So here we are at the crossroads..

this is huge news...

We are down to 3 options....and only 3 options for this.

but first we will see the QVC reject the arbitrators decision which opens the door to the Rams lease going to a year-to-year lease.

then our 3 options come into to play...

Option 1: The city of St. Louis agrees to pay the $700 million to complete the Rams proposal that today those arbitrators approved.

Option 2: The Rams and the city of St. Louis agree on a new stadium.

Option 3: The Rams leave St. Louis after the 2014/15 season.


Now....if option 1 was going to happen, it would have already happened. Judging on the Rams attendance over the last 3 years...I doubt their is the public support for spending $700 million to fix a dome that is mostly empty during home games now.

If option 1 is far fetched.....I honestly do not see how option 2 could be viable. If the city doesn't have the money to remodel the dome..if the attendance is at or near the bottom over the last few years.....what would justify spending the money on a new stadium.

especially since you will now have Stan Kroenke in the position of chosing between option 2 and option 3....

Option 3 could involve the Rams returning to Los Angeles to a brand new stadium in downtown Los Angeles.

there are fans on the Rams message boards from St. Louis who are looking towards evidence that Stan Kroenke would not move the Rams back to LA...but there are a couple of huge issues that they are ignoring in that.... one.... Stan Kroenke has NEVER made a committment to staying in St. Louis......two...his stadium is mostly empty for home games......three....if he was really open to building a new stadium in St. louis...he would have already entered into those negotiations with the city...... and finally....and to me most importantly ....Stan Kroenke made a bid to buy the Dodgers...which was a very clear sign that he was willing to move the Rams back to LA being that he would have had to do so to own both.

Today will go down as a day when the road to return the Rams back to Los Angeles opened up...



Arbitrators choose Rams' plan for the Edward Jones Dome




By Ryan Van Bibber on Feb 1, 5:24p


A panel of arbitrators decided in favor of the St. Louis Rams' plan for renovations to the Edward Jones Dome, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

The Convention and Visitors Commission, the caretakers of the publicly owned facility, have 30 days to decide whether or not to accept the Rams' plan, which called for an estimated $700 million in renovations. That plan included a retractable roof and an overhaul of one entire side of the building. If the CVC declines that plan, then the Rams would go to a year-by-year lease on the Dome on March 15, 2015, after the 2014 season. At that point, the team would be free to stay or go, depending on the circumstances.

The CVC is likely to decline the arbitrators' decision. That largely has to do with the funding aspect of a $700 million renovation. The team's plans for renovation reportedly did not include a breakdown of how and who would pay for that. The CVC is bound to seek public approval before applying any additional funding to the Dome, and additional public funding would almost certainly be needed for such an upgrade.

A much smaller plan, with a price tag under $200 million, was presented by the CVC. That one called for more modest adjustments to the Dome, and called for the Rams to play more than half the costs. Arbitrators did not feel as though that plan got the Dome up to "first tier" standards.

So what happens now?

The Rams and the CVC can go on seeking a solution to the Dome ahead of that March 2015 deadline that lets the Rams out of their lease. Again, the funding is likely to be the holdup on any such deal given the constraints on the CVC.

An out on the Dome lease, would also free up Rams owner Stan Kroekne to look for a new home for his team. Several outlets have floated the notion that Kroenke would prefer to own his own place somewhere else, either inside the city limits or in the suburban/exurban ring, places like the old Chrysler plant in Fenton or other large tracts of land are also possibilities. However, that's strictly a rumor at this point.

It also opens the possibility of a move elsewhere, somewhere further away, somewhere like Los Angeles. Given the team's recent commitment to fans and the city, that does seem like a stretch. More importantly, Roger Goodell and the NFL have been notoriously reticent about teams packing up for other destinations, since taking a big PR hit when Art Modell turned the Browns into the Ravens.

A good precedent to keep your eye on here is what happened in Minnesota. After stadium plans were scrapped at the last minute by the state legislature, Goodell flew in for some last minute lobbying that ultimately helped get a deal done, with a public commitment of about 50 percent.

This is, essentially, Act II of the Rams' stadium saga. The attention now turns to finding a workable solution for big upgrade or a new home. Paying for that new solution will be the biggest part of the story. Recent trends in the NFL, especially in smaller markets like St. Louis, have seen teams ask for significant public contributions from states and municipalities.

