I don't think I can really put a finger on it. Maybe it is because I have had this feeling all along that Stan wasn't going to sit back and let others dictate the situation. I still lean on the FACT that he worked pretty damn hard to bring the NFL to St Louis and in maybe a small way, moving the team back to LA might feel like a failure on his part. I also just get this feeling that setting up Oxnard as a possible practice site is possibly another last ditch effort to stoke the fire. I don't think he'd care really if it was a foregone conclusion that the team was moving to LA. More so really I would think he would want to calm the seas for the 2015 season to keep it from being a lame duck season.
Again - just a feeling and nothing solid to back it up.
Ah, I gotcha. I don't really feel like much has moved in the past few weeks, although I don't really think Kroenke's actions say leverage either. The past few weeks, there really hasn't been much change, Inglewood is still where they are, and St Louis still has the same obstacles to overcome, and in fact the biggest obstacle has gotten murkier. It seems that St Louis is fine with standing pat on where they are, I don't think they want to really change much, possibly due to the financing issues. Which is fine, but if Stan is trying to get more from St Louis, he's doing a pretty poor job of that, and I don't think you amass the type of fortune he has by not being a good negotiator. I also don't think he's worried about a lame duck season, attendance probably wont take much of a dip because he's been smart enough to not say anything (so if he is intent on moving, fans will still buy the ticket in hopes they can sway him), plus they're already near the bottom of the league in attendance. Leaving St Louis might make him feel like a failure, but bringing the NFL back to LA can, and probably would, make up for any shortcomings there.
I'm not really sure how things will all play out, I wouldn't be shocked if the Rams stay, and I would be happy if they did. I'm just not convinced that LA is more of a bluff than it's not, and that he's really intent on doing everything he can to stay in St Louis. I think that at this point, LA is his first choice, but he's willing to remain in St Louis if things don't shake out as he wishes. He left himself wiggle room, as all smart businessmen do, but ultimately if the NFL gives him a nod of approval he'll go, and the NFL probably gives him the nod regardless of what happens on any of the home fronts if they feel it is best for them.
Long post short, I don't think much has changed in the past few weeks, and until financing is done or shovels hit dirt, I probably wont think anything really has changed. When I say financing is done, I don't mean "Yeah, we're gonna pay for this and the NFL and Stan pays for this part" I mean no shit, everyone is good to go and they're ready to start building. Kroenke has to say yes for financing to be done. Honestly if it's true that he's pissed about how early talks went, I don't know if he'll agree to it. Why lock yourself in a long term contract with a group of people who failed to live up to their side once already, and has already pissed you off at the negotiating table before?
