Dome Deal May Be Revealed

[-X-]

By going really big, rather than reasonable, I think it is clear that the Rams plan to get out of this lease and move to LA or London. Good luck selling tickets in St. Louis for the next 3 years. Anyone want to buy my PSL?

The Rams were going to have trouble selling tickets in St. Louis anyway. Now this. They didn't draft a guy that will sell tickets and excite the fans. With no elite receiver, the offense will likely be anemic again this year. The Rams have had nearly the worst home record of any team in NFL history for the last few years.

Its a sad day for St. Louis football fans.

Well, there's a flip side to everything of course.

I don't know how many tickets would have been sold simply because of the name Blackmon. It wouldn't have made me buy tickets, I know that much. Of course I would have already had a PSL like you. I have a feeling people are pretty amped about Jeff Fisher roaming the sidelines, and that should pique interest a bit. And if the wins come, so will the fans. It really won't matter how they go about it. With Quick and Givens, or a defense that dominates. Wins will increase interest and boost ticket sales.

I think this roof thing is a ridiculous request if I'm to weigh in on it at all. There's not enough return on an investment like that. Winter months would suck, and there is inclement weather there quite a bit from what I'm reading. Not to mention the amount of time it would take to retrofit that roof with a retractable mechanism. That's not something you can do in an off-season. I don't care how brilliant an engineer you are, that's too much labor and construction. So what do they do? Play their games somewhere else for a year (possibly 2)?

 

[bluecoconuts]

I don't think there's anyway to get the EJD into the top whatever % it is (15?) without a retractable roof.

I mean they can upgrade in other ways, but they're going to need that roof if they want to break into that threshold if you ask me... It'll be interesting to see what they do, I'm sure something gets done though.

If not, and the Rams move, then they move. Wont really change my opinion either way, (especially since I'm leaving LA next month), and Farmers field will be really nice. In the end I don't care if the Rams play in St Louis, LA, London, or the Moon. As long as I can watch them, and they win.

 

[-X-]

In the end I don't care if the Rams play in St Louis, LA, London, or the Moon. As long as I can watch them, and they win.

Fuck that. Do you know how much travel time is involved in playing on the moon? That's like a 22 hour shuttle trip 8 times a year. Talk about jet lag. And then we're back to the whole "no retractable roof" thing if they play on the moon too. I do like the possibility of zero gravity football games though. Injuries would plummet if they're just floating around up there.

 

[Selassie I]

Next step in the process... Arbitration

 

[Ram Quixote]

By going really big, rather than reasonable, I think it is clear that the Rams plan to get out of this lease and move to LA or London. Good luck selling tickets in St. Louis for the next 3 years. Anyone want to buy my PSL?

The Rams were going to have trouble selling tickets in St. Louis anyway. Now this. They didn't draft a guy that will sell tickets and excite the fans. With no elite receiver, the offense will likely be anemic again this year. The Rams have had nearly the worst home record of any team in NFL history for the last few years.

Its a sad day for St. Louis football fans.

Before we decided that the roof is falling--or being removed--on St Louis' football, let's be aware of the negotiating tactics on both sides. The CVC went low, for the most part, with a couple of nice ideas for getting real sunlight in the dome. Kroenke went high, as high as the dome itself. That's quite a difference, and you can bet Kroenke isn't going to settle for nice. He wants a great venue for his football team. Why shouldn't he?

Remember, the CVC proposal put part of the expense on the Rams. Today's nugget of information doesn't include anything about how Kroenke plans to distribute the expense. I'd wait for Monday's release before selling any PSL's.

 

[RamFan503]

Of course he is going to go high. Were we expecting him to say, "I like your other suggestions. Change the seats from red to blue and we've got a deal."? The CVC put in a low ball offer. Let's face it. Now Stan has calculated how much higher he needs to go in order to get the deal to wash out near where he expects. I doubt the retractable roof stays as part of the deal - though it would be cool. But the CVC will need to figure on spending a hell of a lot more than their initial offer and now Stan has made it so that they can go up considerably and still walk away from the negotiations boasting about how they were successful in working for the tax payers to get it done without that huge expense.

Or they move and I watch them play somewhere else. Portland would be cool. Talk about a rivalry... Portland vs. Seattle? :tooth:

 

[ScotsRam]

I don't get it, if the Dome is that terrible why not just build a completely new stadium? And what's the American obsession with using taxpayer money? I'm pretty sure soccer teams over here build stadiums with their own money... it's only national stadiums like Wembley that are taxpayer funded. My soccer team are currently upgrading their stadium with the owners money. It's not like Kroenke couldnt afford it!

