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Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

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  • #1

    Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

    It has come to my attention that I really owe the fans of the St. Louis Rams a big apology.

    You see, when the story that Stan Kroenke was going to exercise his right of first refusal broke, I was crushed. For over a year I had repeatedly stated that there was no chance that Kroenke would do this, and suddenly I had egg on my face. To make matters worse, I wasn't even the one to break the news that Kroenke had, indeed, decided to buy the majority stake in the team.

    I know it was immature, but in response to all this I lashed out. I started printing stories that I knew would get the fan base, particularly those who frequent the PD site, riled up. I suggested that Kroenke's move could adversely impact the draft. I intimated that the ownership issue was the reason the Rams didn't trade for Brandon Marshall. And the, I went to the old standbye.... I raised the spectre of Kroenke moving the team to Los Angeles.

    Others jumped on the bandwagon. Brian Burwell wrote an article about how, merely because Kroenke tried to negotiate a deal with Shahid Khan, Stan could not be trusted. Even Mike Florio, my good friend over at Pro Football Talk, joined in.

    Of course, Kroenke finally had enough of the blather and came out and stated in no uncertain terms that his priority is to keep the team in St. Louis. I pretty much knew that all along, but I just wanted Stan to give me a little attention and let me be the one to break the "news."

    Anyway, I do feel bad about all this, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

    --B
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

    LOL non-biased journalism at its best hahahhahahahahahahaha

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

      Dear BernieM,

      Take two buckets of toasted ravioli & call me in the morning. I won't pick up but you'll like the song on my message; Frank singing "What Kind of Fool Am I ?"

      A Rams fan

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

        Originally posted by Azul e Oro View Post
        Dear BernieM,

        Take two buckets of toasted ravioli & call me in the morning. I won't pick up but you'll like the song on my message; Frank singing "What Kind of Fool Am I ?"

        A Rams fan
        buckets? You meant trash cans right?

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

          This HAS to be an impostor, the real Bernie Miklazy would never be so humble or so right.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

            Ladies and gentlemen, the Geraldo Riverra of sports reporting!

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

              This is why I ignore the bernie.. I'm in Mich I'm not even around st louis and I can tell he's a dousche

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Dear Rams Fans: I'm Sorry

                on a side note

                anyone want to join me in a boycotte of Wal-Mart?

                Thought I'd throw that in there as one more non-Ram issue

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                Related Topics

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                • arsenalfan
                  Opinions on Kroenke
                  by arsenalfan
                  Hello Rams fans,

                  Stan Kroenke, who I understand is your co-owner, has just bought 10% of my english soccer club, Arsenal.

                  It seems he might be looking to launch a takeover bid.

                  What are your opinions of the man? How was he helped your team etc?

                  Any help would be appreciated - the best views will be published on my site, gunnerblog.com
                  -04-05-2007, 12:48 PM
                • MauiRam
                  Will Rams cash in under Kroenke? ..
                  by MauiRam
                  BY BERNIE MIKLASZ • Sunday, September 26, 2010 12:20 am


                  The National Football League is the private club for some of the wealthiest people in the world. According to the latest Forbes listing of the 400 richest people in America, 11 own NFL franchises.

                  Money doesn't guarantee success on the field. A few of the moguls have won Super Bowls, including New England's Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones in Dallas, Tampa Bay's Malcom Glazer. Others on the Forbes list repeatedly have come up short in their desperate pursuit of the ring.

                  One is Washington's Daniel Synder, who has had more head coaches (seven) than winning seasons (three) in 11 seasons as owner. Snyder hopes his football fortunes will change now that he's installed a legitimate general manager (Bruce Allen) and the high-profile head coach, Mike Shanahan.

                  Some of the NFL's old-school clubs — the Rooney family in Pittsburgh for example — have won multiple Super Bowls without the benefit of the massive individual wealth enjoyed by the NFL's Forbes 400 owners. The Rooneys know how to set up a successful football shop, with the focus on scouting and drafting. Their specialty is winning.

                  Snyder and the Redskins will be at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday to face Stan Kroenke's St. Louis Rams. Snyder has been at this since 1999. And Kroenke is the NFL's newest billionaire owner.

                  Kroenke is ranked No. 130 on the Forbes list with an estimated worth of $2.7 billion. His wife, Ann Walton Kroenke, came in at No. 98 with $3.2 billion.

                  That's impressive. A low-revenue franchise that's bottomed out with 44 losses in its last 50 games can certainly use a strong foundation.

