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Bernie Miklasz
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-rams-fans-don-t-owe-kroenke-anything/article_cbedfb56-9e49-5382-a0f2-6b69bb5f8e86.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... f8e86.html</a>
[wrapimg=left]http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/42/34279a50-048b-5132-8820-f2d4fc089bf8/4e7817fce011a.preview-300.jpg[/wrapimg]We're rapidly approaching an important deadline. By Feb. 1, 2012, the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission must present the Rams with a financing plan to turn the Edward Jones Dome into one of the NFL's best stadiums.
That's virtually impossible. There's no way to renovate the dome to qualify for top-tier NFL status. More than 20 NFL stadiums have been built or fully renovated since the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis and into The Ed in 1995.
Per terms of the lease agreement, the CVC is obligated to make the Dome superior to three-quarters of all NFL venues. Again, there's no way to make that happen without building a new stadium. And that's not feasible. And so the Rams will be free to opt out of the Dome following the 2014 season, unless the Rams grant concessions and sign an extension on the lease.
Here's what the CVC, the city of St. Louis, and the state should do for the Rams and team owner Stan Kroenke:
Nothing.
That's right.
Nothing.
The Rams want a top-tier facility?
Great. Let's talk when Kroenke delivers a top-tier football team.
Unless the CVC and the Rams fans want to spinelessly capitulate and surrender to the threats of a billionaire owner who ranks among the wealthiest Americans, there's no reason to roll over like a bunch of stooges to appease Kroenke.
At some point, you just have to draw the line. The fans and the city aren't failing the Rams; the Rams are failing their fans. And they've been getting away with it for years.
The franchise continues to receive strong support at the ticket windows. Sure, there are empty seats on game day, but it's understandable considering the abysmal product that's being served to the public.
The fans don't receive enough credit for standing by this team. Since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, only nine of 138 regular season and postseason home games have been blacked out on local television.
Rams fans have nothing to apologize for.
If anything, they are owed an apology.
The Rams moved here from LA to take advantage of the riches offered by St. Louis, and to cash in on a remarkably lucrative lease agreement at the new stadium. The Dome was once a giant cash machine that increased the owners' personal wealth.
When the taxpayer-funded Dome opened, guaranteeing astronomical profits, Rams owners Georgia Frontiere and Kroenke were the envy of other NFL owners. That's why other NFL owners were able to squeeze their cities for new stadiums. They saw what Frontiere and Kroenke had in St. Louis and wanted the same.
The raising of the Edward Jones Dome was actually a turning point in NFL history — at least in terms of adding more layers to the vast bankrolls of NFL owners.
And now the Dome, only 17 years later, is considered outdated and inadequate? The facility is somehow less than this franchise deserves?
Oh, please.
The Rams haven't had a winning season since 2003. They haven't made the playoffs since 2004. Other than the magnificent five-year run (1999-2003) of "The Greatest Show," the Rams have been simply awful.
Between 1995 and 1998 the Rams went 22-42; that ranked 28th among the 32 teams in winning percentage.
Since the start of the 2004 season the Rams are 37-85, ranking 31st in the NFL in winning percentage.
Sure, the fantastic collection of talent led by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace provided many thrills and a Super Bowl championship to end a magical 1999 season. But except for those five wonderful seasons, the Rams have gone 59-130 here.
So before everyone starts worrying about what to do for Kroenke, maybe we should demand to know what Kroenke plans to do for the Rams, St. Louis and the fans.
If Kroenke wants to move the team to Los Angeles or London, he'll almost certainly have the freedom to do so in a few years. But unless Kroenke fixes this franchise, it won't matter.
The Rams couldn't sell out in Los Angeles with Eric Dickerson setting NFL rushing records for playoff teams there, so why would LA (or any city) provide undying support for a sorry, no-account team that wallows in futility?
No, I don't want to see the Rams move. But this town has been great to the Rams franchise, and to its owners. And it's up to Kroenke to do his fair share. He doesn't have to, of course. It would be easy for him to take his team and run away and cash in again — big — at least for a few years in a new city.
