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Posted by Aaron Wilson on June 19, 2009, 4:48 p.m.
FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith has emerged as a potential contender to buy the St. Louis Rams, and is expected to deliver (excuse the pun) a competitive bid for the NFL franchise.
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, Smith is on a “short list” of potential bidders to purchase majority control of the NFC West team that current owner Chip Rosenbloom recently put up for sale.
A member of the Forbes’ list whose FedEx stock alone is estimated at roughly $1 billion, Smith would have to unload his 10-percent share of the Washington Commanders to comply with NFL rules.
Per the report, that percentage is worth close to $150 million.
“Fred Smith would be an owner straight out of central casting for the NFL,” Chicago sports consultant Marc Ganis told the Business Journal. “He would be very well received in NFL circles. They know him well.
“He is an entrepreneur who built a business from scratch into one of the most successful companies in the world. He has a marketing and customer service background. He has a love of the game of football. And he looks the part.”
However, minority Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who also owns the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets, could wind up with the team if he’s able to persuade NFL owners to change the rule regarding cross-ownership of other sports.
Also, St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts has also been mentioned in published reports as being interested in possibly acquiring the Rams.
FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith has emerged as a potential contender to buy the St. Louis Rams, and is expected to deliver (excuse the pun) a competitive bid for the NFL franchise.
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, Smith is on a “short list” of potential bidders to purchase majority control of the NFC West team that current owner Chip Rosenbloom recently put up for sale.
A member of the Forbes’ list whose FedEx stock alone is estimated at roughly $1 billion, Smith would have to unload his 10-percent share of the Washington Commanders to comply with NFL rules.
Per the report, that percentage is worth close to $150 million.
“Fred Smith would be an owner straight out of central casting for the NFL,” Chicago sports consultant Marc Ganis told the Business Journal. “He would be very well received in NFL circles. They know him well.
“He is an entrepreneur who built a business from scratch into one of the most successful companies in the world. He has a marketing and customer service background. He has a love of the game of football. And he looks the part.”
However, minority Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who also owns the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets, could wind up with the team if he’s able to persuade NFL owners to change the rule regarding cross-ownership of other sports.
Also, St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts has also been mentioned in published reports as being interested in possibly acquiring the Rams.
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