up his family long after he's gone. Of course money factored in, as well as making the Rams an international brand, but it wasn't just simply money. Kroenke isn't Scrooge McDuck here.

 

[IowaRam]

Didn't Kroenke try and buy the Dodgers a few years ago

I wonder what would have happened to the Rams if Kroenke would have bought the Dodger , would Kroenke still have been able to afford moving the Rams to LA

 

[snackdaddy]

Just out of curiousity what in his sports owner history leads you to this opinion? Looking at the other teams he's owned the only conclusions I can come up with based on his past is he wants to own sports franchises and the stadiums they play in. Along with as much of the developments around those stadiums. He's never once sold a team but he has bought minority shares in a team and gained full control of them.

I've seen that opinion posted quite a bit by the stl fans. Not sure if they really believe it or not, but there's been nothing in his history that would make someone think that would happen. Stan has already made more money than most would know what to do with it. I honestly believe this move was about his legacy. He'll be forever known as the man who brought the Rams back to LA. LA fans adore him for that.