Dilip Vishwanat - Getty Images
4 months ago: EARTH CITY, MO - JANUARY 17: (L TO R) St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, new head coach Jeff Fisher and Executive Vice President of Football Operations & Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff take questions from the media during a press conference at the Russell Training Center on January 17, 2012 in Earth City, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Playing in London is not the same thing as moving to London. Nevertheless, today's news that the St. Louis Rams will be playing one fewer game in under the Arch in each of the next three seasons put an already anxious fan base on pins and needles. With deadlines looming and the rumor mill already working overtime, the specter of relocation has overshadowed the announcement of the Rams going international.
Starting with the facts is probably the most salient place to start. Huge shock, right?
Playing in London guarantees the Rams an appearance on a bigger stage. After finishing the season 2-14, they aren't going to get any prime time games in 2012, so a game in London means a nationally televised game on CBS in the Noon slot on Oct. 28. It isn't as high profile as a Sunday Night game, but it's a decent consolation prize when you throw in the additional media attention the game will receive. Kroenke said it was as much about the marketing aspects in the official release.
"This is a tremendous honor for our franchise, the city of St. Louis and our fans throughout the world," Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in the team's press release. "We are excited about the opportunity to reach new audiences globally. This is a great platform to showcase the city of St. Louis to London and the UK."
Don't overlook an even more obvious reason for playing a game in London: games across the pond come with a revenue boost.
Facts aside, it's impossible to consider this news outside the context of the Rams stadium dealings.
The CVC, with involvement from the city, has until Feb. 1 to bring the Rams a plan for upgrading the Ed Jones Dome. That's 11 days away, for the non-math majors reading this. The Rams can counter with their own plan by May 1, and the two sides can head to arbitration to reconcile, if so desired.
If nothing comes of that, the Rams have the out clause in their lease following the 2014 season. The deal to play in London runs through 2014 as well. It's impossible not to juxtapose the two timelines with the discussion of a potential relocation.
"I think thinking the team is moving is jumping to a conclusion that is not there," Kevin Demoff said in his Friday morning interview on Fox 2 in St. Louis.
It is a leap to make that assumption based on the London news. However, rumors about relocation as a factor in the Jeff Fisher hire and the looming lease deadlines has created an atmosphere of heightened anxiety for St. Louis area fans.
Many expected some assurances from Stan Kroenke in Tuesday's press conference. Instead, they got: "We'll see how that process works out."
The truth is, there really isn't much the Rams can right now in the face of sensitive negotiations. Demoff echoed that in his Friday morning interview.
"We're not going tom come out before a lease process and tell people something they want to hear and then not do it," Demoff said. "We've shown we're committed to St. Louis. We hope that our actions in time will show that there is no reason for paranoia in St. Louis."
Jeff Fisher also offered some reassurances of his own unofficial variety making an appearance on the KNFS morning show on Friday. He said that relocation did come up in his interview, but that Kroenke put his concerns to rest and demonstrated a commitment to St. Louis, as reported by Tim McKernan. Fisher went on to warn people about trying to connect the dots.
It should also be pointed out that the CVC can't and won't say much about the process either. There seems to be the assumption that the Rams have the ball here, but the CVC is making the first play this round. They could very well come to the Rams and say no dice, sending them off on their own to find a stadium solution.
There are considerable stakes and costs to these negotiations. Neither side can really say much in public that doesn't somehow put the whole deal in jeopardy.
What gets said on Feb. 1 and beyond is what will matter.
0 recs | 70 comments
This is something pretty cool. I'm glad there will be a team that's (likely) doing this, I'm just glad it's not my team.
James Brady - January 20, 2012
Are we going to be the home team for all 3 games or will it switch off each year? Doesn't seem fair not to spread the loss of home games around a bit?
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
I agree this doesnt seem fair to a team that already struggles this is from one of the articles before..
Some are displeased that the Rams will lose one of their home games in each of the next three seasons.
To me it sounds like we will be losing a home game for the next 3 years which isnt fair imo.
jpcisco - January 20, 2012
that was from Ryan Van Bibber's earlier article.
jpcisco - January 20, 2012
post dispatch
The NFL announced Friday that the Rams will play the New England Patriots on Oct. 28 at Wembley Stadium in London. Kickoff is noon St. Louis time. The Rams will also play “home” games at Wembley in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
sucks
jpcisco - January 20, 2012
Didn't the 49ers play a bunch of games in London?
