Press Box: Trying to simplify what's going on in St. Louis

News Tribune Sports Commentary

What's more exciting than billionaires talking with billionaires about trying to make more money?

Well, pretty much everything.

But since one of the billionaires is Stan Kroenke and he currently owns the St. Louis Rams, there is some local interest in this situation.

Kroenke, though he has never said this in public, wants to move his team to Los Angeles, as soon as next season. I will try to break this down as simply as I can, because I am nothing if not a simple man.

How can Kroenke just up and leave?

In the Rams' original 30-year lease starting in 1995, it states the Edward Jones Dome must be in the top 25 percent of the facilities used by an NFL team. If it isn't, the Rams can change it to a year-to-year agreement. Which the team did in January.

There's really no way to measure what would require a stadium to be in the top 25 percent, but since 22 of the 32 NFL teams are playing in stadiums built since the Dome opened in 1995, you can figure it isn't.

There was talk between the Rams and the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission about making improvements, including taking the top off the building and installing a sliding roof.

But that was little more than public posturing. The CVC was thinking in the $200-million range, the Rams were more in the $700-million neighborhood. Neither budged.

Don't the other NFL owners have to vote to allow a team to move?

They do, it says so right in the NFL rules. Somewhere near the rule not allowing cross-ownership of professional teams, meaning if you own an NFL team, you can't own a team in another league. Kroenke owns the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche and agreed in 2010 to transfer ownership of those two franchises to his son, Josh.

The process was expected to take about four years. That was five years ago.

So there are rules and then there are rules.

Wasn't there something in the news dealing with a court ruling about funding for a new St. Louis stadium?

St. Louis and the state of Missouri don't want to lose the Rams. So a plan was put in place for funding a new downtown stadium and part of that plan required money from the city.

Earlier this month, St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Thomas Frawley ruled no public vote was needed for the use of public dollars on the proposed stadium. This despite a 2002 ordinance that required a city vote for any tax dollars that would be used for a professional sports facility.

Frawley ruled the ordinance was vague and would require guesswork to be enforced properly.

So that hurdle has been cleared in building a new stadium in St. Louis. But there are several more. And they're big ones in a plan totaling nearly $1 billion.

Such as?

The $200 million in the plan that's supposed to be paid by the NFL owner. Good luck getting that out of Kroenke.

Didn't the Rams leave Los Angeles to come to St. Louis? Why go back?

Los Angeles has been the go-to city for teams that want a new stadium. You won't build it? We're heading to Los Angeles. It's where children threaten to run away to when they don't get what they want.

Los Angeles is the biggest city in the United States without an NFL team. Big population base for fans to come to games, lots of eyeballs for TV. Even if they've shown in the past they won't come to games.

Speaking of which, why would anyone go to a Rams game this season?

If you're a Rams fan, why not go? It's still football. And a handful of good teams are coming to town, go watch them.

But it's a catch-22. Why should fans go to games if the team is leaving? Good question. But look at it another way. Why should the Rams stay if they're playing in a half-full stadium? And what impression would that give NFL about the viability of St. Louis as an NFL city? Good questions.

Who would be paying for the stadium in Los Angeles?

Kroenke, all $1.-whatever billion of it.

Why doesn't Kroenke spend that money in St. Louis to build a stadium?

As always, follow the money. Kroenke builds a new St. Louis stadium, the value of his franchise goes up a little. He builds a new stadium in Los Angeles, the value of his franchise goes up in proportion what he spends. Think in the neighborhood of $2 billion for a team worth approximately $750 million now.

In real estate, it's always location, location, location. For some reason, being near to the Pacific Ocean beach is better than being on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Why doesn't somebody else just move to St. Louis to play in the Dome?

Billionaires need new toys and the Dome just isn't it.

OK, why not build the new stadium in St. Louis so some other team will move there?

Well, that's what happened when they built with the Trans World/Edward Jones Dome. And that hasn't turned out so well. You can't build a stadium on spec.

It's Aug. 23, 2016. The status is?

The Rams are wrapping up training camp to play Los Angeles and the only football tenant in the Dome will be the Missouri State High School Activities Association for its championship games.