The NFL is calling it an "invitation," but it could be the first step of a last-ditch effort for the city of St. Louis to keep its professional football franchise from bolting to Los Angeles.
STLToday.com reported that a task force appointed by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will present its plan for a $985 million open-air riverfront stadium to keep the Rams in St. Louis.
St. Louis has best chance among relocation possibilities of holding onto its team?
Former Anheuser-Busch president Dave Peacock and current Edward Jones Dome attorney Bob Blitz will meet with the six NFL owners appointed to the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities and other league executives Wednesday and Thursday to discuss stadium design, project schedule and other efforts, STLToday.com added.
Proposals for the two plans in the Los Angeles area, current Rams owner Stan Kroenke's Inglewood stadium and the Oakland Raiders-San Diego Chargers cooperative plan for a stadium in Carson also will go before the committee and league executives.
Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities formed to organize relocation to Los Angeles?
SB Nation's Rams site, turfshowtimes.com, posted a report skeptical of the city of St. Louis' hopes to retain the franchise, which left L.A. in 1995 to relocate to St. Louis.
Turfshowtimes.com posted a text from journalist Annie Heilbrunn in an interview with Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities point man Eric Grubman, talking about the plight of the current markets (St. Louis, San Diego and Oakland) trying to keep their franchises from moving.
Eric Grubman: "What a team has to do is engage in a good-faith effort," not "exhaust all possibilities" regarding relocation. #nfl #chargers— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) April 14, 2015
It could be said that all three teams have already tried good-faith negotiations with their respective cities to get stadium improvements done. According to another Heilbrunn text, the Chargers have been trying to work on a stadium deal with San Diego for more than 10 years. If for some reason, relocation becomes priority-based, the Chargers would be ahead of the Rams, but Kroenke has been asking the St. Louis for major upgrades on the Edward Jones Dome for some time as well.
Grubman says city not wasting its time with advisory group; also said "good-faith effort" could be shown with 10+ years of #Chargers trying.— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) April 14, 2015
Turfshowtimes.com also reported that funding for the St. Louis project still has not been resolved unless "a super secret mystery investor" exists.
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