St Louis Rams heading to Los Angeles: What we learned
Wednesday 13 January 2016 13:57, UK
Stan Kroenke's St Louis Rams are heading back to Los Angeles, but there are still plenty of talking points.
When will they go? Has their new stadium even been built? Sky Sports has gone through the details with a fine-tooth comb and analysed the information that the NFL revealed on Tuesday night.
The Rams are definitely relocating, but what will happen to the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers? Read on...
NFL wants one team in LA
The NFL has offered the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers a $100m assistance package to help their commitment to their existing locations. It was a clear indication that the authorities would prefer a sole presence in Los Angeles.
That preference might still be scuppered if Chargers owner Dean Spanos cashes in his option before January 2017 to share the LA Inglewood stadium with the Rams, and if he declines, then the offer is extended to Raiders' owner Mark Davis until January 2018.
Los Angeles relocation committee chairmen Art Rooney and Bob McNair made it clear that they hoped the Chargers and Raiders would opt to remain in their current homes, satisfying local demand and limiting the unrest caused by the Rams' relocation. A cool nine-figure sum could tempt them to allow the Rams to make Inglewood their home.
The show must go on
The Rams' new Inglewood venue will be far more than a mere football stadium. The fuss about three sides squabbling to relocate to Los Angeles is because the city is the world's entertainment capital, and placing the NFL at the centre of the party can only be good for business. It is "absolutely the greatest plan ever conceived in sports, as far as how to put the show on," said Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner and a native of Inglewood, to USA Today.
"It's more than just a stadium," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell added. "It's a project, an entertainment complex, that we believe will be responsive to the kind of things that we need to be successful with our fans in the Los Angeles market."
The space is constantly referred to as a market but Kroenke is far more than a nuts-and-bolts wheeler-dealer. The colossal investment into the new stadium is a small part of the overall plan - $15bn could be spent on the surrounding area, turning it into "a city that has the NFL as a featured aspect of it," according to Jones.
Inglewood must wait
The suburb of Inglewood is a mere 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles, a stone's throw from the bustling heartland of a major world city, and Kroenke's plans for the new location are suitably lavish. His proposed 70,000-seat stadium on the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack could cost $3bn and would become the NFL's biggest by square-feet, including a stylish glass roof. Within shouting distance of the glitz and glam of Hollywood, it is easy to see why Kroenke believes the relocation will help the Rams' brand. But they will have to wait until the new venue is open in 2019.
Until then, expect to see them in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, who have welcomed the idea of hosting the Rams and even extended their invitation to the Chargers. Should this be problematic, southern California's other options include the Rose Bowl, Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium and the StubHub Center. The Rose Bowl, as temporary homes go, holds 92,000 people and has hosted five Super Bowls. None of these stadiums have warmly embraced the thought of homing an NFL side but their stance could change - all eyes, however, remain on a construction site in Inglewood.
What next for the Chargers?
The city of San Diego, California, came spookily close to losing the jewel in its crown and has shown the appetite, and the thickness of wallet, to keep the Chargers in town.
The Chargers currently ply their trade at Qualcomm Stadium, which has seen better days so, to convince Spanos' franchise to stay, there could be major investment into a new facility. In June, the local authorities will vote whether to put $350m towards a new home for their team.
Spanos has been given one year to negotiate this deal and keep the Chargers in San Diego, with the financial aid of the NFL themselves and the local community, or head for the hills in Inglewood.
What next for the Raiders?
The glory days of Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg maxing and relaxing around the Los Angeles Raiders will have to wait. Hoping to relocate to the LA area of Carson, they were overlooked as the Rams stormed through with their multi-billion dollar idea. And unfortunately for Davis' franchise, their local area of Oakland haven't put up the same fight to keep their team as San Diego have done.
If the Chargers pass up their option to join the Rams in LA, the offer will be extended to the Raiders, but that can't happen until January 2017. Their current lease at the Oakland Coliseum, their home for 20 years, has expired. The Raiders have lost a high-stakes game of cards and find themselves homeless ahead of the new season.
