Since the Los Angeles Rams moved west for greener pastures they continue to be the gift that keeps on giving, especially to the city where they spent the last 20 years.
Just recently USA Today‘s columnist Luke Kerr-Dineen wrote a column in regards to a new billboard in Los Angeles taking a shot at St. Louis. The billboard uses the “greater than” (>) symbol associated with mathematics. Was it a cheap shot? Of course it was, but it’s the world we’re living in today.
But, the part in Kerr-Dineen’s column that really stood out was the following sentence: “There comes a certain point where bitter St. Louis fans will have to accept that, regardless of how the deal went down, the team now belongs in Los Angeles.”
He’s right. The Rams definitely belong in Los Angeles. The part where I completely disagree is his misinterpretation of bitterness. Our bitterness and hatred towards the Rams have zero to do with the players.
The bitterness is towards Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who described the region as a loser for any NFL team. He did it in such a manner that even Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis, who sports a haircut like famed Three Stooges frontman Mo Howard, thumbed his nose at the possibility of moving the Raiders to St. Louis. And to pour salt on a gaping wound, Kroenke is trying to get tax credits in city of Maryland Heights and trying to sell Rams Park in Earth City for $1.
Nobody faults a person for wanting to make money, but the way he went about it was cold. Winning was never a priority, and loyal fans in St. Louis showed up for a team that had only four winning seasons in 20 years. The Rams missed the playoffs 80 percent of the time while here.
Also, Rams COO Kevin Demoff admitted he was glad the Rams lost four games straight so they could focus on moving instead of getting to the playoffs. The Rams PR Department got more than upset at me because I said in an article last year that Demoff was giving the fans mixed signals, and it turned out to be true the entire time. I still shake my head thinking about that day I was at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis. It was 90-plus degrees and the Community Relations Department was laying sod while Demoff and Kroenke continued their lust for money.
I think it’s unreasonable to think that fans who did care and did spend their hard-earned money on a product that was tanking not to feel more than just bitter about this. Even casual fans and everyday citizens should resent Kroenke for slandering a market where he does a lot of real estate business. When the Big Red left for Arizona in 1988, they didn’t keep leaving bird droppings on St. Louis. They moved west and carried on.
It’s business, and it’s always been business. Kroenke made it personal. And that’s something Kerr-Dineen don’t understand. It’s not bitterness. It’s love for your city and your region.
For more sports content, please follow @NTheZoneShow. I can also be found on Twitter @thelegendkil.
