Back to LA, again

Zooey wrote:

I’ve read around on this now, and I still can’t get a grip on this.

My assumption is that Kroenke is not a fool. I don’t think a man builds an empire, one transaction after another, after another, piling up billions of dollars without learning to conduct himself wisely. So it is hard for me to believe that SK is just smashing his way all King Kong like back to Los Angeles with no regard for NFL politics. He has been involved in the business of sports forever, the business of development forever, and the NFL for 20 years. He knows whom and what he is dealing with, and he knows the legalities of all of this both on a civic side and the NFL side.

Consequently, I have a very hard time believing that SK is blindly stepping on toes among his co-owners, or blind-siding the league office with his procedures. I have to believe that he knows what he is doing. I don’t think he is brashly making mistakes.

So either he has done the research and concluded that 1) the NFL will never approve of his move, and 2) he can pull it off against their wishes and still make more money than he can ever hope to make staying put

or

he is operating with league knowledge and approval, and all we are getting is a scripted storyline that protects the league image.

The thing is, though, I don’t really like either one of those interpretations. I don’t doubt he can make more money in LA. Everyone knows the franchise is worth more money there, especially with stadium ownership. Beyond the value of the franchise, and the increased merchandising revenue, as well as related media ventures, he will be making god-awful amounts of money on the retail and residential properties on this piece of land. No way he can build a financial bonanza like that in St. Louis even if the city gives him property for free. So the money is in LA. But the NFL can apparently screw a bunch of money out of him, too, and they have other ways of making life difficult for him. And Stan just does not strike me as a maverick like Al Davis, willing to be a pariah on the big stage.

And I have a hard time believing the NFL has made some kind of secret handshake deal behind the scenes that they can prevent from leaking somehow. I just don’t like either interpretation.

And I’m vexed.

Something is afoot here, and I don’t think anybody has put their finger on the pulse of it yet.

Where is Matt Taibbi when you need him?

Yeah, that all resonates with me too, Z.

Especially the Taibbi thing.

We’ll get the story eventually,
i guess. I doubt it will be pretty.
This aint exactly about “the love of the game”
as you well know.

w
v

Winnbrad wrote:

The team is my only concern. I’ve lived in NC and VA my entire life, so I don’t care which city the Rams play in.

But moving a team is a huge deal. Lots of like distractions. And this team has enough problems as it is.

EDIT: I would enjoy the cape, though.

That’s my main concern…the effect that all this will have on a still very young team next season. The last thing a team that’s still trying to find its way needs is a huge distraction. Unfortunately that’s what all this stuff about a move has the potential to be.

bnw wrote:

I call BS. LA deserves the Rams because the owner who was brought in as a minority investor with the express intent on keeping the Rams in St. Louis now (apparently) wants to move the team to LA? Deserving, no.

Naturually you would see it that way because your from St Louis who stole the Rams from LA.

Read Bernie’s column today. Even he admits the Rams were well supported in LA. There was no justification in 1995 other than GREED for moving the Rams to St Louis and St Louis didn’t give a damn about the feelings of the LA Rams fans.

Yah, the LA fans deserve their team back and a great wrong is finally going to be righted.

Grits

yes way more distractions.

you’re getting way too touchy. i’m actually kind of in support of the rams moving back. for selfish reasons.

and rams would keep their name. it’s way too good of a story not to. rams return home… blah blah blah.

GreatRamNTheSky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bnw wrote:</div>
I call BS. LA deserves the Rams because the owner who was brought in as a minority investor with the express intent on keeping the Rams in St. Louis now (apparently) wants to move the team to LA? Deserving, no.

Naturually you would see it that way because your from St Louis who stole the Rams from LA.

Read Bernie’s column today. Even he admits the Rams were well supported in LA. There was no justification in 1995 other than GREED for moving the Rams to St Louis and St Louis didn’t give a damn about the feelings of the LA Rams fans.

Yah, the LA fans deserve their team back and a great wrong is finally going to be righted.

Grits

I see it that way because it is the truth. Kroenke was brought in by Georgia because he would keep the team in St. Louis. LA cared so much over the last 20 years that not one soul ponied up any cash for the Rams when they went on fire sale a few years back? In ’95 St. Louis had a stadium waiting for a team. Where’s all this money in LA and California we keep reading about if it takes a guy from Missouri to bring an NFL team to LA?

