Rosenbloom has no interest in moving the Rams

[RamWraith]

By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Feb. 28 2008

NEW YORK — Chip Rosenbloom has no interest in moving the Rams, and no current
plans to sell the team.

"We love St. Louis," Rosenbloom told the Post-Dispatch this week in his first
interview as Rams owner. "To me, St. Louis has been wonderful to my family, to
my mother. I'm actually kind of surprised that there's that much speculation."

The death of Rosenbloom's mother, Georgia Frontiere, on Jan. 18 triggered
rumblings that the Rams might move back to the West Coast, particularly since
Rosenbloom — a movie producer — lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Kathleen,
and two children.

But Rosenbloom, 43, does not have fond football memories of Los Angeles.

"I personally don't feel that my mother ever had a fair shot in Los Angeles,"
Rosenbloom said. "Off the top of my head, I can't tell you the year-by-year
won-lost records, but I can tell you that we won a lot of the seasons. But we
weren't selling out a lot of the seasons.

"I remember walking through the stadium with her, and there'd be, 'Sell the
team, Georgia' signs, and all this sort of stuff, and we'd be 9-3 heading
toward the end of the season. So that side of it, 'Let's bring the team back to
warm, fuzzy Los Angeles,' doesn't (exist)."

In a more general sense, Rosenbloom said the Rams have a stadium lease in St.
Louis at the Edward Jones Dome. He also pointed out that no owner of a
professional sports franchise likes to move a team under any conditions.

Frontiere inherited the Rams in 1979 after her husband, Carroll Rosenbloom,
drowned in a swimming accident in Florida. In the 16 years that Frontiere owned
the club in southern California, the Rams qualified for the playoffs eight
times, including an appearance in Super Bowl XIV after the 1979 season.

Rosenbloom contrasted the fan support for the team in Los Angeles that season
with what he experienced 20 years later in St. Louis, when the Rams defeated
Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV.

"I remember going to St. Louis, and it was the (NFC) championship game of the
'99 season," Rosenbloom said. "I remember going to the St. Louis Galleria, and
it was blue and gold. Everywhere you went, it was blue and gold. It was like
everybody was into the Rams, and everywhere my mom went — we walked into
restaurants — and there were standing ovations.

"When the Rams were in the Super Bowl in the 1979 season — in LA — people
really seemed to care less. . . . The game was in Pasadena (at the Rose Bowl),
and the home team was in the Super Bowl."

Even though they were overshadowed by the rival San Francisco *****, the Rams
went to the playoffs seven times during the 1980s. "And you would think that we
were some minor-league losers," Rosenbloom said.

As for the prospect of selling the team, Rosenbloom said, "No plans to sell the
team. We haven't approached anybody. We haven't been approached. So I don't
know what else to say about it."

With Frontiere's passing, Rosenbloom and his sister, Lucia Rodriguez, 46,
together own 60 percent of the Rams. For league purposes, Rosenbloom is the
team's managing partner, meaning he casts team votes at league meetings, and in
theory, has the final say on all team matters.

Rosenbloom was in New York to meet Tuesday with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Although he knows Goodell, Tuesday marked Rosenbloom's first face-to-face
meeting with the commissioner since taking over ownership of the Rams.

Columbia, Mo., businessman Stan Kroenke remains the Rams' vice chairman, owning
40 percent of the team.

"Could I see us owning the team long-term?" Rosenbloom said, responding to a
question. "Absolutely. Could I see us selling to Kroenke? I don't see a
scenario right now where that's a possibility."

That's because Kroenke owns the NBA's Denver Nuggets and the NHL's Colorado
Avalanche. NFL cross-ownership rules prevent Kroenke from owning a majority
interest in the Rams while also owning the Nuggets and Avalanche.

Forbes magazine recently valued the Rams' franchise at $908 million.

Speaking for himself and his sister, Rosenbloom said, "We're fortunate to be in
a (financial) position where we don't have to sell the team. Which allows us to
sort of keep our choices open right now.

