St. Louis Rams SOLD (pending NFL approval)

[rams80]

While I'll admit that I'd like to see the NHL here in Utah and that Checketts moving the Blues here is currently our best bet here, I don't think he will. As far as I'm aware, he has said repeatedly said that he is trying to build and promote the team there. He's even said that about the Peoria Rivermen, who play in the rather unstable AHL. The AHL seems like a league where a team seems to pull up stakes every other year. To me, that says something.

Just a minor point of order. Unless you're affiliated minor league baseball, "instability" is part of the game. FWIW the AHL is pretty stable by minor league standards; many of the recent franchise moves have been through the whims of the NHL parents.

/When did Checketts say that? I'm bloody scared to death that the Rivermen AHL franchise will be moved to St. Charles in a year or two.

[Brian in Boston]

Just a quick question regarding the Rams lease. What is the metric used to judge if the Dome is in the top 8 of NFL stadiums?

I would guess the usual suspects: some combination of overall stadium capacity, percentage of capacity represented by luxury suites and club seats, additional revenue-producing amenities (i.e. number of on-site restaurants, bars, concession stands, etc), percentage of ancillary revenue streams (i.e. those beyond ticket sales) generated at venue that are directed to the NFL franchise, and said NFL franchise's cost for leasing the facility.

Bottom line? Does it rank in the top eight NFL facilities in terms of overall capacity? Does it rank in the top eight NFL facilities in terms of the number of luxury suites and club suites incorporated into the design? Does it rank amongst the top eight NFL facilities in terms of revenues generated at the facility? Does it rank amongst the top eight NFL facilities in terms of how much of the revenue generated on site is funneled into the pockets of the NFL franchise calling it home? Is the annual usage fee paid by the NFL franchise using the facility amongst the NFL's eight lowest rents?

[BBTV]

Also, since it's a relatively new dome, why hasn't it been in the running for any Super Bowls?

In addition to what others have said IIRC it's also just a bit too small. I think the NFL insists on 70,000 seats.

There's also requirements like number of hotel rooms in the surrounding area, etc. I'm not sure if STL is large enough to meet that requirement... and after the Jacksonville debacle, they're certainly going to think long and hard about ever putting it in a smaller market again.

[Gothamite]

What do you think the odds are that local ownership will emerge, given that none has stepped forward in the past year or so (when Rosenbloom was reportedly offering a local discount)?

I'm not entirely pessimistic about it. For the past year, Chip maintained that the team was not for sale nor would it for sure be for sale in the future. He merely held that he was listening if contacted but not listening as closely unless it was a buyer with St. Louis interests.

Now the team is actually for sale. That's a little different than "if you offer me something, I'll read it." Because one, now a potential owner knows he's got a chance at about a market value, and two, St. Louisans know it might be the difference between losing the Rams or keeping them.

In other words, there's a lot more motivation and incentive for someone to put together a bid now.

I don't see that at all.

Quite the opposite, actually. Chip was offering a local discount before, willing to sell cheaply to anyone who would buy the team and keep it in St. Louis. Now, he's taking bids from all locations and seeking to maximize the value (hence Goldman Sachs). In other words, if a potential local owner now has "a chance at about a market value", he's paying more than he would have a week ago.

As for the "Maybe I'll sell, if somebody makes an offer" position, Bernie Miklasz raises a similar objection. But it doesn't make any sense to me.

I could see why heavy hitters in the STL community would be uncertain. Were the Rams for sale, or not for sale? Does Chip really want to sell, or does he kind of want to sell, or is he sort of thinking about it? Should we call him or would it be a waste of time ? because he seems awfully conflicted about what to do?

Laughable on its face. The kind of people who has amassed enough wealth to buy the team aren't the sort to sit on the sidelines and wait for offers to be handed over on a silver platter. No. They fight for the deal they want. The slightest opening, and they barrel through. They can certainly be bothered to pick up a phone and dial seven numbers. Or they have an assistant, advisor or lawyer who has the time to do so.

[STL FANATIC]

Blues owner (through his company SCP Worldwide) Dave Checketts says he's put together a group and that they ARE the group for Chip to sell to.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/co...C6?OpenDocument

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.

"We have the ability to get this done and we have communicated this to the Rams," Checketts wrote in an e-mail. "We approached this with the Rams months ago and have since that time put together a partnership of both concerned St. Louisans and outside capital.

"Last week, we communicated to Chip Rosenbloom in no uncertain terms, that he now has a clear St. Louis buyer. We are that buyer.

"We have reason to believe the NFL would approve our group as we have carefully explored their ownership requirements."

I didn't originally believe Checketts would be a real player, because he seemed to struggle to get enough financial backing to purchase the Blues. But this news has me giddy. I hope it works out.

[Gothamite]

That's about the only way I can see the Rams staying in St. Louis.

But wait - he told Chip last week? So why did Chip go public with the sale two days ago?

Let the bidding begin.

[STL FANATIC]

That's about the only way I can see the Rams staying in St. Louis.

