Rams owner Stan Kroenke basically filed for divorce from St. Louis in an application to relocate his team to Los Angeles, blasting its current city in the process.
Even if NFL owners vote to prevent Kroenke from moving his team west, he may have a legal argument that can help him get to L.A., according to Forbes.
It's Possible No Teams Move To L.A. In 2016
"Should St. Louis residents be mad at him, or at the persons behind a lease crafted and signed over 20 years ago which placed the St. Louis region behind the financial and legal eight-ball well before Stan Kroenke became the majority owner of the franchise in 2010 (he purchased a 40% share in the team in 1995)?" Forbes asked. "... The lease component may be Kroenke's ultimate trump card in this entire relocation affair.
"After the 1987 season, the St. Louis Cardinals football team left the city for Arizona (primarily, as in most cases with franchise relocation in sports, over stadium-related issues). Desperate to get back into the NFL, the city (represented by the St. Louis Regional Sports Authority, the Convention and Visitors Commission, who no doubt consulted with local city, county, and state officials) agreed to a lease which stipulated a 'First Tier Promise,' which, in essence, required the stadium to remain among the top 25 percent of all facilities.
"Furthermore, it outlines that the team would not be responsible for financing facility upgrades to ensure the First Tier standards."
Two Owners On NFL's Committee Favor Chargers/Raiders L.A. Plan
In its petition to the NFL for relocation, the Rams declared that the city of St. Louis violated the terms of its lease when it refused to pay for upgrades to the Edward Jones Dome, ESPN reported.
"Twelve years of fruitless talks culminating in an intense one-year exchange of proposals in an agreed-upon process that cost the parties more than $7 million meets any standard of good faith community engagement," the application reads. "It is only fair and equitable to hold the (St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority), the (Convention and Visitors' Commission) and the Sponsors to their agreements."
The Rams application added that "No NFL club would be interested in the RSA's New St. Louis Stadium," and that, "Any NFL Club that signs on to this proposal in St. Louis will be well on the road to financial ruin, and the League will be harmed," ESPN reported.
The questions now become, can the NFL, in good conscience, try to force Kroenke to continue to co-exist with St. Louis and can Kroenke make the move even without the NFL's consent?
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