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
I'm just hoping I'm not being lied to by these guys
Brick Top - January 20, 2012
this
rec’d
hex706f726368 - January 20, 2012
+1
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
I am from So Cal
And I would love for the Rams to come back to LA, but what I want more is a winning team. So if they stay in St Louis I am ok as long as they play good. I just want a winning team to follow, but I will for ever be a Rams fan no matter where they play
ChrisL951 - January 20, 2012
Bring them back to LA
I am from So Cal also and was devastated when they left, they belong on the west coast. No NFL in LA makes no sense. I would hate for those that grew up in St Louis watching the Rams to have to go through what I did but I would so love them back.
LARams72 - January 20, 2012
+100
kevio3000 - January 20, 2012 via Android app
The idea
of the Rams relocating to London is absurd
signed loyal UK-based fan
Jae-So - January 20, 2012
It isn't a coinsidence that the Feb. Stadium lease negotiations are going on right now? This is just a bit of gamesmanship by Kroenke.
Also, I don’t think this is set in stone either. If the Rams don’t play well over there, I could see the NFL switching teams.
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
If the Rams are what the NFL wants to use as a flagship franchise,
I, for one, would have to question Goodells motives, as well as Kroenkes. There must be some European schedule involving many teams, including others with home games.
Again, I have no problem with our team and others going over there to play for the fans in Europe, the more the merrier. We’re lucky to have European fans and better for it. it’s not too much to do for them.
dbcouver - January 20, 2012
I think it was just the Rams turn to play overseas. The Bucs, Bears, 49ers... Lots of teams do it.
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
Yeah, I see that now, just looked at that yahoo article
Let the rumor mill run………..
dbcouver - January 20, 2012
never happen!
Jae-So - January 20, 2012
Absurd...that's a great word and very befitting in this case.
Can you just imagine the endless if not complicated number of trips back and forth to the States a team would have to travel to play their 6 home games in London and 6 home games here in the States. Now have the team scheduled to play a few games on the west coast and you have the makings of a disasterous season after season. I wouldn’t wish that on any team…a, except maybe the Seahawks. Neve like the Seahawk and never will.
Go Rams!
Nbr1RamFan - January 20, 2012
Prediction - Rams miss playoffs by one game due to 7 home & 9 "road" games
At least once during the next 3 years
KurtWarner13 - January 20, 2012
Far better than my prediction
NFL and CFL/AFL/UFL work together to create a relegation system for gridiron football. Rams get bumped down, but win the Grey Cup
HomerForTheRams - January 20, 2012
Joy Joy
Hot tea,scones on me.
RAMIFICATION - January 20, 2012
If they wanted National recognition
why not either:
1) win a fucking game
2) make an informercial that airs at 2 am on comedy central
sergey606 - January 20, 2012
Air Rams Rules to a nationwide audience?
We’ve been through enough
HomerForTheRams - January 20, 2012
lol
VTramsFan - January 20, 2012
Rams to London...Please
It won’t happen. Derinda won’t allow it!!
MOOSERAM13 - January 20, 2012
Derinda loves guys with English accents
Da Rams! - January 20, 2012
She's looking online for a language course right now. Derinda wants to be able to speak the native language. :-)
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
lmfao!
i swear…im laughing hard! at how some of you guys overreact to things…smh……
Mark Jaramillo - January 20, 2012
Here's an idea.
The best way to make the London Rams more feasible is to move the remaining 31 teams to either England, Ireland, Scottland. That eliminates the logistics of traveling across the pond. Problem solved. Next…
Da Rams! - January 20, 2012
We fully support the NFL relocating their teams to England
Signed,
The Arena Football League
Da Rams! - January 20, 2012
I would have to kill somebody if the Rams moved to London.
That beings said, I am going to do all that is in my power to go to that game this year.
Joe Mazzi - January 20, 2012
Me too. I'm going to make the trip over the pond for the game this year. Could be fun?
I think anyone going should wear “Vintage” Rams players jerseys. Might be fun to wear a Deacon Jones or Crazy Legs Hersch jersey!
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
It would be awesome to go
No way I can afford it now. MNF caption contest prize?
Or we can tweet Ocho if he’s still playing with the pats, he’ll hook it up, plus I got that #Beaver connection
sergey606 - January 20, 2012 via mobile
Are you being serious?
My mom is insane. I have yet to ever go farther west than Detroit, yet I mention the Rams are going to Europe and she instantly blurts out “You wanna go!?” May as well try, right?
