Even after NFL approval, traveling Rams have a lot to prove in Los Angeles
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...eling-rams-have-a-lot-to-prove-in-los-angeles
HOUSTON -- With a glimmer in his eye and excitement in his voice, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday night that the Rams will return to Los Angeles to build Stan Kroenke's $1.86 billion stadium in Inglewood.
"This was an opportunity for the ownership to re-enter into the Los Angeles market, returning the Rams to their home market with a project that we think is going to change not just NFL stadiums and NFL complexes, but I think sports complexes around the world," Goodell said Tuesday. "I think this is going to be one of the greatest complexes in the world. It's part of Stan's vision and I think the ownership supported that."
The announcement didn't come as much of a surprise for anyone paying attention. Really, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise for those not paying attention, either. This wasn't a choice about which team or teams deserved to take over the league's second-largest market. This was a choice almost exclusively based on which owner had the financial wherewithal to make all of the league's Los Angeles dreams a reality.
Among the NFL's 32 owners, only Seattle's Paul Allen has pockets deeper than Kroenke's -- but the Seahawks aren't looking to move. The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are. When considering Chargers owner Dean Spanos or Raiders owner Mark Davis, or a combination of the two, it was no contest: Kroenke and Inglewood were the runaway winners.
One needs only to listen to Goodell's words about the Inglewood project to understand why.
"It's more than just a stadium," he said. "It's a project and an entertainment complex that we believe will be responsive to the kind of things we need to be successful with our fans in the Los Angeles market."
Sure, it didn't hurt that the Rams, who called Los Angeles home from 1946 to 1994, have a built-in fan base that has been longing for their team to return. But the biggest reason Kroenke emerged victorious is this: He can write the biggest check.
"St. Louis is a fabulous city in a fabulous state, and certainly they're an NFL city, it's just that Stan Kroenke is in an exceptional situation and he has great sports interests and great willingness to put serious resources toward his enthusiasm," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Those are called angels in the NFL. He will be such a face of that franchise, and what he's done just by the sheer fact that he's willing to commit several billion, not just the cost of the stadium, but the cost of the whole development around it. And it's not on paper. It's not options. This is the real deal. That really ruled the day in the NFL, and it should rule the day."
Undoubtedly, the Inglewood project has all the makings of a complex on par with or better than any sports and entertainment venue anywhere in the world. But here's where the ownership might have erred in its view of Kroenke's planned palace: To really be successful for the long haul in Los Angeles, the Rams can't simply just show up.
Like any sport in any market, the success of the NFL in Los Angeles will be tied to its success on the field. Kroenke's track record as a sports owner -- particularly in the NFL, where his Rams have gone 36-59-1 since he became majority owner in 2010 -- doesn't offer nearly as much hope to be Hollywood's next smashing success as his wallet might.
The Rams own the NFL's longest streak of consecutive losing seasons (nine) and haven't been to the playoffs since after the 2004 season. Adding to that equation is a metropolitan area that already is home to two NBA teams, two MLB teams, two NHL teams and potentially another NFL team -- not to mention two major college sports programs (USC and UCLA). And Kroenke thought the St. Louis Cardinals offered stiff competition for ticket sales and sponsorships?
Los Angeles not only demands a winner in exchange for its dollars, it also wants to be entertained. It is the home of the "Showtime" Lakers of yesteryear and the "Lob City" Clippers of today. Upon the Rams' return, it's important to note that the "Greatest Show on Turf" isn't walking through that door.
Make no mistake, Kroenke isn't going to lose on this deal. The Rams will likely be a hot ticket in town upon returning to Los Angeles. Nostalgia and curiosity could form the perfect storm for a few years, even if the team doesn't win, and plenty of people will show up for what could be the NFL's first red-carpet event for a football game when the Inglewood stadium opens in 2019.
That stadium will almost certainly land Final Fours and college football championship games and other major events. But the NFL approved Kroenke because it believes he gives it the best chance to enjoy sustained NFL prosperity in the City of Angels.
"The ownership I think personally believes that the project at Hollywood Park was the kind of signature project that is going to help make us successful in Los Angeles for the long term," Goodell said.
The Rams are now property of Los Angeles, but they might as well bring their former home's state motto with them in their 1,840-mile move to Inglewood. The NFL told us Tuesday that the Rams are what's best for Los Angeles long term. Now it's time to show us.
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