New: Latest on Kroenke, Rams and NFL in STL

[blue4]

http://www.businessinsider.com/los-angeles-chargers-raiders-nfl-2015-8


The Chargers and Raiders have a solution to one huge problem with their joint proposal to move to LA


CORK GAINES
Aug. 18, 2015, 3:47 PM


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/los-angeles-chargers-raiders-nfl-2015-8#ixzz3jOLiDnAn

The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders shocked the sports world by presenting a joint proposal to build a new stadium in Carson, California. The proposal staked their claim in the race to return the NFL to Los Angeles, a race that also includes the St. Louis Rams.

The proposal presumably gives the Chargers and the Raiders a big advantage over the Rams because all signs point towards the NFL wanting two teams in Los Angeles. At the recent owners' meetings, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft explained why two teams makes more sense than one.

At the same time, the two-team proposal has a huge problem for the rest of the league: both teams play in the same division.

Sharing a stadium in the NFL is not unprecedented, as the New York Giants have shared a stadium with the New York Jets for the past 30 years in East Rutherford, New Jersey. However, unlike the Giants and the Jets, the Raiders and the Chargers play in the same division and instead of playing each other just once every four years, as the Jets and Giants do, the Raiders and the Chargers play each other twice every year.

After some initial rumblings, both teams seem to be on board with moving to the NFC and swapping places with an AFC team.

This means both teams would get an extra home game every year in which they are the "visiting" team in the matchups.

According to sources for Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Raiders owner Mark Davis has offered to move his team to the NFC. Presumably that would mean a move to the NFC West with an AFC West team moving in the other direction. Cole proposed the Seattle Seahawks who were formerly an AFC team.

Furthermore, Carmen Policy, a former 49ers executive hired to handle the stadium proposal, indicated that both teams are willing to move with comments directed at the NFL, saying "you send us to LA and you'll make the decision as to who plays in what conference or division."

One extra home game every eight years — the Giants and the Jets alternate who is the home team — is not that big of a deal. One extra home game every year is a huge advantage over the other teams in the division and a big advantage over the rest of the AFC when it often comes down to one game deciding the two wild-card spots.

Of course, this is all for naught if the Raiders and/or Chargers can secure public funding for stadiums in their current cities or if the AFC team balks at switching conferences and disrupting their own big rivalries. But at the same time, this could be one less hurdle the teams need to navigate.

Once again for all the criticism he takes, Mark Davis has stepped up as the reasonable one.

 

[blue4]

Some thoughts...

Don't get the sign outrage. Be outraged that they even went despite knowing full well it was a slap in the face. The fact that there were pro LA signs was as predictable as the sunrise. I don't think this is even going to be the worst disrespect they show their loyal fans before this is over.

I'm glad there are people, even if they are in the media, trying to show Davis the quality of this fan base. I think maybe he might get the point in time if this goes south with the Rams.

I was happy to see him mention SA. That means he's considering that he may be forced to move. I'm not worried about him choosing SA.

I'm still at 60-40 the Rams move. I'm about 80-20 that we secure financing so maybe its a good time to start wooing under the table. Stan's got a plan B, why not us?

 

[Big Willie]

I am not trying to be an ass, but is there any

I'm still at 60-40 the Rams move. I'm about 80-20 that we secure financing so maybe its a good time to start wooing under the table. Stan's got a plan B, why not us?

Dave Peacock and company have a plan B, C, D....and I wouldn't be surprised if agreements with the league or a team are already tentatively "in place" should the Rams move back to LA. I bet he even has an ownership group ready to buy a team of it comes to that too.

 

[RamBill]

T. Holt Wishes He Could Use Magic Wand to Keep Rams in STL

St. Louis Rams great Torry Holt joined The Ryan Kelley Morning After on Thursday to discuss several topics, including the team’s uncertain future and what he thinks they’ll do this upcoming season.

Listen to Holt Interview

On wishing Rams would stay in St. Louis:

"I wish I could (make the Rams stay in St. Louis). But it's bigger than me. He's running his organization the way he thinks it needs to be ran. But if I had some magic wand, I would wave it and we would remain in St. Louis."

"Management has been up and down for awhile. Players want stability. Fans want stability. And coaches want stability. I think they've found that now with Les Snead and Jeff Fisher. All Rams fans want is a football team that's winning, a football team they can brag about."

 

[blue4]

I am not trying to be an ass, but is there any

Dave Peacock and company have a plan B, C, D....and I wouldn't be surprised if agreements with the league or a team are already tentatively "in place" should the Rams move back to LA. I bet he even has an ownership group ready to buy a team of it comes to that too.

I meant that it's good to actually know that people are talking about it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there were backup plans, and I actually wouldn't be surprised if there weren't.

I doubt he has an ownership group ready to go. That's too many flapping mouths to keep something like that absolutely silent. But maybe he does who knows.

 

[Big Willie]

I meant that it's good to actually know that people are talking about it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there were backup plans, and I actually wouldn't be surprised if there weren't.

I doubt he has an ownership group ready to go. That's too many flapping mouths to keep something like that absolutely silent. But maybe he does who knows.

That first line wasn't supposed to be in that post....oops

 

[The Ripper]

I meant that it's good to actually know that people are talking about it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there were backup plans, and I actually wouldn't be surprised if there weren't.

I doubt he has an ownership group ready to go. That's too many flapping mouths to keep something like that absolutely silent. But maybe he does who knows.

I can't remember who said it that Peacock has an ownership group lined up. May have been Bernie or Randy.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I'm aware. I'm talking about their reputation nationally and their style. Bernie and Farmer are highly regarded across the country and work for accuracy. Roggins and Slaten work for reaction and attention.

What? Bernie is well respected nationally, more than Roggin?

 

[RamFan503]

Yo ROD members:

After over 12,500 posts in this thread, one simple fact is known. No one yet knows whether the Rams are moving or staying in St Louis.

We have done our best to allow this thread to continue and allow members to discuss the relocation/stadium issue. Unfortunately, the topic is not only stale but has become more of a place to argue and rehash old information and theories rather than discuss our team. I don't point any fingers at anyone as I have participated as much as I have moderated.

We have decided on a course of action that should allow members to update and read about the current information regarding the stadiums and possible relocations while maintaining the focus on the Rams, the pre-season. and the season at hand.

RamsOnDemand is not location specific when it comes to our Rams. We never have been. We are the home for ALL Ram Fans no matter where our team calls home. We feel this thread has distanced people from that fact and has been a polarizing force rather than a thread that brings us together to talk about our team.

While it may not be viewed as the right decision by everyone..." From this day forward, this thread will be locked. However, any member may PM me with articles/and or interviews that have new information on the stadium/relocation issue. I will review the articles and post them if they offer new information.

At such time that we or any ROD member receives definitive answers from Stan Kroenke, Dave Peacock, or the NFL, we will likely open up the thread for further discussion. Until then, we would like to redirect the energies of this forum toward our team and the coming season.

I wanted to thank you all for your participation in this highly emotional thread and really appreciate how hard it has been for every Rams fan.

Thanks,

Stu and the rest of the ROD staff

P.S. - Please keep in mind that we will also maintain our policy of not allowing any new relocation/stadium threads here on ROD. Any new threads will be deleted - not merged. Intentionally attempting to work around this policy could result in loss of membership.

 

[RamFan503]

Latest article by @STL-Rams Shane Gray. Once again Shane does a great job keeping us up to date on the stadium issue. Thanks to @iced for bringing it to my attention.

http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLc...rce-Gaining-Ground-in-Quest-to-Keep-Rams.aspx

 

[RamFan503]

Thanks to @OldSchool sending me this article. I hadn't seen anything on what is being proposed in Oakland and I don't recall it being posted in this thread.

http://live105.cbslocal.com/2015/08/25/heres-what-a-new-raiders-stadium-in-oakland-might-look-like/

 

[RamFan503]

One thing I'd like to mention. I am posting articles, interviews, or other information I will have found or has been PMd to me by other members if it has new or somehow pertinent info in it. As no other members may comment while the thread is locked, I will do likewise and present the information without comment.

Go RAMS!!!

 

[RamFan503]

@ChrisW sent this to me. Not much in the form of new info but just kind of an update on what Peacock is doing. The link is at the bottom but apparently there were some problems opening it so he sent me the cut and paste of the article. Thanks Chris.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the last eight months, Dave Peacock has lobbied NFL officials on the merits of St. Louis as a viable football town.

For the next month or so, he’ll turn his attention toward the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. Peacock said he plans to meet with or pitch members of the city’s Board of Aldermen in advance of a potential vote on whether the city will help pay for a new $1 billion riverfront stadium.

