Stan Kroenke. (Dilip Vishwanat , Getty Images
Dave Peacock, the co-leader of the St. Louis stadium task force, said at a local conference that the possibility of Stan Kroenke selling the Rams to get another team in Los Angeles is a very real possibility.
“Itap possible we have different ownership of the (Rams) because I think (Kroenke) is really committed to Los Angeles,” Peacock said, according to . “I’m not against Stan going to Los Angeles, I just don’t want our team there. This is why we’re spending most of our time with the league — we think this is an NFL issue.”
As Miklasz makes clear in his column, Peacock’s comments shouldn’t be construed as to mean he wants Kroenke out of St. Louis. Rather, Peacock wants to ensure an NFL team remains in St. Louis. As Miklasz reasons:
It makes sense for two reasons: (1) by cutting the Chargers in, Kroenke would blow up the Chargers-Raiders alliance for a shared stadium in Carson, near L.A. (2) If Kroenke can get the Chargers to join him, then how could the NFL owners possibly reject his request to move?
There would be two NFL teams in a state of the art venue, one in the NFC and the other in the AFC. And both franchises have roots in Southern California.
If that two-team Inglewood exacta comes in, the revenue-challenged Raiders would be stuck in an terribly outdated stadium in Oakland, with no realistic shot of getting a new home there.
If the Raiders come to St. Louis it sets up all three teams in new stadiums.
Kroenke Sports Enterprises also owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, MLS’ Colorado Rapids, and MLL’s Colorado Mammoth. Stan Kroenke, per NFL owner rules, transferred ownership of the Colorado teams to his son Josh when he became the full owner of the Rams, in 2010.
In March, at the NFL owners meetings, Kroenke unveiled designs for a $2 billion two-team stadium in Inglewood, Calif., which was unanimously approved by the Inglewood City Council in February. The Chargers and Raiders also teamed to propose a $1.7 billion stadium in Carson City, which was unanimously approved by the City Council in April.
Which group gets to move is up to the NFL.
