Commentary: St Louis Rams And The NFL Need Each Other
December 2, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams tackle Rodger Saffold (76) talks with fans after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated San Francisco 16-13 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The St Louis Rams may not be the St Louis Rams for long. The Edward Jones Dome owners on Tuesday said they were hopeful that the Rams will be able to get a deal done to stay in St. Louis. Being hopeful and being certain are two very different things. The situation is tense and no one know exactly how it will turn out. However, both sides forget one important detail.
The NFL and St. Louis need each other.
All this grandstanding by both sides is unnecessary. Find a way to get this done. The NFL needs the Rams in St. Louis. Los Angeles is a large, cosmopolitan city. LA loves winners but will not support losers. Maybe in today’s world, the NFL doesn’t need fans in the seats to make money with the emergence of TV contracts. However, it’s going to look terrible with no one at the games in a brand new downtown Los Angeles stadium.
I understand the Rams in St. Louis have not been getting great attendance as well. St. Louis as a city is cautious about the NFL. They have already been burned once before with the St. Louis Football Cardinals when they moved to Arizona. They need this team. Los Angeles or London can’t support a team like a hard working, simple Midwestern city like St. Louis can. St. Louis is still relatively new to this town. The Blues have been here in St. Louis since 1967 and the Cardinals have been in St. Louis since 1882. These teams have established roots in the Gateway to the West. The Rams haven’t established those roots yet. To leave after your only lease in that city will turn the St. Louis off to the NFL forever. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
The NFL is a smart business, they know they can’t alienate the 22nd largest media market in the country. The Rams belong to St. Louis. The most success that franchise has ever had happened in their short time in St. Louis. They belong to St. Louis. How are you going to honor Kurt Warner or Marshall Faulk in a city that they never played in? You can’t. That would be awkward. The Rams are St. Louis and it should stay that way.
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