Rosenbloom says Rams are here to stay

[MauiRam]

Rosenbloom says Rams are here to stay
By Jeff Gordon
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
04/24/2008

Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom, at today's press conference at Rams Park.
(John L. White/P-D)

Los Angeles still doesn’t have a National Football League team. Chip Rosenbloom is a Los Angeles guy, heavily involved in the movie business.

Efforts to finally build a new SoCal football stadium are gathering momentum. The Edward Jones Dome is becoming dated compared to the new, state-of-the-art facilities sprouting up around the league.

Rams fans can add up all the evidence and fret about the franchise’s long-term future in St. Louis. But Rosenbloom, the franchise’s new managing partner, reassured the public Thursday during a meet-the-media session at Rams Park.

The St. Louis Rams will remain the St. Louis Rams.

“We have a lease, first of all,” Rosenbloom said. “We have a commitment to St. Louis. We don’t have any interest in moving to LA. Is that clear enough?”

Yeah, sure, but . . .

“I think St. Louis is a great home for the Rams,” Rosenbloom continued. “I don’t see any reason why we would move the team. St. Louis is as committed to the Rams as the Rams are to St. Louis.”

With significant improvements at The Ed -– better video boards, an improved sound system, upper-level windows to provide natural light, a permanent turf solution -– the current facility could last a while.

The fan base here is fine. But the 3-13 finish in ’07, combined with a bad economy, will make moving tickets and sponsorships more difficult. Public skepticism is high.

But Rosenbloom isn’t fretful about all that. He believes his first season at the helm of his franchise will produce a dramatic turnaround.

“I’m an optimist by nature,” he said. “I’m optimistic about this year.”

Really?

“I believe this to be a playoff-caliber team,” he said. “And once we get into the playoffs, we have a chance to get to the Super Bowl.”

Rosenbloom noted that nobody expected the Giants to win it all last year. Nobody expected the Rams to win a Super Bowl championship during the 1999 season after going 4-12 in 1998. And the Rams are just two years removed from an 8-8 season that was just a few plays short of 10-6.

Sure, the 2008 schedule is daunting -– both in the quality and the order of the opponents. Rosenbloom, though, sees this as an opportunity to score impressive victories early on.

He dismissed the national perception of the Rams, that this hasn’t been a well-run franchise. He praised the long-term work of top executives John Shaw and Jay Zygmunt.

“I think we have some of the best football executives in the league,” he said. “This year will prove that.”

Rosenbloom spoke of how his late mother, Georgia Frontiere, supported coach Scott Linehan. “She said, ‘He’s a good guy, he’s a good coach, he’s a winner, we’re keeping him. What do you think?’”

Chip reiterated that support, writing off last season’s 3-13 fiasco to injuries. He has appreciated the changes made to the roster and coaching staff during the winter and spring.

“I have a lot of respect for what Scott has done this offseason,” Rosenbloom said.

He intends to keep the existing management structure in place for at least one season while he adjusts to his new role. He has turned down a directing gig in LA for the fall so he can allocate more time to running the Rams.

He will still live in Southern California, but he will become more visible in St. Louis -– which will become his second hometown.

“There is a learning curve to this,” he said. “This season we’ll take a watch, wait and see approach. The chain of command will remain as it has been.”

In his mind, status quo is a good thing. And in many respects, Rams fans would agree.

[Mooselini]

It's good to see that the FO isn't as bad as I thought it was. They obviously trust Linehan, and he's made good moves so far. Lets hope whatever happens in the draft is for the better of the organization, the coaches, players and for the fans.

As for the move, I really don't mind where the Rams play, I'll always be a fan. They obviously like St Louis and want to remain there.

[laram0]

As Nick Saban said as he looked the Miami Dolphins media in the eye. I'm not going to the University of Alabama!

Moving the team back to L.A. wouldn't shock me. St. Louis is a baseball town first and foremost.

[Ramer]

I would like to see them stay or move to Maryland (lol), but I will always be a RAMS fan, where ever they play! :l

[HUbison]

“We have a lease, first of all,” Rosenbloom said. “We have a commitment to St. Louis. We don’t have any interest in moving to LA. Is that clear enough?”

One would think.

[MauiRam]

“We have a lease, first of all,” Rosenbloom said. “We have a commitment to St. Louis. We don’t have any interest in moving to LA. Is that clear enough?”

Originally Posted by HUbison

One would think.

Yes .. But will St Louis fans commit to the Rams .. again ..??

[RAM-BO]

Might be better for St. Louis fans if they move. Now they don't have to answer for poor attendance, they have no team to attend to. I am sure if the Rams move many fans will realize how lucky they were to have a NFL team.

