New Ownership of Rams Imminent?

[MauiRam]

The Way We Hear It - NFL pro football rumors and insider news from Pro Football Weekly

The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking on the condition of anonymity.


Bears WR Rashied Davis

“How many balls does (Bears WR) Rashied Davis have to drop before he is evaluated for what he is? He’s a good kid, a hard worker and the kind of player it’s difficult not to like, but he’s got nine lives. It’s almost embarrassing with the key drops he has made all year that he keeps getting opportunities. … The other thing I can’t figure out is why Anthony Adams was inactive for so long. He has been playing his (butt) off the last two weeks. Why wasn’t he on the field sooner? You want to talk about mismanagement of personnel …”
“What is (Bills chief operating officer ) Russ Brandon doing on the road, trying to parade around as a football guy and pretend he knows what he is looking at? Look at his contracts — he can’t even take care of business in his own field. What makes him think he can evaluate? He’s a bean counter. He has no business pretending he knows talent.”

“The Jets went out and spent the motherload in free agency this year. They are scheduled to be $26 million over the cap next season. Whoever inherits that mess — if they don’t get to the playoffs — is going to have their work cut out for them. They restructured contracts the old-fashioned way — the same way San Francisco, Denver, Dallas and Washington did — all those teams that try to buy championships.”

“What’s amusing — when (former GM) Terry Bradway was getting pushed aside, all (Jets GM) Mike Tannenbaum talked about was drafting and developing talent. I think they realized, when the second year didn’t go as smoothly, that it’s not as easy as he thought it was going to be. He poured all that money into the team to save their jobs, and now they are fighting for the division. Let me tell you — if they don’t win the division with all the money they spent — especially in a year when the Patriots have 14 players on (injured reserve) and are without Tom Brady — I don’t know if they’ll ever win it. I feel sorry for Woody Johnson.”

"It sure sounds like St. Louis is close to being sold. I was told they were trying to get it done before the end of the year. That front office should be set on fire. If a place ever needed a cleansing, it is there."

(No mention of who the buyer might be, but it would be nice to go into 2009 with a new owner that wants to WIN !!!)

“The Detroit area is very depressed financially with the auto industry taking such a big hit. When you look at the way the Ford family has run their football franchise, it’s hard to believe they’ve been running the auto industry much differently. Where is the accountability? There is so much work that needs to be done at that place — I don’t know that the next GM will be able to see the light of day.”

“The more I look at Detroit, the more I don’t think they are going to do anything. (Lions executive vice president/COO Tom) Lewand is entrenched, and he wants no part of someone who is going to hold him accountable. He tries so hard to be a football guy at owners’ meetings, but that’s not what he is. When the team is having some success, you see his name in the press. When the team is going south, he’s out of sight.”

“(Clinton) Portis is a (jerk). I wouldn’t read anything into the problems he had with Jim Zorn. There are not many coaches who could tolerate (Portis). … He’s like T.O. — he’s a circus show.”

“(Falcons S) Lawyer Milloy has had a Pro Bowl-caliber season. He’s very instinctive. He’s got a great knack for the ball. He’s playing great football.”

“The Giants are the best team running the football in the NFL for a reason. They have the two best tackles in the NFC. David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie are getting the job done.”

[HUbison]

"It sure sounds like St. Louis is close to being sold. I was told they were trying to get it done before the end of the year. That front office should be set on fire. If a place ever needed a cleansing, it is there."

That matches up with another rumor I heard where an anonymous insider was reported as saying, "No freakin' way."

[AvengerRam]

My offer's on the table, and the league has given an unofficial green light to the proposed move to Orlando. At this point, the ball is really in Chip's court.

[ScottD413]

I hope whoever buys the team moves it back to LA. Then we can kick those Cardinals out of OUR ring of fame

[TheTalkOfTheArch]

I hope whoever buys the team moves it back to LA. Then we can kick those Cardinals out of OUR ring of fame

no thanks. I think the team should stay in St. Louis. You're welcome to move to St. Louis though.

I hope whoever buys the rams has some deep pockets to build a new Stadium or heavily renovate EJD.
I'd prefer knocking EJD and moving the stadium out of the way of North St. Louis.

[BrokenWing]

I agree with moving the stadium, it would be nice to go to games without fear of life or property. That's a terrible area of St.Louis.

[RamDez]

I agree with moving the stadium, it would be nice to go to games without fear of life or property. That's a terrible area of St.Louis.

I have never had any fear of my life or my property where the Rams are right now? and I have been visiting St Louis since the Rams moved there.