                  Still, that doesn't answer the most important question: What kind of owner will Stan Kroenke be for the Rams? Is Kroenke destined to become as stymied as Snyder, or as revered as a Rooney?

                  Kroenke does have a Super Bowl on his résumé; he was Georgia Frontiere's 40 percent ownership partner when the unforgettable 1999 Rams went from last place to NFL champions. But Kroenke is in charge now, so the circumstances are dramatically different.

                  Kroenke has become a symbol of hope for suffering Rams fans who crave strong, stable leadership to provide a new direction for their lost franchise.

                  Friday night, I conducted an informal survey on my online forum (Bernie's Press Box) at STLtoday.com. I posed a simple query: What do you want from a Kroenke ownership?

                  The responses were thoughtful and sincere. Here's a rundown of the most popular themes:

                  • Be genuine in trying to solve the stadium issue to ensure the team's future in St. Louis.

                  • Be in it to win it and fight for Rams fans.

                  • Buy some impact free agents to help overcome the many years of incompetent drafting.

                  • Be a visible presence at Rams Park and in the...
                  -09-26-2010, 11:02 AM
                • Tampa_Ram
                  A great article on Kroenke
                  by Tampa_Ram
                  Found this over in another rams forum. Enjoy


                  The Most Powerful Man In Sports ... You Had No Idea, Did You? Stan Kroenke

                  SPORTS' ULTIMATE KINGPIN IS AN UNASSUMING REAL ESTATE TYCOON FROM CENTRAL MISSOURI WHOSE PROPERTIES, FROM THE NFL'S RAMS TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE'S ARSENAL, ARE WORTH SOME $4 BILLION. HE BOUGHT THEM FOR SHEER LOVE OF THE GAMES—AND BECAUSE THEY PAY OFF
                  L. Jon Wertheim
                  The Directors Box in London's Emirates Stadium gives new zest to the phrase luxury suite. Arriving on a private elevator, guests are greeted by an attractive hostess, shown to tables with floral centerpieces in the opposing team's colors, and seated in chairs upholstered in leather that has been dyed Arsenal red and embossed with the club's logo. They eat smoked fish imported from Scandinavia, burrata cheese from Italy and lamb from the British countryside, all washed down with champagne from France. As the Gunners' players and 60,000-plus fans, most swaddled in red scarves, brave a cold, rainy, heartlessly gray afternoon, the denizens of the Directors Box bask in warmth, comfort and conviviality.

                  The received wisdom that soccer truly is the world's sport is confirmed by the cast of characters in the box. British dignitaries mingle with soccer royalty. Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, sits at a back table. A mere half hour before the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers kicks off, the Gunners' own manager, Arsène Wenger, a mystical Frenchman, makes an appearance, shaking hands with other guests, who include a marketing executive from Dubai, a knot of Russian businessmen and, improbably, DeMaurice Smith, head of the NFL Players Association. As if the theme of globalization and multinationalism needed further reinforcement, LED screens ringing the perimeter of the pitch flash a team diversity initiative, ARSENAL FOR EVERYONE, translated into various languages—Hebrew, Arabic and Korean among them.

                  As the game is about to start, the most important figure in this international barony walks through the suite doors: a lean man wearing a gray pinstripe suit that looks to be flannel, a white shirt, a solid black tie and cowboy boots, his ruddy face set off by a caterpillar of a mustache. His entrance could scarcely be less conspicuous—he's talking quietly to another man, who turns out to be his son—yet it causes an immediate drop in ambient volume. Enos Stanley Kroenke, a 65-year-old son of Mora, Mo. (pop. 491)—"The Ozark/Osage region," according to him; "about 16 miles south of Sedalia," according to Wikipedia—has arrived, bearing a complement of toothpicks in his breast pocket.

                  Kroenke soon grabs a black Nike ski parka and ventures onto the exposed terrace, where he can better concentrate on the game. His hands forming...
                  -12-11-2012, 12:31 PM
                • MauiRam
                  Kroenke's silence might say a lot ..
                  by MauiRam
                  Bernie Miklasz
                  Sports Columnist Bernie Miklasz

                  ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                  04/15/2010

                  What a strange time to be a Rams fan in St. Louis. We're eight days away from the NFL draft, and the Rams hold the first choice. They're probably going to choose talented Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, a good guy with an accurate arm who can become the new face of the franchise and a symbol of hope.

                  After three seasons of 6-42 football, this should be a time of looking ahead to better, happier days. But as usual, Rams fans are left to wonder what's going on. The glimpse into the future is hazy. An unsettled, uncertain ownership situation has put the franchise in turmoil. And that's unfortunate.