[evil disco man]

Originally Posted by RAM-BO

Might be better for St. Louis fans if they move. Now they don't have to answer for poor attendance, they have no team to attend to. I am sure if the Rams move many fans will realize how lucky they were to have a NFL team.

This sounds exactly like a post from 1995 would've - just replace "St. Louis" with "L.A."

:l

-jake-

[RamOfDenmark]

Originally Posted by MauiRam

And the Rams are just two years removed from an 8-8 season that was just a few plays short of 10-6.

Hey I'm a Rams fan but even I couldn't help chuckling as I read that.

That's like saying that I'm just 120 pounds and a lot of playing experience away from being a world class defensive tackle.

[blood85]

That's nice, but I still want my team in Los Angeles Mr.Rosenbloom.

[HEADSLAP75]

What's the difference btw. a fool and a damned fool?..... The person that believes this B.S. chippy is telling STL.

The truth is the Rams are gone next year, 2009 is projected by Roski and company to be the move date. should problems arise with the stadium, 2010 for sure.

The spinning of words has begun, let me point out loop hole #1...

"St. Louis is as committed to the Rams as the Rams are to St. Louis."

This is classic Mama Ram ( Georgia ) word twisting, sounds good, but what it's really saying is.......... Stl. has broke the guarantee for selling out the venue. Stl. isn't committed, the Rams showed up on gameday, but the fans didn't... bye, bye....

Loop hole #2

We will WATCH and see...... This is to me further proof that Mama Ram did teach her babies to honor her church,... The church of the almighty dollar.
They, Dale (chippy), and Lucia (sissy) will watch the fans, and see if fans show up. All who would like the Rams to stay in Stl., GO to every game you possibly can, tell everyone you see to do the same, if the stadium isn't full, chippy and sissy will have watched enough... bye, bye....

loop hole #3

I'll make it short. Dale and Lucia will never live in Stl.. It is, and will always be and out a state investment. Based in Los Angeles, as always. LA RAMS OF STL. It's easy to cut and run. That part always makes me want to vomit.

Would someone in the Stl. tell the local Rams roundtable softies to ask some hard questions of Chip.

Ask him if he, or sissy has talked to Mr. Roski.

Have you, or will you talk with him when he calls??.

Do you like the new look of the Los Angeles Stadium??.

Have you even seen the stadium??

Tell us from a business stand point why moving back isn't a no brainer??.

what are your plans for a new stadium in Stl.?

Who's going to pay for it, are you??, just for starters..

Why are they afraid of the truth? It's not as if they have never seen a team leave before.

Hello Rams fans, I'm HEADSLAP75, the original, it's good to read you!....


LA RAMS FAN....HEADSLAP75....JUST RAMS BABY!!

[GameTime]

Keep them in STL!! attendance insnt even close to as bad as LA. St louis had sell outs for many years until this past year. Most teams would have trouble selling out if they began 0-8. The st louis baseball cardinals would have attendence problems if they started the season 0-81.

[Truth]

St Louis needs to work hard to keep the Rams. If they lose the team to another city, I think they'd have a very difficult time convincing the NFL to let them have another team.

As for LA. It's always been a fickle town. If the team ain't winnin', the crowds are thinnin'. I can't see LA fans getting all too excited about the Chargers coming to town. It really wouldn't feel like an LA team. Just a San Diego team about an hour or so closer to LA.

[ramsanddodgers]

Nice first post there Deacon.. err Headslap75!

Keep them coming and welcome to our madness!

[BrokenWing]

I suppose I don't understand why this debate continues. Rams fans who live in St.Louis or were never part of the L.A. experience will always find a reason the Rams will stay in St. Louis while the old L.A. fans will always find reasons the Rams are invariably going to move "within a few years" back to L.A. There is no movement on either side, and frankly as someone who has nothing to do with L.A. I'm a bit tired of being talked down to because "St. Louis is only a baseball town."

First of all, it's not even fair to compare the two, given that the Cardinals haven't had a season or series of seasons like the Rams have had for years. St. Louis used to be a huge hockey town, right up until the Blues started to suck and then like *any other sport* fans stopped showing up.

The same thing happens with the Rams, people want to see the team do well, they want the team to be entertaining and the Rams did neither of those last year.

Is St.Louis perfect? No of course not, but I'm just a little bit tired of every time someone even breaths "LA" a bunch of people come out of the woodwork to tell us how ST.Louis is an awful football town and how the Rams are naturally going to move back to LA in just a few years or so.

This discussion has become much like the Bulger sucks/Bulger doesn't suck discussion.

The horse is dead, stop beating it.