A reminder, these things tend to get messy at times, with politicians flexing and team owners using their leverage. This is unlikely to be resolved any time in the next two years, even as the debate heats up. Try to keep a level head about the whole thing.

UPDATE: Rams VP Kevin Demoff released a statement following the news:


"The St. Louis Rams are pleased with the Arbitrators' First-Tier award. The independent decision acknowledges that significant improvements are required to put the Edward Jones Dome on equal standing with most National Football League stadiums and to enhance the fan experience. The Rams are hopeful that the Convention and Visitors' Commission will implement the arbitrators' decision and work toward achieving First-Tier status by the March 1, 2015 measuring date as set forth in the parties' lease."

2012 - 30th
2011 - 31st
2010 - 30th
2009 - 29th
2008 - 30th


You're going to either ask for $700 million....or a new stadium....with that being your recent home attendance???

I don't see it...

http://www.stlmag.com/Blogs/SLM-Daily/February-2013/Mike-Jones-Makes-It-Easy-to-Understand-Stadium-Mess/



MIKE JONES MAKES IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND STADIUM MESS

Last August, Mike Jones became one of the most powerful people in the state of Missouri. His role as senior policy advisor to St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley was expanded to include the county’s departments of health, human services, planning, and economic development. He also oversees the children's service fund and the housing authority. If that's not enough, Jones has been the point man for the county during the negotiations between the Convention and Visitors Commission and the St. Louis Rams in regard to Edward Jones Dome improvements.

When the three-member arbitration panel ruled in favor—and that is a tremendous understatement—of the Rams’ proposal for a $700 million upgrade to the dome, it “did us a favor,” Jones says.

As friendly and straightforward as they come in St. Louis politics, Jones called the CVC’s participation in the entire lease process an “unnatural involvement. I never could figure out the rationale. But that’s over now; the CVC can now figure out the best ways of marketing St. Louis for major tourism and conventions.”

Jones also said it is “a reasonable assumption that the county would not support the CVC if it tried to meet the Rams’ plan for dome improvements.” An almost certain “no,” is coming from the CVC.

What about a new stadium, Mike?

“The conversation will now move to a different room with a different group of people. Where does the conversation go and where that room is have yet to be determined," he says. "The real question” that the region must ask is, “What are the Rams worth to the public?"

"I can’t play Stan Kroenke’s hand," Jones continues, "but I guarantee you that the Rams are deciding what the region is worth to them."

Let the record show—once again—that I have stated publicly for years that the Rams would seek a new stadium once the current Edward Jones Dome lease expired. I also highlighted the Chrysler plant site as a possible stadium location, even when there was still a Chrysler plant operating there. What I can’t understand is why so many sports media folks feel as though they now have to work for the Rams. The declarations that the Rams aren’t going any place; Kroenke wants to stay in St. Louis; and Commissioner Roger Goodell wants the team in St. Louis are laughable.

It’s not an embarrassment to admit you don’t know how this will play out. It’s downright irresponsible to state that there is no threat of the Rams leaving St. Louis. Ultimately, says Jones, the people are going to decide the fate of the Rams.

“Of the new stadiums, I have not seen one yet that did not have some aspect of public funding," he says. (And he's nearly right. Only MetLife Stadium, shared by the Giants and Jets, was built without public funds.) "That’s what a vote would decide. It will decide how much the region values the Rams—nothing more, nothing less.

”Gov. Jay Nixon made a puzzling statement on Monday in regard to the Rams and the dome. “Right now we’re paying 50 percent of the cost of the building they’re in. I mean, having a team there makes that investment a lot better investment,” he said.

I wonder if the governor realizes that the conversation has moved on. Mayor Slay’s chief of staff, Jeff Rainford, said Friday, “The Rams will hopefully let everyone know what they really want, and we’ll see what we can do to help.”

Let me translate: We’ll do what we can as long as it doesn’t cost us anything. Meanwhile, Jones directs the county’s economic development efforts—and a new stadium would certainly be a prize for the county.

“The parameters of discussion for the future of the Rams have not been formalized," he says. "It’s too early to speculate on where a stadium might be."

That might be, but I guarantee you that Jones will be one of those new, powerful people in the room discussing just what the region can do for the franchise. My guess is that the county will ultimately seek the big prize—the Rams. Whether a new stadium is constructed will depend on the ballot box.