                  The concern is that the football operation is limited and unable to spend money and make moves because of the uncertainty at the very top of the franchise. If Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez are selling their 60 percent to Stan Kroenke or Shahid Khan, then haven't they already checked out?

                  "Nothing could be further from the truth," said Kevin Demoff, the Rams' chief operating officer. "We're making football decisions based on what's best for the Rams in the short term and the long term. We presented an offseason game plan to Chip and Lucia, and they agreed to it. Nothing has changed. There are no constraints. They are actively involved."


                  The purpose here isn't to beat up on Rosenbloom and Rodriguez. They've made a genuine attempt to give the franchise a fresh start by installing new football leadership. And they have improved the dysfunctional culture at Rams Park.

                  Moreover, the Rosenblooms were determined to sell to pro-St. Louis interests. They thought they had a good buyer in Khan, the central Illinois businessman who lives within an easy drive from St. Louis. After entering into a purchase agreement with the Rosenblooms, Khan immediately conveyed his pro-St. Louis sentiment and indicated that he wanted to keep the team here.

                  But Rams minority ownership partner Stan Kroenke cut off Khan's bid by exercising his contractual right to buy the 60 percent owned by Chip and Lucia. Kroenke must persuade the NFL owners to change their cross-ownership rules to accommodate him.

                  And what if Kroenke succeeds? It's widely assumed that Kroenke would be pro-St. Louis with the Rams. He's a Missouri native. A multi-billionaire and highly successful real-estate developer, Kroenke does business throughout the state. He has family here. He has a residence in Columbia, Mo. And he helped bring the Rams here from Los Angeles in '95.

                  That said, something struck me as odd the other night when Kroenke disclosed his intentions to buy the Rosenbloom-Rodriguez shares. In his statement, Kroenke said nothing about wanting to keep the team in St. Louis. There was no expression of thanks offered to Rams fans for...
                  -04-15-2010, 09:09 AM
                • r8rh8rmike
                  Bernie: Is Kroenke Spreading Himself Thin?
                  by r8rh8rmike
                  Bernie: Is Kroenke spreading himself thin?

                  BY BERNIE MIKLASZ, Post-Dispatch Sports Columnist
                  Monday, April 18, 2011


                  The occasion is an important match in the English Premier League, Liverpool at Arsenal, and Kroenke will be in the stands at Emirates Stadium. But will the TV cameras be able to find him? (Yes. Kroenke was on camera multiple times during the 1-1 draw.)

                  "Silent Stan" Kroenke is now an international man of mystery after his friendly but stunning takeover of Arsenal FC, one of the most storied and distinguished franchises in soccer history.

                  Last week, Kroenke put up an estimated $230 million to increase his ownership stake in the Gunners from 29 percent to just under 63 percent. Under terms of the deal, Kroenke is obligated to offer to buy out the remaining shareholders, which could mean an additional investment of tens of millions of dollars.

                  Kroenke has added another prominent team to a collection of sports properties that includes your St. Louis Rams, the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse team, the Pepsi Center arena in Denver and a regional sports network in Colorado. That's in addition to his real-estate development and other non-sports businesses.

                  Kroenke has positioned himself to be a powerful figure in the sports world. With his emergence in Europe, he's established a global presence. And if the NFL ever decides to put a franchise in London, Kroenke looms as an interesting figure, seeing that he'll already be established there.

                  I'm an Arsenal fan from way back, so I join my fellow Gunners supporters across the Atlantic in wondering what we should expect from Kroenke.

                  The central question seems to be this: Will he spend money to acquire the elite pieces deemed necessary to put Arsenal back atop of the EPL table?

                  It's roughly the same question Rams fans have about Kroenke as he begins his second season as the team's majority owner.

                  With the NFL's free-agent market shut down because of the labor dispute between the owners and players, it's impossible to get an answer. But in a recent interview with Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch, Kroenke didn't eliminate free-agent signings as a way to improve the roster but strongly reaffirmed his belief in the philosophy of building through the draft.

                  Kroenke's increased stake in Arsenal raised another question: Does he own too many teams? Can he devote enough individual time to the Rams? It depends on your views. Those who prefer an on-site, hands-on owner will be disappointed.

                  In my previous discussions with Kroenke, he politely dismissed this as a concern, saying that he isn't a micro-manager or meddler. He prefers to employ capable executives and coaches and let them do their jobs. There's been speculation that Kroenke...
                  -04-18-2011, 08:49 PM
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