Kacen’s Korner: St. Louisans don’t have say in Rams debacle
February 11, 2015
“I’m going to attempt to do everything that I can to keep the Rams in St. Louis,” Rams owner Stan Kroenke explained in 2010. “Just as I did everything that I could to bring the team to St. Louis in 1995. I believe my actions speak for themselves.”
It’s becoming harder and harder to believe in people’s intentions, especially when it comes to money and sports.
Earlier this year Kroenke’s true motives came to fruition when he released his plans to build an $800 million stadium in Inglewood.
The more I think about it, the more I’ve realized that St. Louis fans never have had a say in whether the Rams leave or stay.
For a team that’s had eleven consecutive losing seasons, the Edward Jones Dome was ranked by players as the hardest place to play for three years.
For a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2004, a feat that every other team in the NFC has completed at least twice, St. Louis fans continually come out and support their team.
In their twenty year existence in the Show Me State, the Rams averaged a measly 6.8-9.2 record while keeping their television ratings high with an almost perplexing 23.1 Nielson rating.
Some may argue that this city’s obvious affection for the Cardinals baseball organization could be to blame for Kroenke’s cold feet, but outsiders should keep in mind that six Rams broadcasts this season had Nielson ratings higher than the Cardinals vs. Dodgers playoff rating of 19.5.
Still, with all the support despite countless losing seasons (actually never mind I did count them, it’s fourteen. Fourteen losing seasons) Rams fans don’t seem to do quite enough to keep Kroenke and his wallet happy.
Since his hiring of head coach Jeff Fisher three years ago, “Silent Stan” has addressed the community a whopping zero times. Zero. When St. Louis political leaders tried to contact Kroenke about keeping the Rams in the Gateway to the West, ‘ole Stanny boy didn’t argue, he didn’t plead his case, he just didn’t return their calls.
See, what I’ve realized is that no, St. Louis never snubbed the once “Greatest Show On Turf,” the Rams and Kroenke have repeatedly snubbed St. Louis.
I refuse to listen to arguments about what the city could have done to keep the Rams.
Sure, more fans could’ve filled out the dome to watch the hapless blue and gold try their best.
As a former season ticket holder, former being the operative term, I like to believe that the Rams and Kroenke will stay.
I want to believe this has all been a ploy to get the city to build a newer, more NFL-approved stadium.
I may have sounded like too much of a defeatist, but that’s only because I think my city deserves better than Kroenke and I hate to see people blame St. Louis for what a greedy billionaire causes.
The Cardinals, Rams, and Blues is how our city should stay and St. Louisans need to continue to show support for all three (Saint Louis FC could use our support as well).
Kroenke’s going to do what he pleases, but that doesn’t need to change St. Louis’ perception of our football team.
As the old saying goes, you can’t stop greedy billionaires from buying $800 million property in Inglewood, you can only control how you react.
Redbird Nation, Rams Nation, and Lets Go Blues. (STL FC soccer chant).