But the idea that this town owes Kroenke anything is preposterous. And maddening. The St. Louis economy has taken some hard hits. Taxpayers have done enough for the Rams. It was difficult, as is, to come up with $30 million to improve the Dome a few years ago.
According to the annual Forbes survey for 2011, Kroenke had an estimated net worth of $3.2 billion. His wife, Ann, is worth $3.3 billion.
If the Kroenke family wants a better stadium, they have the money to build it.
Sure, it's fun to have an NFL franchise — yes, even with so many miserable Sundays. It's also fun to kick back and watch all of the NFL games on the NFL Sunday Ticket package on DirecTV.
St. Louis has backed the baseball Cardinals with tremendous support. The NHL Blues haven't won a playoff game since 2004, but they play to sellout crowds at Scotttrade Center.
You have to be really bad in this town to alienate loyal sports fans and drive them away. The Rams are threatening to destroy that bond. Since the start of the 2007 season the Rams are 15-59, for a winning percentage of .203. Of the NFL's 32 teams, 25 have won at least 30 games since '07.
Deep into this third season, Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo is 10-32. The Rams are 12-46 since GM Billy Devaney was signed on in 2008 to improve the team's personnel. The Rams have selected 34 players since the 2008 draft, and 17 are gone already.
Only a precious few of the draft picks rate as franchise pieces. Only nine Rams on the current roster (including injured players) were here before Devaney arrived in '08. Only six were here before Spagnuolo became coach in '09.
It's up to Kroenke to clean up this mess. This is his team. He's also an absentee owner. No one expects him to be at Rams Park every day, but how much time can Kroenke devote to the Rams? Kroenke didn't attend Sunday's miserable 24-7 loss to Seattle. At least the fans showed up.
Kroenke has a lot going on, whether it's making real-estate deals or lording over several sports franchises, including the prestigious Arsenal soccer club in the English Premier League.
Kroenke is very good at making money. And St. Louis, and the Rams, have made a lot of jack for Kroenke. That's fine. But what does Kroenke plan to do to hold up his end of the deal?
Absolutely, Kroenke has the contractual right to demand a better, or new, stadium.
St. Louis should demand a better football team. And that's non-negotiable.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-rams-fans-don-t-owe-kroenke-anything/article_cbedfb56-9e49-5382-a0f2-6b69bb5f8e86.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... f8e86.html</a>
[wrapimg=left]http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/42/34279a50-048b-5132-8820-f2d4fc089bf8/4e7817fce011a.preview-300.jpg[/wrapimg]We're rapidly approaching an important deadline. By Feb. 1, 2012, the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission must present the Rams with a financing plan to turn the Edward Jones Dome into one of the NFL's best stadiums.
That's virtually impossible. There's no way to renovate the dome to qualify for top-tier NFL status. More than 20 NFL stadiums have been built or fully renovated since the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis and into The Ed in 1995.
Per terms of the lease agreement, the CVC is obligated to make the Dome superior to three-quarters of all NFL venues. Again, there's no way to make that happen without building a new stadium. And that's not feasible. And so the Rams will be free to opt out of the Dome following the 2014 season, unless the Rams grant concessions and sign an extension on the lease.
Here's what the CVC, the city of St. Louis, and the state should do for the Rams and team owner Stan Kroenke:
Nothing.
That's right.
Nothing.
The Rams want a top-tier facility?
Great. Let's talk when Kroenke delivers a top-tier football team.
Unless the CVC and the Rams fans want to spinelessly capitulate and surrender to the threats of a billionaire owner who ranks among the wealthiest Americans, there's no reason to roll over like a bunch of stooges to appease Kroenke.
At some point, you just have to draw the line. The fans and the city aren't failing the Rams; the Rams are failing their fans. And they've been getting away with it for years.
The franchise continues to receive strong support at the ticket windows. Sure, there are empty seats on game day, but it's understandable considering the abysmal product that's being served to the public.
The fans don't receive enough credit for standing by this team. Since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, only nine of 138 regular season and postseason home games have been blacked out on local television.
Rams fans have nothing to apologize for.
If anything, they are owed an apology.
The Rams moved here from LA to take advantage of the riches offered by St. Louis, and to cash in on a remarkably lucrative lease agreement at the new stadium. The Dome was once a giant cash machine that increased the owners' personal wealth.
