Lewis Reed, St. Louis Board of Aldermen president, is demanding that the NFL pay off the debt owed on the Edward Jones Dome.
Stop laughing, I’m serious.
“In leaving St. Louis, the NFL leaves the best sports city in America holding the bag on millions in unfunded obligations on the dome that it enjoyed for two decades – a dome that was intended to host the league for the life of the 30-year lease agreement,” the letter reads.
“The financial burden of the relocation exceeds $36 million — a burden that is now unfunded by game day revenues and that will negatively impact our ability to deliver services to residents over the next decade.”
This is the same Lewis Reed who cast one of the deciding votes committing the city to $150 million toward new stadium construction. It’s the same guy who was mum when the same residents, on whose behalf he is now begging, were stripped of their voting right in regard to that stadium.
He also forgot the lease deal included a clause that the stadium had to be in the top 25 percent of all NFL stadiums. Reed was also BOA president when the Rams prevailed in an arbitration hearing, and the city flat-out refused to consider $750 million in dome improvements – which could have kept the Rams in St. Louis.
Reed told FOX2 the Rams “exploited the one clause in the lease.” Duh.
“One of the things we did do was, we put forth a top-tier stadium,” Reed said. “The Rams could have been perfectly happy there. The taxpayers should not be left holding the bag on the rest of this thing.”
The so-called top-tier stadium sat enough people to put the Rams at about 22nd in attendance – if every game were sold out. The stadium financing hinged on owner Stan Kroenke putting in at least $250 million. The taxpayers passed a bill that called for a vote on all stadium financing, and Judge Thomas Frawley tore it up and threw it in their faces.
Taxpayers are left holding the bag. They are holding you, Mayor Slay and others responsible.
Yet Reed thinks the NFL should come to the rescue of the people he and city leaders ran over roughshod.
The Task Force cost the people of the region and state more than $16 million in planning a non-existent stadium.
Why don’t you ask for some of that cash back, President Reed? At least call for hearings and trace, not just the amounts paid, but how and where it was spent by recipients. Please don’t write any more laughable letters that amount to embarrassing the region more than it already is.
This Piggee went to market
Darryl Piggee, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay’s former chief of staff, has since entered the private sector and was one of the beneficiaries of the Task Force’s failed stadium effort.
In July, the Post-Dispatch reported that he had been “recently” hired for $5,000 a month, to help advance a workforce inclusion initiative.
David Peacock, Gov. Nixon and Bob Blitz all hailed it as transcendent. Great. Were the goals it called for achievable in a city and region where already established minority participation goals are rarely, if ever, met?
The Post reported earlier this month that Piggee had received $75,000. At $5,000 a month that would mean that Piggee worked on the project for 15 months dating back to fall of 2014. Either the math doesn’t add up or Piggee got a raise from the $5,000 a month first reported.
MLS effort to kick out racism
Last October, Major League Soccer (MLS) joined the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a nationwide campaign to promote understanding, respect and equality.
That nation’s other major sporting leagues are part of the initiative created by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who said at the RISE inaugural press conference, “The sports community is uniquely positioned and empowered to help drive national discussion and action to unite our country, promote understanding, respect and equality and advance race relations now and for the next generation.”
Less than a month later, black players on the University of Missouri football team made Ross prophetic.
With St. Louis’ interest in securing a MLS franchise gaining momentum, it’s comforting to know it recognizes the nation has serious racial issues.
To its further credit, MLS launched its “Don’t Cross the Line” initiative to combat racism, harassment and discriminatory behavior in 2012.
Thank goodness Tom lost
I’ll have more to say on the Super Bowl next week, but let me say I’m relieved that Tom Brady and New England Patriots didn’t reach the Super Bowl.
ESPN’s Bomani Jones explained it best when he said last week that if Brady played against Cam Newton, “it would be the best (media) week since the Jerry Cooney vs. Larry Holmes fight.”
Folks, it would have been black vs. white, good vs. evil, the Black Panthers vs. America’s Patriots.
Denver and Carolina’s respective helmet logos, though, are a white bronco and a black panther.
