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NFL wants Rams in St. Louis, Roger Goodell saysFeb 06, 2010 (St. Louis Post-Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league wants a franchise in St. Louis and wants the Rams to be successful there over the long term. "The changes that Chip (Rosenbloom) and his sister (Lucia Rodriguez) have made, I think are very positive," Goodell said Friday during his annual state of the league Super Bowl news conference. "I think they're committed to trying to put this organization on the right path in St. Louis, and we think that's a positive. "We have a lease there. We will respect that lease. We would like the team to be successful in St. Louis over the long term. If Chip and Lucia decide to sell the team, we will work with the future ownership to make sure that the team can continue to be there and be successful." With an estate tax issue looming in a few years, Rosenbloom and Rodriguez have been shopping the team for the better part of a year. Sources familiar with the situation told the Post-Dispatch last month that the Rams have three acceptable bids to purchase the team. One of those groups is headed by St. Louis Blues chairman Dave Checketts, with Texas billionaire Gerald J. Ford the lead investor. Another group is believed to have ties to Toronto, and there are rumors that the third potential owner is an Illinois billionaire. The sources told the Post-Dispatch that the sale could be completed before the NFL draft in April. Goodell made the point Friday that selling the team and relocating the team are two different processes. "Ownership transfer is an important issue for us," Goodell said. "We take a lot of time going through that with our committees and with the full membership. And then, if there is any kind of potential relocation, that's a separate process. "Fortunately, we're not talking about that. We're talking about potentially just an ownership change, and we will work closely with Chip and Lucia to make sure that's done properly if they decide to sell the team. "But we want to be in St. Louis." The earliest the stadium lease could be broken at the Edward Jones Dome is following the 2014 season. And that's only if the dome fails to meet "first tier" provisions as one of the top 25 percent of NFL stadiums. The terms of top tier status, and the cost of any such renovations, ultimately could be decided by an arbitrator. To see more of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.stltoday.com. Copyright (c) 2010, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |