Carson stadium project could alter Rams' outlook
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...rson-stadium-project-could-alter-rams-outlook
INDIANAPOLIS -- The big boys have now all pulled up their seat at the table, and the NFL's version of high-stakes poker (as though the NFL would have any other type) has kicked into overdrive.
The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday night that the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers have agreed to work together to build a $1.7 billion stadium in Carson, California, just outside of Los Angeles. The Chargers followed by releasing a joint statement with the Raiders on their website.
So here we are with three teams all angling to get to Los Angeles -- though if you want to be technical, the St. Louis Rams have never come out and actually said that -- with two potential stadium sites in the market and a potential stadium also being bandied about in St. Louis. What happens next is anyone's guess, and by anyone, I mean the NFL.
Though Thursday's news was probably met with some enthusiasm by Rams fans hoping the team stays in St. Louis, it's a safe bet that the folks at Park Avenue in New York were even happier.
We know the league wants to return to Los Angeles, and we know the league would like to find stadium solutions for all three teams in need of new digs. Now they could easily have multiple options in Los Angeles buoyed by a St. Louis project that has been put on the fast track.
From the NFL's perspective, the appeal of the Carson project is obvious. It would take care of two California teams by offering a California solution for both. Though they would have to move, it wouldn't require either team to move halfway across the country. It would also take care of the two teams that have been desperately seeking stadium relief for the longest amount of time.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis stadium project took another positive step Thursday with the announcement of an agreement for expedited and cheaper construction. Though Rams owner Stan Kroenke might prefer to be in Los Angeles, he's the only owner of the three that has a potential golden parachute if he's left on the outside looking in on Los Angeles.
But make no mistake, this is a parlor game that is a long way from reaching its conclusion. As in most cases, much of what happens is going to come down to money. The Chargers and Raiders haven't revealed much of what the plan for financing the stadium proposal would entail, though apparently there is going to be some sort of a split between the two teams.
In St. Louis, there is a need to get the public financing squared away, something Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said he hopes to have in place by fall. And there is the not so little matter of getting an owner -- in this case Kroenke -- to offer up about $250 million as well as the $200 million from the NFL's G4 loan.
Which brings us back to the NFL. The league is going to have to do plenty of diligence over the next few months (year?) to figure out what the best possible situation is. That means determining the best site for a Los Angeles stadium and which teams would be the best fit for the market. That runs deeper than just who is offering the quickest and easiest return to Los Angeles.
And conspiracy theorists will bring out any number of possible end games that might seem like pie in the sky, but given the twists and turns that have already taken place, just about anything is still in play.
Asked Friday about the Los Angeles rumors, Rams coach Jeff Fisher offered the pragmatic answer you would expect, but also the one that is probably best for all parties to take moving forward: wait and see.
"My focus -- and of course this is coachspeak -- is on this year and our football team in St. Louis," Fisher said. "As things come up, really on a daily basis right now, they are going to continue to change. Whatever happens, happens, but I love St. Louis. We've got a great fan base. We've got some work to do."
They're not the only ones.
