Photography by Kelly Martin, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
“Informed sources” have told St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Bryan Burwell that serious talks are underway between the St. Louis Rams and state and local officials in regard to a new open-air stadium near the riverfront.
Burwell labeled several recent stories linking the Rams' possible return to Los Angeles as “noise” and political posturing. Last Thursday, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that it is "highly likely" the NFL will return to the city in the next year. He didn't reveal, however, which team or teams would be playing there.
Now, Burwell reports that St. Louis will soon trump Garcetti's news with a major announcement of its own: a proposed stadium deal.
The announcement will likely come after the Nov. 4 mid-term election, Burwell reports. The only local election that could have any impact on a stadium deal would be the race for county executive; neither candidate is probably ready to back a stadium plan that would cost a dime of public money. With Gov. Jay Nixon’s political capital at a possible all-time low, convincing the state legislature to approve financing for a stadium is a long shot as well.
While Burwell’s sources say the talks are underway, other informed sources in L.A. and St. Louis are sharing disturbing news for Rams’ fans. The talk is that L.A. is in the running for two teams, not one. The three teams that have been mentioned as possibly filling those two spots? The Rams, the San Diego Chargers, and the Oakland Raiders.
L.A. Times columnist Sam Farmer reported last week that Dodgers Stadium could be the temporary home for a team while a new stadium is constructed. There are three sites in consideration for the new stadium, according to Farmer. Among them is AEG Entertainment's downtown site (which seemed to be on life support two months ago) and the land purchased by Rams owner Stan Kroenke (adjacent to the former Hollywood Park thoroughbred racing track and Chavez Ravine, site of Dodgers Stadium).
On Tuesday, the Orange County Register reported that AEG could break ground on the downtown site a year from now if it can land an NFL franchise before next April. AEG is so confident that it can lure a team, it agreed to provide the city of Los Angeles a $700,000 insurance policy for the six-month extension to secure a franchise.
Randy Karraker of 101 ESPN, the Rams' broadcast station, recently said on the air that he has been told by people in the know that the Rams returning to L.A. “is a done deal.”
If there's a plan for a new stadium, the sooner the region learns of it the better. When next March arrives, the Rams are free to leave without penalty. The NFL could impose a hefty relocation fee, but Kroenke could certainly afford it.
Interestingly, Burwell ends his column: “What I’m being told is that there is a serious movement locally now to ensure that an impressive NFL stadium will be built in the shadows of the Dome and that city and state officials will not rest until there is a team taking up permanent resident in that new edifice.”
He doesn’t say the team has to be the Rams. Could it be the Jaguars, owned by Illinois resident Shad Khan? Time will tell.
