After a wonderful week of love and excitement over the hiring of Jeff Fisher, St. Louis Rams fans have been jolted back into reality by the announcement that the team has agreed to play one “home” game in England for the next three seasons.
Cue the sirens.
Faster than a Michael Vick 40 (yard dash), the team who many speculated would be back in Los Angeles once the Edward Jones Dome lease is up, have run a double reverse and are now being married to the blokes in London. Â Afterall, the idea isn’t far-fetched considering Rams owner Stan Kroenke is the majority owner of the Arsenal F.C., a U.K. Premier League soccer club.
NFL Commishioner Roger Goodell has made no secret of the fact he wishes to globalize the sport and eventually have teams operating overseas. Â The league recently agreed to export a team for at least one game per season for the next five years. Â With the Rams’ agreement, Kroenke has gobbled up the first three.
For “the sky is falling” fans, the Rams full-time departure is a certainty. Â But before we go to Defcon 5, please remember that Kroenke is a cut-throat, calculating businessman. Â Every move he makes is to advance his multi-billion dollar business plans. Â When asked about potential relocation during the Fisher press conference, Kroenke politely stated this wasn’t the time to discuss the issue. Â But not before reminding everyone the ball was in the stadium’s court.
Whenever the Rams lease is up, 2015 unless mind-boggling improvements are made to the Dome, Kroenke will ask for plenty to keep the club in town, including tax breaks and public funding. Â But like a tough negotiator, he’s currently builiding viable alternatives to scare the city into submission.
The Rams aren’t necessarily on the next flight out of town. Â But with every move, Kroenke is setting the stages to command a king’s ransom in order take a pass on American fooball in the Queen’s country.
