Rams Nearly A Lock To Return To Los Angeles
Los Angeles should rest assured that the St. Louis Rams will be moving back to L.A…..because, there’s little other recourse for the Rams.
The back and forth in not only the NFL but the city of Los Angeles surrounding moving an NFL team to the city has dragged on for long enough.
Although a legit threat, the Oakland Raiders likely won’t move. The San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams, on the other hand, sound like much more legit prospects to move to Los Angeles.
All teams being emphatically unhappy with their current stadium deals, St. Louis appears to the front-runner as to the franchise most willing to bail their current home city.
Not so Silent Stan Kroenke, Rams owner, surprised people by speaking here for the Inglewood proposal. I’m told it was passionate & powerful
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 11, 2015
Rams owner, Stan Kroenke, in fact, has basically done everything within his power short of playing 2015 home games in Los Angeles to get the Rams back to California, 20 years removed.
Kroenke recently spoke for an hour’s length at an NFL meeting in Chicago about a $1.9 Billion stadium proposal in the city of Inglewood. At the 300-acre Inglewood site would include a “Los Angeles Entertainment Center,” as well as the new stadium.
More from LA Sports Hub
- Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
- LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
- LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
- Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
- LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month
Additional key points which may provide Kroenke with leverage to a decision: Potential hosting site to events such as the Grammy’s, Academy Awards, and Golden Globes.
Owners are expected to decide before the Super Bowl in February as to which team(s) will be moving to Los Angeles. However, the situation with St. Louis seems a lot more pressing where a decision should come sooner, rather than later.
Stan Kroenke does not really appear to have an exit strategy if a move to Los Angeles fails. There is literally no going back. Despite having been among worst in attendance in the NFL for years as it is, fans surely will not be prone to continue supporting an owner who’s feverishly trying to remove the team from Missouri.
With rising discontent for Kroenke growing from St. Louis fans, it nearly seems impossible for Kroenke to return groveling to a supremely unsatisfied fan base with the owner. And, to ask for a new stadium from said fans, is even more of a far fetched improbability.
Rams fan in LA really likes that Rams owner Stan Kroenke is trying to move the team to Los Angeles... @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/vfJ83KYT7u
— Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) August 17, 2015
Even now the Rams have been holding several practices in Oxnard, California with the Oakland Raiders and currently, the Dallas Cowboys.
Jerry Jones & Stan Kroenke watching practice #NFL owners #cowboys#rams#Oxnard@myfoxla pic.twitter.com/u0hDUOU2KX
— Liz Habib (@LizHabib) August 17, 2015
Kroenke is literally exhausting as much time as he possibly can to keep himself, and his team, with one foot in the door of striking distance of Los Angeles.
With Kroenke’s attempts, compliance with the league, and slowly winning over the owners in the NFL to move the Rams, it looks as though the odds are growing larger in Kroenke’s favor.
It seems as it is not if but WHEN the St. Louis Rams return as the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL.
Next: Despite Philip Rivers' New Contract, Chargers-To-LA Move Still Viable