But wait - he told Chip last week? So why did Chip go public with the sale two days ago?

Let the bidding begin.

Chip didn't even go public with the sale. It was just reported that he retained Goldman Sachs. Apparently he backed off being too upfront about it. Here's the only statement released:

The family of Georgia Frontiere announced today that Goldman, Sachs & Co. has been retained by the family to assist in a strategic review of the assets of her estate, including the St. Louis Rams. There will be no further comment until the review is completed.

In any case, your concern is one that caught mine and others attention as well. Bernie Miklasz says that retaining the services of GS has been in the works for some time, so preliminary discussions in the last week or even month wouldn't really have been enough to halt that process.

Bernie, not necessarily an optimist, said he didn't see why people saw that as a big deal, so I'll just have to trust him. But I certainly had the same thoughts you did Goth.

Chip might give a slight discount to Checketts (a friend and local-ish buyer), but it certainly won't be much. But Checketts is a pretty motivated guy. If he wants to get this deal done, he can do it.

[rams80]

That's about the only way I can see the Rams staying in St. Louis.

But wait - he told Chip last week? So why did Chip go public with the sale two days ago?

Let the bidding begin.

Chip didn't even go public with the sale. It was just reported that he retained Goldman Sachs. Apparently he backed off being too upfront about it. Here's the only statement released:

The family of Georgia Frontiere announced today that Goldman, Sachs & Co. has been retained by the family to assist in a strategic review of the assets of her estate, including the St. Louis Rams. There will be no further comment until the review is completed.

In any case, your concern is one that caught mine and others attention as well. Bernie Miklasz says that retaining the services of GS has been in the works for some time, so preliminary discussions in the last week or even month wouldn't really have been enough to halt that process.

Bernie, not necessarily an optimist, said he didn't see why people saw that as a big deal, so I'll just have to trust him. But I certainly had the same thoughts you did Goth.

Chip might give a slight discount to Checketts (a friend and local-ish buyer), but it certainly won't be much. But Checketts is a pretty motivated guy. If he wants to get this deal done, he can do it.

But does he have the money to field a competitive team in a cap-less NFL? I don't want to "save" the St. Louis Rams, just to watch them thrash about in mediocrity until the end of my life.

[STL FANATIC]

That's about the only way I can see the Rams staying in St. Louis.

But wait - he told Chip last week? So why did Chip go public with the sale two days ago?

Let the bidding begin.

Chip didn't even go public with the sale. It was just reported that he retained Goldman Sachs. Apparently he backed off being too upfront about it. Here's the only statement released:

The family of Georgia Frontiere announced today that Goldman, Sachs & Co. has been retained by the family to assist in a strategic review of the assets of her estate, including the St. Louis Rams. There will be no further comment until the review is completed.

In any case, your concern is one that caught mine and others attention as well. Bernie Miklasz says that retaining the services of GS has been in the works for some time, so preliminary discussions in the last week or even month wouldn't really have been enough to halt that process.

Bernie, not necessarily an optimist, said he didn't see why people saw that as a big deal, so I'll just have to trust him. But I certainly had the same thoughts you did Goth.

Chip might give a slight discount to Checketts (a friend and local-ish buyer), but it certainly won't be much. But Checketts is a pretty motivated guy. If he wants to get this deal done, he can do it.

But does he have the money to field a competitive team in a cap-less NFL? I don't want to "save" the St. Louis Rams, just to watch them thrash about in mediocrity until the end of my life.

NFL teams are profitable entities, and Checketts isn't the type to pinch the purse strings any tighter than they need to be. He'll field competitive teams.

I also think a salary cap will eventually be re-agreed upon.

[rams80]

O/T I'll believe the salary cap is staying when there is a new signed CBA with one incorporated.

I don't believe Checkett's pockets are deep enough to compete, regardless of his will to field a competitive team.

[STL FANATIC]

O/T I'll believe the salary cap is staying when there is a new signed CBA with one incorporated.

I don't believe Checkett's pockets are deep enough to compete, regardless of his will to field a competitive team.

Any idea how much profit the average NFL team (or the Rams on average) makes a year? I always assumed NFL teams made a pretty penny, but I dunno.

I would think that if he can get a group together that can afford to make the purchase, that he could then take that and the profits to field a team, but I don't REALLY know.

[STL FANATIC]

That's about the only way I can see the Rams staying in St. Louis.

Another question I have for you also allows me to bring another side of this story into the equation.

I'm not sure the San Diego Chargers are likely to move, but right now they're a lot closer to moving than the Rams are, and they could do so in a much quicker manner.

If one had to predict whether the Chargers or Rams would end up in LA, I think most people well-versed in the situations would say the Chargers (from what I've read).

So my question to you, Goth, is...

Do you see another viable (in the next 5-ish years) NFL market if LA is already taken?

[The_Admiral]

There are no remaining markets where the NFL is viable other than Los Angeles. People can come in and list cities that don't have NFL teams. They're not viable.