[BrokenWing]

Oh I wouldn't want to move them out of St.Louis, but that area of St.Louis isn't exactly one of the nicest areas. The Stadium was built there to try and improve the area and I'd say it's failed in that design. Last time I went to a game (last season) the place looked like a dump (beer bottles everywhere, trash scattered all over the ground..etc).

I'd be equally happy with them doing something to clean the area up, it's a disgrace going into your home stadium and seeing loads of trash all over the place. I've never been to any other sports stadium that looked that bad outside.

Busch Stadium for example, much, much cleaner outside and in the same city. Well...much cleaner except for the big hole in the ground.

[Ramblin` Ram]

[url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/Audibles/2008/audibles2324.htm]. … You want to talk about mismanagement of personnel …”
“What is (Bills chief operating officer ) Russ Brandon doing on the road, trying to parade around as a football guy and pretend he knows what he is looking at? Look at his contracts — he can’t even take care of business in his own field. What makes him think he can evaluate? He’s a bean counter. He has no business pretending he knows talent.”

“.”

sounds like our "friend" Jay-Z...

[AvengerRam]

I don't see what is so bad about the area where the stadium is currently located.

Of course, if my purchase goes through, it will be a moot point. We're looking at land just outside the Walt Disney World property for a new, retractable roof stadium.

[BIG-BLUE]

Oh I wouldn't want to move them out of St.Louis, but that area of St.Louis isn't exactly one of the nicest areas. The Stadium was built there to try and improve the area and I'd say it's failed in that design. Last time I went to a game (last season) the place looked like a dump (beer bottles everywhere, trash scattered all over the ground..etc).

I'd be equally happy with them doing something to clean the area up, it's a disgrace going into your home stadium and seeing loads of trash all over the place. I've never been to any other sports stadium that looked that bad outside.

Busch Stadium for example, much, much cleaner outside and in the same city.

I'm with Dez, I've been to a few games @ the dome & spent time in the downtown area visiting the sights, restaurants & bars down there & have never had any problems. Now the dome it's self may not be as pleasing to the eye as Busch, but they are both in the same area known as downtown St. Louis within walking distance of each other.

[BrokenWing]

I don't really know what to tell you. The times I've been there, it's been pretty trashy (the immediate area that is, not the whole of st.louis), litterally. I know they're both in down town, but I also know that I've never gone to Busch and seen piles of beer bottles and trash laying around outside of the stadium. I don't know, maybe I was unlucky the times I went. It's certainly possible. There's alot of work I'd like to see done to the Dome and it's immediate area. I think the most work needs to be done inside the Dome though.

[TheTalkOfTheArch]

I don't really know what to tell you. The times I've been there, it's been pretty trashy (the immediate area that is, not the whole of st.louis), litterally. I know they're both in down town, but I also know that I've never gone to Busch and seen piles of beer bottles and trash laying around outside of the stadium. I don't know, maybe I was unlucky the times I went. It's certainly possible. There's alot of work I'd like to see done to the Dome and it's immediate area. I think the most work needs to be done inside the Dome though.

You should visit onsl.org and try and change your mind about North St. Louis. I'm for moving a new stadium elsewhere to reconnect North St. Louis with the rest of downtown,not so you can feel safe, no offense. North St. Louis is on the verge of a comeback. I guess you're not from St. Louis or follow it closely?

[gap]

I am sure Page Ave extension is complete by now. I say build a new stadium between 94 and the river, on Seven Hills. They should have built in Riverport/Earth City when they first built it. Now that the area is pretty filled up, the next best would be either the Seven Hills area, or between Earth City and O'fallon, MO. Plenty of major road ways to flow traffic.

Of course, if Avenger wakes up from his dream in a good mood, the RAMS will be closer to me than if they were in St. Louis.

[Azul e Oro]

My offer's on the table, and the league has given an unofficial green light to the proposed move to Orlando. At this point, the ball is really in Chip's court.

LOL. So are you planning to build a theme park around the stadium in Orlando or just plonk it down in Disneyworld?

Insert Ram-themed amusement park ride joke of choice here, eg:

Jungle Boat tourguide:

"Uh-oh...lookout ! Fierce mammoth beast off the port bow! ...Uh...no...wait....just a waterlogged treetrunk/Rams O-lineman..."

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your bid,though. Mine failed. The Chipster was all over my offer of a buck fifty and a pair of Sigourney Weaver's undies from the first Alien flick but I balked at his stipulation of having to show his films at halftime .Haven't we suffered enough?

FWIW, I had a great time in St Louis when I visited in '99. Didn't get to see the game @ The Ed but watched it in a bar. Part of that kind of touristy pseudo-riverfront complex near The Arch. Still, fantastic to be in a homecrowd bar for a game during that miraculous season.