When the taxpayer-funded Dome opened, guaranteeing astronomical profits, Rams owners Georgia Frontiere and Kroenke were the envy of other NFL owners. That's why other NFL owners were able to squeeze their cities for new stadiums. They saw what Frontiere and Kroenke had in St. Louis and wanted the same.
The raising of the Edward Jones Dome was actually a turning point in NFL history — at least in terms of adding more layers to the vast bankrolls of NFL owners.
And now the Dome, only 17 years later, is considered outdated and inadequate? The facility is somehow less than this franchise deserves?
Oh, please.
The Rams haven't had a winning season since 2003. They haven't made the playoffs since 2004. Other than the magnificent five-year run (1999-2003) of "The Greatest Show," the Rams have been simply awful.
Between 1995 and 1998 the Rams went 22-42; that ranked 28th among the 32 teams in winning percentage.
Since the start of the 2004 season the Rams are 37-85, ranking 31st in the NFL in winning percentage.
Sure, the fantastic collection of talent led by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace provided many thrills and a Super Bowl championship to end a magical 1999 season. But except for those five wonderful seasons, the Rams have gone 59-130 here.
So before everyone starts worrying about what to do for Kroenke, maybe we should demand to know what Kroenke plans to do for the Rams, St. Louis and the fans.
If Kroenke wants to move the team to Los Angeles or London, he'll almost certainly have the freedom to do so in a few years. But unless Kroenke fixes this franchise, it won't matter.
The Rams couldn't sell out in Los Angeles with Eric Dickerson setting NFL rushing records for playoff teams there, so why would LA (or any city) provide undying support for a sorry, no-account team that wallows in futility?
No, I don't want to see the Rams move. But this town has been great to the Rams franchise, and to its owners. And it's up to Kroenke to do his fair share. He doesn't have to, of course. It would be easy for him to take his team and run away and cash in again — big — at least for a few years in a new city.
But the idea that this town owes Kroenke anything is preposterous. And maddening. The St. Louis economy has taken some hard hits. Taxpayers have done enough for the Rams. It was difficult, as is, to come up with $30 million to improve the Dome a few years ago.
According to the annual Forbes survey for 2011, Kroenke had an estimated net worth of $3.2 billion. His wife, Ann, is worth $3.3 billion.
If the Kroenke family wants a better stadium, they have the money to build it.
Sure, it's fun to have an NFL franchise — yes, even with so many miserable Sundays. It's also fun to kick back and watch all of the NFL games on the NFL Sunday Ticket package on DirecTV.
St. Louis has backed the baseball Cardinals with tremendous support. The NHL Blues haven't won a playoff game since 2004, but they play to sellout crowds at Scotttrade Center.
You have to be really bad in this town to alienate loyal sports fans and drive them away. The Rams are threatening to destroy that bond. Since the start of the 2007 season the Rams are 15-59, for a winning percentage of .203. Of the NFL's 32 teams, 25 have won at least 30 games since '07.
Deep into this third season, Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo is 10-32. The Rams are 12-46 since GM Billy Devaney was signed on in 2008 to improve the team's personnel. The Rams have selected 34 players since the 2008 draft, and 17 are gone already.
Only a precious few of the draft picks rate as franchise pieces. Only nine Rams on the current roster (including injured players) were here before Devaney arrived in '08. Only six were here before Spagnuolo became coach in '09.
It's up to Kroenke to clean up this mess. This is his team. He's also an absentee owner. No one expects him to be at Rams Park every day, but how much time can Kroenke devote to the Rams? Kroenke didn't attend Sunday's miserable 24-7 loss to Seattle. At least the fans showed up.
Kroenke has a lot going on, whether it's making real-estate deals or lording over several sports franchises, including the prestigious Arsenal soccer club in the English Premier League.
Kroenke is very good at making money. And St. Louis, and the Rams, have made a lot of jack for Kroenke. That's fine. But what does Kroenke plan to do to hold up his end of the deal?
Absolutely, Kroenke has the contractual right to demand a better, or new, stadium.
St. Louis should demand a better football team. And that's non-negotiable.