NFL Relocation Committee Formally Recommends Carson Stadium to Owners
The committee voted 5-1 to recommend the planned Raiders/Chargers site.
While meeting in Houston today, the NFL’s relocation committee voted 5-1 to recommend the planned Carson, California site over the Rams’ planned site in Inglewood. Voting on the final proposal is still to come. Andrew Brandt of ESPN notes that the recommendation usually “means a lot”, but stressed that this process was “anything but normal”.
Normally committee recommendation means a lot but this LA process is anything but normal. Also 'normal' votes are simple majority, this 3/4.
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) January 12, 2016
In response to a growing contingent of owners that want the Chargers and Rams to share the Inglewood site, the proposal involving the Rams as the sole tenant of the Inglewood stadium has been taken off the table; it has been replaced by the aforementioned Chargers/Rams plan. Jason La Canfora tweeted out that many owners, including some on the committee, believe that the Inglewood site is the superior of the two.
Many owners, even some on LA committee that recommended Carson, believe Inglewood stadium would be superior in and of itself. But more to it
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 12, 2016
Despite general support for the idea, Chargers owner Dean Spanos is dedicated to the Carson site and could gather the nine votes necessary to block the move. According to Pro Football Talk, this would delay any move for at least another year, leading to a potentially awkward situation when Stan Kroenke returns to St. Louis. Even if voting goes Kroenke’s way, there will still be quite a bit of negotiating to do.