What would it take to bring the Rams’ stadium up to where it needs to be? What improvements would you like to see in the venue?

A team that can do better than a 1-7 record at home, for starters.

It would be a huge loss for the area if the Rams where gone. We have lost one NFL team before (Cardinals) I sure don’t want that to happen again. That was some rough years around here for sure.

one of the biggest upgrades would be replacing the HORRIBLE SOUND SYSTEM AND THE CHOICE OF MUSIC PLAYED OVER IT.

Pretty hard getting fans fired up over Air Supply pumped out over Radio Shack amps and mono loudspeakers

I was an original PSL owner when the Rams first came to StL in 1995. Desite old Busch stadium not being ideal for football, I remember the excitement around the stadium when the team played their first few games there. I think all but one Thursday night game were played in glorious late summer/early fall Sunday afternoons. It was a awesome seen! I also remember being excited about the new dome facility but when the Rams eventually played Carolina in the inaugural game at the TransWorld-Dome, I felt something was lost going inside to for an NFL football game and I still feel the same. However, the dome was a nice building and at least we had NFL football again!

Several years later, my family and I moved to Kansas City and now I attend several Chiefs as well as 1 or 2 Rams games a year (sit in the same seats I had as a PSL holder). Although I continue to have a deep loyalty to the St. Louis Rams; in as much as I hate to say it, to me, the KC football experience is far superior that of St. Louis. The reason??? Simply put, Arrowhead stadium is a true football facility. Some suggest that Kansas City is a football town with more passionate football fans while St. Louis is four square a baseball town. I love the Cardinals as much as anyone born and raised in St. Louis but I don’t buy into the notion that Chiefs fans are in anyway better than Rams fans. I’ve been to Rams games when the building was rocked to its foundation. It’s a venue difference – nothing more.

Now the Rams are starting to look at the facility agreement and some questions are being raised. Potentially making matters worse for Rams fans, the cross state rival (KC Chiefs) are getting an upgrade to an already better venue. Arrowhead stadium is in the middle of an estimated $375 million renovation project that should be complete before the 2011 season. If the Rams really start to get tough with St. Louis’ contractual obligations for timely stadium “standards” improvements, Rams management doesn’t even need to leave the state for a glaring “rule of thumb”. Not good when team ownership could also potentially end up in question.

What I think it would take to bring “the Rams stadium” up to standard:

All in all, I still think The Ed is potentially a very nice venue for the Rams and their fans. The first thing I think needs to happen to bring the build up to the obliged “standards” is getting rid of the roof. I don’t know if it’s possible to retrofit the dome but a retractable roof would go a long way to meeting the “standards” required. With a retractable design, convention needs would still be met with the roof capability and the Rams could play in a more appropriate and exciting open-air football venue. Next…with the planned upgrade to the video/audio system this year - DON’T go cheap. Make the video system something that enhances the football experience and make sure it’s integrated into a superior sound system. For the life of me, I don’t understand how the current video and sound systems were ever thought to be acceptable. The audio/PA system has been horrendous since day one and watching anything on the antiquated video board is pointless. Better stadium entrance and exit access would be good too.

Sounds like the folks (i.e. Convention and Visitors Commission) looking into what improvements can be made are challenged with no simple fixes so I guess the other option is to start over and build new. I’m afraid that ultimately everyone will realize that The Ed was built to be multi-purpose facility first and a football stadium second. As such, the dome may be beyond reasonable/cost effective renovations for NFL “standards”. It might a good idea to start thinking new now and not tinker much with the dome.

This is a tough challenge for St. Louis and Rams fans but I definitely think it’s worth doing what it takes to keep the Rams in St. Louis. Think big St. Louis! Do something in a football stadium that brings civic pride in the way old Busch and now the new Busch stadium does.

And if you have a chance and really enjoy football, I would definitely suggest you Rams fans try to get to at least one Chiefs game soon – you’ll see what I mean.

Go Rams!!!

Hey, it’s a valid topic for a blog, but it is kind of crazy to worry about pimping up a sports venue when we have a serious chance at losing most of the capital belonging to the american economy if things keep on the same path.
How about that misogynistic catholic priest trying to gain street cred at Hillary, and every other thinking person’s expense? Pale male guilt going too far? Or just a guy trying to bed some black guys? Now to me…there’s an issue that needs to be refurbished soon. Forgive you father…for you have sinned! Jesus wept…

I would rather have a root canal without anesthesia than watch 30 seconds of a pro football game.

They’re bums.

In fact, I’m told ‘NFL’ now stands for ‘New Felons League’.

What moron wrote up that lease? While I think that the Rams business should own and manage their own @#@!#@! building, the city entered into this agreement knowing what was going to be coming.

If the city wants to keep the team, then they need to increase the city of St. Louis taxes and get to work.

Personally, I could care less. Football is an overrated sport. Why on earth does it take an army of players to stand around 90% of the time and slap each other’s butts?

With all the new stadiums being built, the only way this team will stay is if a local buyer is found and/or a new stadium is built but then WE will have to pay for it, the push will be about all the great shops and restaraunts that will be set up around the stadium and downtown will once again become a booming place and them we will have two stadiums with giant mudholes next to them. At least we’re consistent…………
First, I was a PSL owner for the first 10 years the tean was here and I agree with an earlier posting that the place did rock, WHEN THEY WERE WINNING. But we are basically talking about 2, maybe 3 years of that out of the 12 they will have been here. We gave up our tickets for two main reasons: 1)They are not fun to watch, this team is managed by a bunch of clowns. Everytime you read about the Rams front office the word dysfunctional is used. Look at all the number one picks we have just thrown away in the last few years or the ridiculous reaches we have made with 2nd and 3rd round picks…Successful teams are not this dumb.
2) The dome is one of THE most depressing places I have ever been in to watch a sporting event. The sound system is horrible, the music is pathetic and, at least when we still attended the games, there was a friggin’ commercial over that lousy system EVERY time there was a break in the action. It just starts to wear on you. It is a cold place with no excitement or atmosphere.
One thing I will say, our tix were in the upper bowl and I think they did a great job with the site lines. I don’t think there is really a bad seat in the house but it’s just too depressing of an atmosphere. The overall experience of attending a football game here is not enjoyable and we are big football fans but I would rather watch it on TV than go thru the pain of having to sit in that stadium for 10 Sundays,(preseason included).

Let’s see. The Dome is, what? twenty years old? And it needs major updates or needs to be replaced? And either option will cost scads and scads of money, a lot of which will come fom public funds? Give me a friggin break! I wouldn’t support a penny tax per year for this stupidity! Wake up, folks! Stop playing hostage to the spoiled cry-babies (oops, I meant sport teams.) If the Rams go, they go. Why don’t we put the same enthusiasm (and bucks) into public works and rehabbing the city and adjacent areas?

On the other hand, if this latest assinine idea flies, have I got a deal for you! My house is nearly 60 (oh my god, SIXTY) years old. I can’t possibly live there anymore. Can I get public funding for a basic gut-and-replace? Or maybe you guys can build me a brand new house with all the bells and whistles? After all, my dog is, like, major athletic type and could provide you with hours of entertainment. (Let’s put it this way. Her ‘win” record is one hell of a lot better than our pro teams….)

The Ram’s Stadium should either stay where it is, be turned into public parking for eyesores like Lumiere Casino, be repaired/replaced with ONLY private money or hit the road. If it is a viable money maker, capitalism should step up to the plate and take its best shot. St. Louis is getting a rep as a city of suckers.

Ed