[ninersdd]

If the Rams move back to LA it would be good to have another SF vs LA rivalry again. It also hasn't helped the Rams the when they have had a great offense, their defense has been even worse(since Super Bowl XXXVI)

[BBTV]

O/T I'll believe the salary cap is staying when there is a new signed CBA with one incorporated.

I don't believe Checkett's pockets are deep enough to compete, regardless of his will to field a competitive team.

Any idea how much profit the average NFL team (or the Rams on average) makes a year? I always assumed NFL teams made a pretty penny, but I dunno.

I would think that if he can get a group together that can afford to make the purchase, that he could then take that and the profits to field a team, but I don't REALLY know.

My totally uneducated guess here...

There's a lot of money in the NFL. The TV deal and revenue sharing pretty much guarantee that every team is making money, which combined with the cap, levels the playing field somewhat between big and small market teams.

However, in an uncapped world, the local revenue would become a MUCH bigger factor. We're talking stadium revenue (which can be a HUGE deal), and other local TV / Radio / advertising / affiliation deals. Obviously, this is where the teams with good (and newer) stadium deals, and the large market teams are going to pull away from the pack.

In an uncapped world, while the structure of the contracts is likely to change significantly, the value is also likely to change - the desired players will make far more than they currently do. The NFC East teams, as well as the other big market / big money / new stadium teams will be in position to be the Yankees / Red Sox of NFL.

[Gothamite]

That's about the only way I can see the Rams staying in St. Louis.

Another question I have for you also allows me to bring another side of this story into the equation.

I'm not sure the San Diego Chargers are likely to move, but right now they're a lot closer to moving than the Rams are, and they could do so in a much quicker manner.

If one had to predict whether the Chargers or Rams would end up in LA, I think most people well-versed in the situations would say the Chargers (from what I've read).

So my question to you, Goth, is...

Do you see another viable (in the next 5-ish years) NFL market if LA is already taken?

That's a very good question.

Sure, I do. Depending on the team. If the Chargers move to LA, and then the Rams opt out of their lease, they could move to... Los Angeles. One NFC team, one NFC team in the 2nd largest media market.

Okay, not really. But your point is well-taken. I don't even see thirty-two viable markets among the current NFL cities.

I suspect that the Chargers will stay put. Don't know why, other than a nagging sense that the deal will get done at the last minute. I then see the Rams moving back to LA, and the Jags eventually move to fill the vacant St. Louis market if a brand-new stadium is built.

[Brian in Boston]

Do you see another viable (in the next 5-ish years) NFL market if LA is already taken?

Frankly, I could see Los Angeles becoming a two-team market again.

There's been talk of such a situation arising as part of the discussion surrounding Ed Roski's stadium development plans in City of Industry. If the Chargers and Rams were to become tenants in the aforementioned stadium, you'd have the country's second-largest Metro Area and media market served by a pair of NFL franchises - one AFC, one NFC - just as the Jets and Giants serve the nation's largest Metro Area and media market. What's more, both the Chargers and Rams previously represented LA.

Beyond Los Angeles, Toronto strikes me as the market closest to being ready to play host to an NFL franchise.

[Brian in Boston]

I suspect that the Chargers will stay put. Don't know why, other than a nagging sense that the deal will get done at the last minute.

Chargers fans would say, "From your lips to God's ears."

Such a development is going to require miraculous deal-making. The political will to get something done for the Chargers on the stadium front is all but non-existant.

[Quillz]

Given the NFL's obsession with putting a team back in Los Angeles, I can't see this turning out well for old St. Louis. Which is fine, their stadium is a dump and I hate watching games played there.

Obsession is right. L.A. is the second largest media market, much larger than St. Louis. If L.A. was any other city, I doubt the NFL would care at all. But, as with everything in life, it comes down to money.

[Quillz]

Do you see another viable (in the next 5-ish years) NFL market if LA is already taken?

Frankly, I could see Los Angeles becoming a two-team market again.

There's been talk of such a situation arising as part of the discussion surrounding Ed Roski's stadium development plans in City of Industry. If the Chargers and Rams were to become tenants in the aforementioned stadium, you'd have the country's second-largest Metro Area and media market served by a pair of NFL franchises - one AFC, one NFC - just as the Jets and Giants serve the nation's largest Metro Area and media market. What's more, both the Chargers and Rams previously represented LA.

Beyond Los Angeles, Toronto strikes me as the market closest to being ready to play host to an NFL franchise.

Exactly. This is what I think is most likely to happen. The NFL has also stated that it believes L.A. can support two football franchises, as it has in the past.

I know that the Chargers are presently in unsuccessful talks to move into Chula Vista, just north of San Diego, which is why some believe they may end negotiations and move back to L.A., where they were founded and played for a single season.

As for Toronto, doesn't most of the discussion involve the Buffalo Bills moving there full-time? The other issue that the NFL has with Canadian cities is the CFL, which has a dedicated following, even if it's a small following.