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NFL Wild Card Round: Browns picked to finish last in AL Central in 2016.


Joe Pesci

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Here's what the Rams had to say about St. Louis, their home city for the last 20 years: 

St. Louis lags, and will continue to lag, far behind in the economic drivers that are necessary for sustained success of an NFL franchise.

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Compared to all other U.S. cities, St. Louis is struggling. One recent study reports that St. Louis ranks 490 out of 515 U.S. cities and 61st among the 64 largest U.S. cities in economic growth in recent years. That same study reported that St. Louis had the lowest rate of population growth of any major U.S. city from 2008 to 2014 – registering a loss of 1.74 percent of its citizens while most cities registered gains. Thus, the City of St. Louis ranks near the bottom of all U.S. cities of any size in terms of economic and population growth.

Any NFL Club that signs on to this (new stadium) proposal in St. Louis will be well on the road to financial ruin, and the League will be harmed.

Holy fuck, nothing would make me happier right now than if their LA relocation application was denied. 

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Here's what the Rams had to say about St. Louis, their home city for the last 20 years: 

 

 

Holy fuck, nothing would make me happier right now than if their LA relocation application was denied. 

Yeah that's kidn of outrageous, and leads you to believe that they know they're going to get to move.

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Yeah that's kidn of outrageous, and leads you to believe that they know they're going to get to move.

Me too. They didn't just raze the city to the ground, they've salted the earth.

I.e.: We're getting out of this shithole. And no franchise should ever think of coming here either. 

 

 

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NFL franchises have no time for sentiment, but demand it from players when convenient, and from fans at all times. 

This is absolutely true and one of the most contemptible things about the NFL and its teams, but are they wrong about the financial prospects of St. Louis?

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This is absolutely true and one of the most contemptible things about the NFL and its teams, but are they wrong about the financial prospects of St. Louis?

Eh, I'm not well versed in St. Louis's current economic state, but I'd bet the mortgage that if the Rams had a winning record they'd be selling out their stadium. How about making the playoffs once every decade or so?

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Eh, I'm not well versed in St. Louis's current economic state, but I'd bet the mortgage that if the Rams had a winning record they'd be selling out their stadium. How about making the playoffs once every decade or so?

Not likely. StL has never been a good football town, even with the Warner rams in 2000. Seattle makes fun of their fans constantly, especially how they had to have a video telling them to quiet down when their offense is on the field and what to do when they get a first down. RAM RULES 

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This is absolutely true and one of the most contemptible things about the NFL and its teams, but are they wrong about the financial prospects of St. Louis?

St. Louis may not be the most vibrant market. But the Rams framing raises larger questions if we were to take it at face value (which, I know) I mean I can't imagine Buffalo, Cleveland or Detroit being in any better shape. And population-wise the St. Louis metropolitan area is 19th in the nation - bigger than Baltimore, Denver, Pittsburgh, Indy, Jacksonville etc. There's 32 teams out there. Shouldn't this city have one?

The other fun question is if the Rams are right should the St. Louis Cardinals be concerned then?

They seem to be doing okay. I wonder what the difference between the Cardinals and Rams are. Think, brain, think...

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NFL franchises have no time for sentiment, but demand it from players when convenient, and from fans at all times. 

Which is why I'm often blown away by fans generally siding with ownership in labour issues/disputes. There is an almost absolute 1-way street when it comes to the expectations of 'loyalty' except perhaps with the odd lifer.

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St. Louis may not be the most vibrant market. But the Rams framing raises larger questions if we were to take it at face value (which, I know) I mean I can't imagine Buffalo, Cleveland or Detroit being in any better shape. And population-wise the St. Louis metropolitan area is 19th in the nation - bigger than Baltimore, Denver, Pittsburgh, Indy, Jacksonville etc. There's 32 teams out there. Shouldn't this city have one?

I don't know enough about attendance figures to get into a proper discussion about this, but I think there are different levels of sports passion in a city. Buffalo manages to fill up its stadium despite having been terrible since the Clinton administration. Cleveland fans have every reason to give up on their team, but they haven't. I don't get the same sense about St. Louis fans.

 

The other fun question is if the Rams are right should the St. Louis Cardinals be concerned then?

They seem to be doing okay. I wonder what the difference between the Cardinals and Rams are. Think, brain, think...

Obviously it's the level of classiness present. Maybe jettisoning Jeff Fisher would upgrade the Rams' classiness, but too late to save the relationship between the city and the team owner I guess.

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I don't know enough about attendance figures to get into a proper discussion about this, but I think there are different levels of sports passion in a city. Buffalo manages to fill up its stadium despite having been terrible since the Clinton administration. Cleveland fans have every reason to give up on their team, but they haven't. I don't get the same sense about St. Louis fans.

Yeah no question it's a baseball town first unlike Buffalo and Cleveland which are clearly football cities. That can be changed with competence though, no? Pretty sure for most of your life the Patriots were a distant #4 on the Boston sports totem pole.

I just focus on population because there are enough people out there to support any kind of professional sports franchise...you just gotta give them a reason to. Investment goes both ways. 

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Not likely. StL has never been a good football town, even with the Warner rams in 2000. Seattle makes fun of their fans constantly, especially how they had to have a video telling them to quiet down when their offense is on the field and what to do when they get a first down. RAM RULES 

Meh.  I went to San Fran at Tennessee a couple years ago and the Titans had the same thing.  I don't think that's a big deal.

I did say to a friend the other day, how do you sell your season tickets if you're one of the three teams requesting to move and you get denied?!!?

It'd be humorous if they let the Chargers leave and then stuck the Raiders in San Diego. :) 

Speaking of the Chargers.  The Rams and Raiders have moved like gypsies and taken their name with them before; but would the NFL want the Chargers to leave the name in SD?  (Like the Browns or NBA SuperSonics)

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I just focus on population because there are enough people out there to support any kind of professional sports franchise...you just gotta give them a reason to. Investment goes both ways. 

The owners could easily counter Kroenke's letter by making him pay a visit to Green Bay to look at economic viability of an NFL franchise based out in the sticks compared to St. Louis. But the letter did make me laugh a bit even though I'd love to see them not get the vote now.

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Yeah no question it's a baseball town first unlike Buffalo and Cleveland which are clearly football cities. That can be changed with competence though, no? Pretty sure for most of your life the Patriots were a distant #4 on the Boston sports totem pole.

I just focus on population because there are enough people out there to support any kind of professional sports franchise...you just gotta give them a reason to. Investment goes both ways. 

I came to live in New England at the start of the Parcells-Bledsoe era, so I don't have true Old Miserable Pats Fan cred (even though I held on to Boston fan sympathies as some kind of reaction against how much I disliked Los Angeles as a kid). And I share your opinion on the apocalyptic douchiness of Kroenke's statement and the general idea that a competent on-field product would solve attendance problems. I just have a hard time mustering much sympathy for St. Louis. But Kroenke's actions make me come closer to sympathy than I ever would have expected.

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Personally I don't think you should ever be allowed to move. You bought the St Louis team, you make it there or the team dissolves and a new team starts someplace else with a draft like you do an expansion team. 

How do you ever build fan loyalty and history?

 

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