Joe Mazzi - January 20, 2012
TST's European Vaction? Let's bring Clark W. Griswold!
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
love those movies
original and christmas vacay are the best
sergey606 - January 20, 2012
+111111 They are hilarious!
A bunch of TSTer invading England could be epic! lol
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
Xmas vacation
Families favorite along with Xmas Story.
dbcouver - January 20, 2012
Add "Love Actually" to your list and it's the same as mine around Christmas time
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
I'm not even gonna lie I actually like that movie lol
diehardram87 - January 20, 2012
It's on my "Guaranteed to get layed" list of movies. Women loves it and makes them think I'm deep! lol
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
Lol you already know..
I put that on and let the cupcaking commence lol
diehardram87 - January 20, 2012
howie43 - January 21, 2012
its all about the money....
If thats the case, go get vincent jax.
fearsomefoursum - January 20, 2012
Well they better improve and have a good product next year in order to make it a competitive game
The Rams will need to tune the team up too
sergey606 - January 20, 2012 via mobile
Everybody was so pumped up
and energized by the offseason moves so far.
Then this…
Le Ram - January 20, 2012
Too true! It is like when the Rams signed Lloyd. In what seemed like two minutes later we learn we lose Bradford...
Sad Kroenke couldn’t have let the fan base enjoy this a bit longer before dropping yet another bomb on us. Season tickets should come with free therapy?
“Need a few mood swings in your life? Buy Rams season tickets and we’ll fuck you up for life!” lol
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
Tail Gate!!!
Hook us with us California fans in 2014 when you make the roadtrip to Los Angeles to see the Rams.
The AEG group wants to own a piece of the team in LA, I believe. The Ed Roski group doensn’t want to own a piece of the team.
I think that the Chargers and maybe the Raiders are the teams most likely to relocate to LA.
Mister T - January 20, 2012
Damn - I was so psyched up to comment on the fantastic news about the Rams playing games at London over the next few years, and then BAM! Pretty much everyone has turned it into a "Conspiracy Theory"...
For me, personally, knowing I’m gonna go and see them play over here in the UK has got me buzzing. Watching them play at Wembley in ‘87 was my first highlight as a Rams fan, seeing my all-time favourite player, “No. 29”, run in a TD at the end of the ground I was at. And although I’ve been fortunate to see them in 2006 at the EJ Dome, it’s gonna be “Too Sweeeeet” to see the Fish and the new set-up in London!
I’d be surprised if its anything more than one game a season, for the next few years. It’s a massive achievement in my eyes for them to do this – but there’s NO WAY that anything else is involved in making this decision.
JoolzMF - January 20, 2012 via mobile
What's the best seating section in Wembley?
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
Not been to the new Wembley yet Doug - why, you thinking of coming over?
If any guys on this site do come over for the game, let us brit fans know – we should all meet up before we trounce the Pats :-)
JoolzMF - January 20, 2012 via mobile
I think it would be fun. I have a few friends out your way who may want to join us too.
Just sent a e-mail to a few author friends in England, so it should be fun.
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
Have you read any Peter James novels?
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
Yahoo not helping the rumors
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/st-louis-rams-london-favorite-team-155023873.html
dbcouver - January 20, 2012
From MJD:
Douglas M - January 20, 2012
From a Buffalo fan my condolences
We have played 4 “home” games in Toronto, and it is awful, I hate it, always will hate it.
Pros:
1) I think the money we get will eventually prevent Buffalo from relocating to Los Angeles
2) By the time the game is played, we are usually in last place and don’t care as much that we are being robbed of a game.
Cons:
1) They always hurt us when scheduling the game, (Toronto is a dome, so one year we had Miami, another year we played Indianapolis.
2) Only 90 minutes away, Bills fans could go to the game, but the tickets are about $125 more than the same product at the Ralph in Buffalo, also the dome in Toronto is not suited for football. So you’d have to pay more for less.
3) The NFL is corrupt: There is little interest in the Bills, (only a Buffaloian can love the Bills) and Buffalo and Toronto are rival cities. Canadian purists, don’t want NFL because they prefer the CFL…as a result, the game never sells out, yet it is exempt from NFL blackout rules, I believe the only game in North America that gets an exemption.
