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THE WOW FACTOR [Long Form Inside Story about Rams Relocation to LA]
ESPN ^ | February 11, 2016 | Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr.

Posted on 02/12/2016 8:58:07 AM PST by C19fan

On West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, an overgrown tree obscures a whitewashed, two-story building sandwiched between a radio station and a studio lot. Inside, it's a time warp. The battered carpet is blue, and the rippled wallpaper is bubbling, peeling off. Behind glass is a showcase of dull trophies and yellowed photos from another era. Everything is labeled "Los Angeles Rams." That team, of course, left LA, its home for nearly half a century, for St. Louis after the 1994 season. But on most days since, this nondescript office has remained open, staffed by two people: John Shaw, the former team president who engineered the franchise's flight from Anaheim to St. Louis, and his secretary. They work in this nearly invisible team outpost, as if the Rams never left.

(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: football; larams; nfl; rams; stlouisrams
Long form story about how the Rams were selected to move back to LA.
1 posted on 02/12/2016 8:58:07 AM PST by C19fan
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To: C19fan

And the citizens of St. Louis are stuck with paying for an empty stadium.


2 posted on 02/12/2016 8:59:39 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum ("The goal of socialism is communism... Hatred is the basis of communism" --Vladimir Lenin)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

They elected the politicians who agreed to one of the most lopsided leases in sports history.


3 posted on 02/12/2016 9:01:26 AM PST by C19fan
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To: C19fan

The City of St. Louis is almost 100% black, so all they elect is Demonorats. The metropolitan area is not, but it’s headed that way.


4 posted on 02/12/2016 9:03:20 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum ("The goal of socialism is communism... Hatred is the basis of communism" --Vladimir Lenin)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
And the citizens of St. Louis are stuck with paying for an empty stadium.

City should have lined the Rams lease up with the 2021 payoff date of the stadium. With that being said, the stadium hosts more events than just football.
5 posted on 02/12/2016 9:31:14 AM PST by mcjordansc
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To: mcjordansc

So why don’t other cities without football teams build stadiums, since there is so many high-dollar events to be held there?


6 posted on 02/12/2016 9:33:19 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum ("The goal of socialism is communism... Hatred is the basis of communism" --Vladimir Lenin)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I did not say they would not lose money with the Rams leaving. I said other events are held there, so it will not be a complete money sucking hole. I also said, it was the cities fault for not making the Rams lease run until the stadium was paid off.


7 posted on 02/12/2016 9:46:45 AM PST by mcjordansc
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To: mcjordansc

It will have negative cash flow.


8 posted on 02/12/2016 9:48:06 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum ("The goal of socialism is communism... Hatred is the basis of communism" --Vladimir Lenin)
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To: C19fan

Whatever the people of St. Louis do, they should rename the now-empty stadium to “Michael Brown Memorial Stadium”. They could erect a bronze statue of the gentle giant throttling a small store-owner at the entrance.


9 posted on 02/12/2016 9:50:12 AM PST by Sans-Culotte (''Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small''~ Theodore Dalrymple)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

That is the risk a city takes when they build a stadium. Too bad for the people of St. Louis.


10 posted on 02/12/2016 10:49:31 AM PST by mcjordansc
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
And the citizens of St. Louis are stuck with paying for an empty stadium.

They built the empty stadium before the Rams even showed up.
11 posted on 02/12/2016 11:17:38 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

If you build a stadium without public participation, you are wide open to legislative attack. The lawyers stay away when they go up against the political machine.


12 posted on 02/12/2016 5:44:35 PM PST by JmyBryan
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

4 concerts a year? That’s not enough to pay for the operating costs of the stadium.


13 posted on 02/14/2016 8:24:41 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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