Rams' future in St. Louis appearing shakier

[Mountaineer]

Rams' future in St. Louis appearing shakier

May 31, 2009 12:58 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

If you aren't following Bernie Miklasz on Twitter, now might be a good time to start. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist just let followers know that the Rams have retained Goldman Sachs to help find a buyer for the team, and that selling to an out-of-town buyer could be an option.

This should shock no one. Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom has been open to offers. The latest development means the team will be seeking a buyer. It's what an owner does when being "open to offers" doesn't produce a buyer.

Miklasz has filed a column providing additional details and analysis:

* Rosenbloom wants to sell to local owners, but none has stepped forward.
* Rosenbloom declined comment to Miklasz, saying he didn't want to disrupt efforts to build a winner. Might be too late on that one.
* The Rams can break their stadium lease agreement after the 2014 season if the Edward Jones Dome does not rank among the top eight NFL stadiums. Miklasz called that "virtually impossible" given that about two-thirds of NFL teams will have stadiums newer than the Edward Jones Dome by 2010.

Moving the Rams back to Los Angeles jumps out as an obvious possibility. The league has wanted to return the NFL to the city. The Rams have roots there. I'm heading to St. Louis for Rams minicamp next week. The team won't be gone by then, of course, but the NFL's future in St. Louis appears more tenuous without strong local candidates among potential buyers.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcwest/0-9- ... akier.html

[dbackjon]

Could St. Louis lose ANOTHER NFL team? Wow. Wonder why there is no local interest?

[clenz]

When I was in St. Louis in early March for the MVC Conference Basketball tourney I was amazed at how little Rams stuff was around town. There was Blues and Cardinals stuff everywhere. All of the resturants, stores, malls, etc... were covered floor to ceiling in Cards and Blues memorabelia but I really had to look to find more than one or two pieces of Ram gear in a lot of places. I saw very very few people in Rams clothing either. It, again, was all Cards and Blues. The Edward Jones Dome, even though it is withing walking distance of Scott Trade Center (Blues arena) and Busch Stadium is like a forgotten piece of the town.

[AZGrizFan]

I hear that L.A. is looking for a team....



.....just a thought.

[dbackjon]

St. Louis has always been a baseball town first, second and third.

Football Cardinals were an afterthought, even when they were relatively good in the 70's

[TwinTownBisonFan]

St. Louis has always been a baseball town first, second and third.

Football Cardinals were an afterthought, even when they were relatively good in the 70's

bingo... the blues schedule doesn't overlap the Cards too bad, therefore they have some fans.

lest we forget, the Rams were packing them in for several years during "the greatest show on turf" but the minute they started to decline, the fans stopped caring... the redbirds winning a World Series likely didn't help.

As for the Rams... where they gonna go? LA STILL doesn't have an NFL stadium... and apparently minimal interest in one too. most LA people are fans of another NFL team... I don't see that changing.

San Antonio would be a decent market, but they've always had trouble keeping teams if you go back to their USFL days (and when the Saints were there too)

Toronto is holding for the Bills in the next decade.

I like the idea of Vancouver... but my guess is BC Place (think Metrodome/Hoosier Dome) isn't up to current NFL standards.

Salt Lake City wouldn't be a bad place either, but my hunch is that Rice-Eccles doesn't meet NFL standards.

[grizzaholic]

I don't see them going to LA. With all the problems that CA has going on right now, the tax payers will not be building them a stadium for another pro team. Just ain't going to happen.

[slycat]

I don't see them going to LA. With all the problems that CA has going on right now, the tax payers will not be building them a stadium for another pro team. Just ain't going to happen.

Very true. They couldn't couldn't figure out the stadium situation/money before and it'll be harder now. Last time they blew their chance and Houston reaped the benefits.

San Antonio is full of Cowboy fans. I don't see Slat Lake getting a team. Vancouver would need work as well. BC Place would need a facelift.

[SuperHornet]

Can Cleveland support two teams? The Rams could go home....

[dbackjon]

Can Cleveland support two teams? The Rams could go home....

Uh, no

[dbackjon]

St. Louis Blues' Dave Checketts is a contender

St. Louis sports fans certainly appreciate the way Dave Checketts has skillfully handled the pucks in his role as the chairman of the Blues.

So how would the fans react to the idea of giving Checketts a Rams football to see how far he can carry it?

If Checketts has his way, he'll reach the end zone in his quest to become the next majority owner of the St. Louis Rams.

In a brief but exclusive e-mail exchange with the Post-Dispatch on Monday, Checketts interrupted a short vacation to strongly declare his intention to put together a group of investors to purchase the controlling share of the Rams from majority owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez.
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