Oh you have a weird idea of a “great wrong”.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by bnw.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by bnw.

znhater wrote:

zn wrote:
Maybe this whole thread is a bad idea.

I’m sorry zn. I was just sharing the info. Didn’t know it was going blow up like this.

We have run frequent “moving to LA” threads. They often involve controversy and deeply entrenched opposed positions. Today is the only time we ever had to say something (“we” = me and invader, also a mod).

People obviously want to discuss this. There are a lot of different views and voices. So I ask people to keep it within bounds.

InvaderRam wrote:

the league knows and approves. i’m sure of it. they’ve known this for awhile. wouldn’t be the first shady thing they’ve done.

i bet even peacock knows while getting assurances that st louis will get a team in the future. maybe jacksonville.

Yeah, I don’t think so.

They couldn’t keep the Ray Rice video a secret, and that involved only the league office and one football ownership.

This gambit would involve all 32 ownerships and the league office. That’s hundreds and hundreds of employees.

Meanwhile there is ample reason to believe that there are people in the league who oppose the move. That means there is no way there CAN be a hidden approval. Who would approve it? Goodell? You think Goodell would be telling Stan to just go ahead without going through the proper committees for approval? There is no way in the world. That would lead to a bloodbath in the league, and Goodell would be the first person executed. There is no “fix” in. And not much motive to have a “fix.”

Zooey wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>InvaderRam wrote:</div>
the league knows and approves. i’m sure of it. they’ve known this for awhile. wouldn’t be the first shady thing they’ve done.

i bet even peacock knows while getting assurances that st louis will get a team in the future. maybe jacksonville.

Yeah, I don’t think so.

They couldn’t keep the Ray Rice video a secret, and that involved only the league office and one football ownership.

This gambit would involve all 32 ownerships and the league office. That’s hundreds and hundreds of employees.

Meanwhile there is ample reason to believe that there are people in the league who oppose the move. That means there is no way there CAN be a hidden approval. Who would approve it? Goodell? You think Goodell would be telling Stan to just go ahead without going through the proper committees for approval? There is no way in the world. That would lead to a bloodbath in the league, and Goodell would be the first person executed. There is no “fix” in. And not much motive to have a “fix.”

I thought that there may have been a backdoor deal at first, but not now. It’s SK doing this. And, he didn’t even inform the NFL. Even if he doesn’t plan to smash his way to L.A., he’s already ruffled feathers.

Josey Wales……’dyin’ ain’t much of a livin’, boy.”

wv wrote:

Have you seen Sam Peckingpah’s
“The Wild Bunch”
I just saw it for the first time
yesterday — its pretty awesome.
Made in 1969 and it still holds up
in many ways.

w
v

Saw it in the theater shortly after it came out. Took my girl friend (now my wife of 40 yrs) to it.

Great cast and a great movie. At the time it was considered shockingly violent.

Dak wrote:

I thought that there may have been a backdoor deal at first, but not now. It’s SK doing this. And, he didn’t even inform the NFL. Even if he doesn’t plan to smash his way to L.A., he’s already ruffled feathers.

Why hasn’t the NFL responded? Think they haven’t called Stan?

Why isn’t Stan returning calls from the St. Louis mayor?

My lord, what happens when Peacock’s proposal hits the press on Friday?

I don’t know what’s come over me. I feel like I’m caught up in some crappy, but sexy, mini-series with lots of carnality, poolside action, and backstabbing.

Zooey wrote:

I don’t know what’s come over me. I feel like I’m caught up in some crappy, but sexy, mini-series with lots of carnality, poolside action, and backstabbing.

Must have missed the carnality and poolside action. I always do.

Valdez is Coming was a good read but the movie was not so great. Burt Lancaster does not look Mexican. He is Mexicant.

Did I miss anything?

vinegar chicken – try it sometime. It’s pretty decent, cheap and easy to make. http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/chicken-in-vinegar.html

Maybe the Rams will move to France? Les Mouflons, no? Crazy shit this moving, not moving – I can relate kind of.

I feel bad for fans that teams come and go but like about everybody don’t want my team to be one of them. I was a Ram fan as a kid in LA, then I moved to SD and so they’ve been close enough for me to drive there in a day – it’s a shitty long drive but I can do it. If they moved to Paris, I’d still root for those froggy fucks.