Around the Horns

It would be blatantly naive to assume that just because Chip Rosenbloom says the Rams aren’t for sale doesn’t mean he won’t listen to overtures from potential buyers. Just think: You might not stick a “For Sale” in your front yard, but if someone with a wheelbarrow full of cash knocks on your door, you aren’t going to turn him away.

Rosenbloom seems like sincere fellow. His desire to honor his late mother, Georgia Frontiere, in the upcoming season, as well as his appreciation for his family’s decades-long ownership of the franchise appear to be genuine. But he also seems like a bright, practical sort, too. And he has some strong reasons to eventually sell.

First, Rosenbloom and his sister, Lucia Rodriguez, who own 60 percent of the team, are longtime Southern Californians. They live with their families in Los Angeles, where he’s a successful filmmaker. They are fabulously wealthy. So…

How much effort do they really want put into running an NFL franchise? How much time do they really want to spend in the Midwest? Do they really want to uproot their lives?

Second, heirs of other former owners have found themselves with no choice but to divest themselves of the team to avoid huge estate-tax bills. Although restructuring maneuvers can lessen the hit, it might wind up being financially imprudent for Chip and Lucia to retain ownership.

Third, a stadium battle is looming here. The Rams’ lease that was signed in 1995 stipulates that at the 10- and 20-year anniversaries, the Edward Jones Dome must be considered one of the top eight venues in the NFL. Some $30 million in renovations are under way to satisfy the 2005 deadline, which the Rams essentially waved off as a good will gesture.

Considering the large number of new stadiums that have been built and upgraded since the Rams arrived here, and that billion-dollar-plus facilities are under construction in Dallas and East Rutherford, N.J., it’ll be virtually impossible to bring the dome up to grade by ‘15. That means that if the Rams are to fulfill their lease, which expires in 2025, a new stadium almost surely will have to be built.

Will the same taxpayers who doled out hundreds of millions to lure the team from LA really want to pony up again?

And why would Rosenbloom want to become embroiled in that debate?

Sure, the team’s ownership picture is clear for now. And the Rams are assured to calling St. Louis home through the 2014 season.

Beyond that, though, all bets are off.

***

The Rams’ plan to scrimmage the Tennessee Titans in Nashville for a few days before their preseason opener there Aug. 9 aren’t complete yet. The team has encountered some difficulty lining up reasonably priced transportation for the trip.

“We have to work out some of the details, but we’re still planning on it,” coach Scott Linehan said.

All for now…

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 3:18 pm and is filed under Around The Horns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.