 

[brokeu91]

I don't get it, if the Dome is that terrible why not just build a completely new stadium? And what's the American obsession with using taxpayer money? I'm pretty sure soccer teams over here build stadiums with their own money... it's only national stadiums like Wembley that are taxpayer funded. My soccer team are currently upgrading their stadium with the owners money. It's not like Kroenke couldnt afford it!

The reason why taxpayers are being asked to pay for it, is that the owners can and will many times get some city/state to pay for it.

As far as the Rams situation goes, it actually makes sense that the tax payers pay for some of it, because in reality it's owned by the city and they rent it out for conventions and make money off of it (how much exactly is a bit of a mystery). In addition, the city and county also get money through visitors going to said conventions and spending money on hotels/restaurants, hence increasing tax revenue.

Imagine if the city does renovate the stadium and they land a Superbowl. If that happens that's been estimated to be an additional 100-300 million dollars in taxable revenue will be generated, at 10% that's 10-30 million. They could also land final fours, bowl games, maybe an SEC championship game and generate a lot of revenue again. In reality, the city does benefit from the improved stadium.

If the city was smart they would help renovate the stadium and give Kroenke the land to the bottle district (which is literally a vacant lot of land adjacent to the stadium) to develop in order to create a more fan friendly atmosphere.

 

[Thordaddy]

I don't get it, if the Dome is that terrible why not just build a completely new stadium? And what's the American obsession with using taxpayer money? I'm pretty sure soccer teams over here build stadiums with their own money... it's only national stadiums like Wembley that are taxpayer funded. My soccer team are currently upgrading their stadium with the owners money. It's not like Kroenke couldnt afford it!

The reason why taxpayers are being asked to pay for it, is that the owners can and will many times get some city/state to pay for it.

As far as the Rams situation goes, it actually makes sense that the tax payers pay for some of it, because in reality it's owned by the city and they rent it out for conventions and make money off of it (how much exactly is a bit of a mystery). In addition, the city and county also get money through visitors going to said conventions and spending money on hotels/restaurants, hence increasing tax revenue.

Imagine if the city does renovate the stadium and they land a Superbowl. If that happens that's been estimated to be an additional 100-300 million dollars in taxable revenue will be generated, at 10% that's 10-30 million. They could also land final fours, bowl games, maybe an SEC championship game and generate a lot of revenue again. In reality, the city does benefit from the improved stadium.

If the city was smart they would help renovate the stadium and give Kroenke the land to the bottle district (which is literally a vacant lot of land adjacent to the stadium) to develop in order to create a more fan friendly atmosphere.

Well I think you are definitely on the right track on the Super Bowl and other events being an objective for Kroenke.

I would love to research the land dealings that were behind the decision to locate the Ed where it is. It might rival the Denver International Airport deal, but I digress.

IMO Kroenke is a guy who subscribes to the three L's of retailing and St. Louis has demonstrated to the NCAA it's central location superiority for things like the Frozen Four and the wrestling championships,so how could it possibly be much of a stretch to view it as a great location for a Super Bowl?
I would add that the ability to develop surrounding real estate would be big in Kroenke's mind so IMO we are watching a dance that ends up at the Chrysler Plant in Fenton MO.

A retractable roof at the Ed is nearly impossible since the floor isn't designed to get rid of rain water ,so really I think that's an impossible request wrapped in a reasonable want designed to break the deal so the alternative location can come to the fore.

I'll be back.

IF you go to Google Earth set the search for Old Chrysler Plant ,Fenton MO or tothese co-ordinates
38 degree 32 minutes 55.50sec. N and 90degrees 27minutes 28.99sec. W with the eye at 9700 feet you will se it. There is enough land highways and OBTW a river the Meramec which could make casino gambling possible since MO has a riverboat gambling statute.
At that location Stan could get it all and it would be a way for Chrysler to get out from under a lot of dead expense .

That's my story and I'm sticking to it, IMO the only way the Ed continues tobe the home of the Rams for the next 15 years is IF the city sells it to Kroenke and the land around it to boot,he only stays THERE IMO if it's his venue.

 

[steferfootball]

In the end I don't care if the Rams play in St Louis, LA, London, or the Moon. As long as I can watch them, and they win.

freak that. Do you know how much travel time is involved in playing on the moon? That's like a 22 hour shuttle trip 8 times a year. Talk about jet lag. And then we're back to the whole "no retractable roof" thing if they play on the moon too. I do like the possibility of zero gravity football games though. Injuries would plummet if they're just floating around up there.

Retractable roof on the moon is not an option. So many football players would jump up, and we'd never see them again.

Plus punting would mean we would run out of balls every day.