4) Despite it being a financial and public failure, I believe they are talking about renewing the series for more games, the biggest hang up, decreasing ticket prices, for Toronto fans.
bull_trojan - January 20, 2012
Total Paranoia
Rams moving to London? Aint going to happen unless somehow they bring the Concord out of mothballs, as logistics will be a bitch. LA is highly doubtfull too, why would Stan sell a share of a team to one of the ownership groups there after he went to all the trouble to acquire sole ownership? He also would not own the stadium there, which is where the real money is.Bernie is always saying that he wishes that fans and some media would do their homework, but he needs to do his own on the move to LA.
Mean Machine II - January 20, 2012
pros and cons
pro:
con:
I can’t even quite figure out why the NFL wants the Rams to be representing the NFL abroad. For three years. If this was one year, it would just be a blip. Something cool and unique. The fact that it’s three consecutive seasons really makes me question the motives of everybody involved in this.
nota bene - January 20, 2012
LA aint going to happen
None of the stadium plans are Kroenke’s, they are other ownership groups that want to own franchises themselves. Kroenke will want his OWN stadium, not lease somebody elses (he has that here). This is all leverage to get the best deal he can here. Besides, the Raiders and the Chargers are way out in front of the Rams on moving to LA. One of them will beat the Rams there for sure. I agree though it is dumb to have all 3 games be home games..
Mean Machine II - January 20, 2012
He can't get a best deal here
St. Louis is in terrible shape economically (and only going to get worse), and this move is not going to endear him.
If he wants a new stadium, he’s going to have to build it himself. He’ll probably choose to do so in LA. Or perhaps move to London full time, if possible, which I think is a horrible mistake for the NFL
DiscoJer - January 20, 2012
that's an angle I hadn't thought of
I imagine the NFL might want to keep the Chargers in SD but allow the Raiders to move, since there’s another team (SF) in the Bay Area.
nota bene - January 20, 2012
adding....
way to drive merch & season ticket sales in St. Louis, Stan. Bravo.
nota bene - January 20, 2012
I like the Rams getting exposure like this
but am still terrified of losing them
Notorious PSC - January 20, 2012
One more thing............
People keep forgeting that football (post Cardinals) wouldn’t even be in St. Louis if it wasn’t for Kroenke. So before you all want to throw him under the bus before he has actually done anythin to move them out of St. Louis, wait and see how the deal with the dome plays out. We will know soon enough…
Mean Machine II - January 20, 2012
Meh
It’s not like he did St. Louis a favor – he got a sweetheart deal and made lots of money off of it.
DiscoJer - January 20, 2012
He could have made lots of money in other ways and has, So
Why go to all the trouble own a sports franchise if all it is about is the money? It might be for some owners but not for him. He is willing to spend money to get a winner. That is what he has done in Colorado, now has shown he is willing to do it here with the hiring of Jeff Fisher. I am willing to cut him some slack rather than be paranoid about him moving the team. If you want the best deal, you don’t advertise your intentions up front, especially when it comes to cutting a deal on a stadium.
Mean Machine II - January 20, 2012
Some people are of the opinion that he screwed up the expansion bid process
Also it wasn’t Stan that moved the team it was Georgia. Stan no doubt helped get the St Louis move off the ground but he also got a minority share if the team with the inside track on taking over the team. Just saying ultimately he got what he wanted. Currently it’s unclear to Stan’s desire to keep the Rams in St. Louis. This London debacle is insensitive to the fans and even if it’s just leverage to get a better deal it’s a shitty thing to do. Honestly it’s total bull shit that any of these multi billion dollar ventures abuse people’s passion to drain public money at a time like this.
Sggladden - January 20, 2012
Who are some people?
Georgia moved the team, but it wouldn’t have happened if Stan didn’t buy in. He tried to bring the Stallions to St. Louis, it didn’t work out. As a season ticket holder, honestly I am not complaining about losing one game as long as I get to watch it. I agree why couldn’t one of the London games be an “away” game but it is what it is. As far as Stan’s intentions, it is not clear but in poker you don’t reveal your hand until your are ready and he is not ready. And don’t give me this hypocritical bullshit that he is abusing public trust, etc. Nobody builds a stadium anymore without some kind of concessions, whether it is outright public financing or property tax breaks. People bitch about the dome all the time, it sucks at this or that. Now there is a real chance that possibly something can be done about that and people are bitching about that too.Let the process play out and see where it goes..
Mean Machine II - January 20, 2012
F* this.
Go Pack.
Beelzebubba - January 20, 2012
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