"But the first commitment is to make sure the team has stability, and that we
have a chance of winning. I don't know how to express that (strongly enough)
without guaranteeing a Super Bowl. But I can guarantee that we're going to try
our best to win as many games as possible."

Part of Rosenbloom's reluctance to sell the team is the fact that his family
has owned an NFL franchise since 1953. That's when his father bought the
Baltimore Colts. In 1972, in an unprecedented move, Carroll Rosenbloom
"swapped" franchises — trading the Colts for the Los Angeles Rams.

"My sister and I have had these conversations," Rosenbloom said. "It's a family
business."

Over the long term, the challenge will be juggling his movie career with family
life, and the responsibilities that come with owning an NFL franchise.

"I'm going to have to find the balance," Rosenbloom said. "It's 5 1/2 weeks
since my mom passed away. We're trying to get our hands around all this: figure
out how to deal with her estate, how to deal with my own career, and not upset
the balance of our lives. But at the same time, give St. Louis a winning team
and some consistency."

[HUbison]

Ouch! I didn't know Chip had such strong feelings about SoCal.

[txramsfan]

I can remember those days. I was stationed in San Diego and every Sunday that the Rams were home I could drive up that day and buy a ticket AT THE WINDOW. Not through Willie the Wino scalper outside, AT THE WINDOW.

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

I can remember those days. I was stationed in San Diego and every Sunday that the Rams were home I could drive up that day and buy a ticket AT THE WINDOW. Not through Willie the Wino scalper outside, AT THE WINDOW.

LOL, yeah, kinda like the Packers, Bears and just about any other fan can these days in St. Louis.

It's always been all about winning. Win, and they come. Lose, and they go elsewhere. Chip failed to mention anything about the sellouts and huge crowds of over 100,000 in the LA coliseum. ...but that was BEFORE Ms. Ram took the team over and drove it into the ground. Which is all that Chippy remembers.

[txramsfan]

Geez, this was when the Rams were winning in Anaheim. Keep the faith though hater....it's healthy to dream.

[HUbison]

It's always been all about winning. Win, and they come. Lose, and they go elsewhere.

I can tell you that we won a lot of the seasons. But we weren't selling out a lot of the seasons.

So which is it?

[jjigga3000]

When someone says he has no interest in moving the team, look for him to move the team. What is he gonna say yes, He doesn't want to loose any fanbase.

[theodus69]

Ground work on the new state of the art stadium for the Rams in So. Cal is underway!!!!!!!!!!!!

[txramsfan]

Oh well cool.....back to having the Dodger crowd a Ram crowd. Show up in the 2nd QTR leave at the end of the 3rd.

Don't tell me it didn't happen. I saw it happen repeatedly in the 80's.

[HUbison]

When someone says he has no interest in moving the team, look for him to move the team. What is he gonna say yes, He doesn't want to loose any fanbase.

I'll take that bet.

[Mooselini]

Maybe Mrs Frontiere wanted the team to stay in St Louis. I could drive to California and see the team, yeah its far being in Missouri right now, but when I go visit people, I can go watch a game and fly back.

Who knows what he'll do.

[MoonJoe]

Oh well cool.....back to having the Dodger crowd a Ram crowd. Show up in the 2nd QTR leave at the end of the 3rd.

Don't tell me it didn't happen. I saw it happen repeatedly in the 80's.

Hey Tex that ain't the fans fault, that's the LA Freeway system!

[txramsfan]

yea, Sunday's are a real pain in the backside.....lol

[MoonJoe]

yea, Sunday's are a real pain in the backside.....lol

Actually they are! It can take me 2 1/2 hours to get to San Diego (can be longer when the Chargers are playing) and it used to be a 1 hour drive! There in lies the common misconception about this area. This isn't Green Bay with a population of 100k people with nothing to do. There are 18 million people in the greater LA/OC area with something to do on a Sunday. Golf, ski, surf, museums, theater, visit family, work.....18 million people, that I think all drive a car, or it least it seems that way when I am stuck on the road!

[txramsfan]

I'll give you that. It did take me 3 hours to get back to 32nd ST. Mainly due to traffic in Oceanside.