St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Thomas Frawley ruled in early August that a public vote was not needed for the city to spend an estimated $66 million in new St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (RSA) bonds on a stadium.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay did not appeal the ruling, but said the St. Louis Board of Aldermen would have a say on financing.

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Slay’s chief of staff, Mary Ellen Ponder, said aldermen could take up the issue at one of their September meetings.

Nine of the city’s 28 aldermen in May called for a public vote on the use of city tax dollars for a new stadium. If 15 aldermen voted against funding the stadium, the measure would fail.

“I didn’t think I’d live long enough to see a billion-dollar stadium built without any real money,” said Alderman Tom Villa on Aug. 25.

Peacock said any money the aldermen approve — similar to state tax credits recently approved — would be contingent on nearly $500 million committed to the project through a team owner and the NFL’s G4 loan program. Ideally, he said, that commitment would come before the city officially sells the bonds.


“Hopefully, we’ll be in a position where (aldermen) deem it a viable project,” Peacock said. “Basically, we’ll go to the Board of Aldermen and let that process take place. We’ll do whatever the process dictates, whether that’s share information they need or informing them.”

The current task force proposal and the RSA analysis assumes the city of St. Louis would make lease payments of $5 million each year through 2023, $5.5 million in 2024, and $6 million annually through 2051. The RSA analysis also said the total estimated direct city net revenue from a stadium complex and related football activities totals more than $115.7 million over 35 years.

Peacock said he hopes to have the financing and land acquisition plans — all but one parcel of land on the actual stadium footprint are under option agreements with land owners — firmly in place by the time NFL owners meet in October, when the task force plans to present to league owners in New York City.

Following the Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB) approval of $15 million in state tax credits — a number that should rise to $50 million over the next three years — to help fund the project, Peacock said he’s more confident than ever in the stadium’s prospects.

“Whether that’s through resolution of lawsuits or getting the vote from the MDFB or even just design development, all those milestones continue us down the path and make me more confident than I was when we started this in January,” he said.


http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/...-confident-than-ever-before-vote.html?ana=twt

 

[RamFan503]

Here's an interview with Eric Grubman from a San Diego radio station:
[av]http://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/253/2015/08/14075642/8-14-Eric-Grubman.mp3[/av]

 

[RamFan503]

New articles in the PD showing updates to the design and also an article talking about the updates. Thanks @ChrisW for sending them to me.

http://www.stltoday.com/gallery/spo..._206bf196-33c7-5783-86c1-68bd1cd839c6.html#12
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_d1805dfc-d300-5e32-b69e-2e0fa41384cf.html

 

[RamFan503]

This was sent to me by @Angry Ram - looks like a great event for the fans in the Lou to get out and show their support for our Rams staying in St Louis.

http://lockerdome.com/7475583080735553/7996790448464401

 

[RamFan503]

An article that was sent to me by @OldSchool regarding the land acquisition for the new Riverfront Stadium - Thanks OldSchool
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/09/16/nfl-stadium-backers-gain-power-of-eminent-domain/

 

[RamFan503]

And in case you didn't notice it, there is this article within that last article:
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/09/15/grubman-san-diego-st-louis-wont-make-stadium-pitches/

 

[RamFan503]

Here's an article forwarded to me by @iced that talks about the lights and displays at Levi Stadium having issues that are resulting in complaints being filed with the FAA. He was wondering if the Inglewood project might have similar issues being that it is in the flight path of the much busier and larger LAX. Again, I will let yawl draw your own conclusions.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ium-lights-could-be-an-airport-safety-hazard/

I am also including a link to the story that the above story is drawing information from. There is a video that shows what pilots see when approaching Levi.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investiga...-May-Be-Airport-Safety-Hazard-328573831.html#

 

[RamFan503]

And another article. In this one sent to me by @DenverRam the author is forwarding the idea that not only is Carson dead but that the league only wants one team in LA. I'm not sure there is anything new here and I'm generally not big on the whole "League source with knowledge of the situation" as a source but news has been slow and if he is right or his source (looks like it is actually PFT's "source") is valid, it might offer a new wrinkle.

http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/201...ly-move-one-team-to-los-angeles#comment_tease

Also, there was an imbedded article from PFT:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/23/nfl-could-move-only-one-team-to-l-a-indefinitely/