Rams For Sale After Frontiere's Death

Hostile

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Sources: Rams up for sale

By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports
May 20, 2008

Though it hasn't been publicized in the wake of longtime owner Georgia Frontiere's death earlier this year, the St. Louis Rams are on the market, according to several NFL sources.

The possible sale of the franchise could have major ramifications, with a potential return of the team to Southern California hanging over any transaction. Adding intrigue to the situation: One of the prospective buyers who has had preliminary discussions with an intermediary about buying the Rams is Eddie DeBartolo, who owned the rival San Francisco 49ers from 1977 to '98.

"I know that they are definitely in play," DeBartolo told Yahoo! Sports last week. "Georgia's kids (son Chip Rosenbloom and daughter Lucia Rodriguez) have decided to sell the team. I've talked to some people who are brokering things, and they've told me about the price and what the deal might entail."

Rams president John Shaw, who has been the de facto leader of the franchise since Frontiere moved the Rams from Anaheim to St. Louis in 1995, declined to comment on the team's potential sale.

While DeBartolo said he has only a "slight" interest in purchasing the Rams, who sources say are being shopped in the $850 million to $900 million range, he conceded that part of the deal's allure would be the possibility of filling the void in the L.A. market that has existed since the Rams and Raiders left town before the '95 season.
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Their lease (at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis) is up in 2012, and they would be a natural for that to happen," DeBartolo said of the Rams' return to L.A. under new ownership. "It would be something to look at, and it's interesting to see the numbers and everything. But it wouldn't be my first choice of a franchise if I chose to get back in."

DeBartolo, who lives in Tampa, would prefer to purchase the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was part of a group that included Outback Steakhouse founder Chris Sullivan which approached Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer about buying the team seven years ago, but their interest was rebuffed.

Two years ago, in a story I wrote for Sports Illustrated, DeBartolo said he was intrigued by the prospect of purchasing the Raiders and relocating them to L.A. At the time two prominent NFL owners, including the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, said they believed DeBartolo would be approved should he attempt to return to the league – something that was in question after he became embroiled in a Louisiana gaming scandal a decade ago and ultimately pled guilty to a felony (not reporting an extortion attempt by the state's former governor, Edwin Edwards).

"I love the guy, and a lot of people in that room (at an NFL owners meeting) like him," one AFC owner said earlier this month. "I think he'd be approved."
Given the decline of the 49ers' fortunes since the popular and wildly successful owner's departure – and DeBartolo's acrimonious relationship with brother-in-law John York, who currently runs the franchise – the thought of him owning a reprised L.A. Rams ranks with the previously floated Raiders scenario as a 49ers fan's worst nightmare. But DeBartolo, who has worked hard to repair his once-bitter relationship with sister Denise DeBartolo York, insists he's not motivated by any sort of revenge fantasy.

"Oh, (expletive), I'm past that," DeBartolo insisted. "I would only do it for the right reasons – business reasons. I don't know, the Rams, they were always my arch enemy. (St. Louis is) a good city. And, you know, we took care of the Rams pretty good when we owned the 49ers."

DeBartolo, 61, also says he is not as high on the Los Angeles market as he was two years ago.

"First of all, who's proven in L.A. that a damn team even works?" DeBartolo asked. "It didn't work for Al Davis, and he won a Super Bowl there. I think L.A. has yet to prove it wants to support a pro football team. And unless somebody does an awfully damn good survey and market-research study indicating otherwise, I'll be skeptical."

One high-ranking league source says the Jacksonville Jaguars are another team that might be sold and relocated to L.A. and that owner Wayne Weaver has solicited potential buyers in recent months. But DeBartolo discounted the possibility of purchasing the Jags, saying, "I think (he'll sell) every year, but it doesn't happen. I get the feeling that Wayne really wants a Super Bowl, and every year he keeps thinking, 'It's gonna be the year,' and he decides to keep them." As for the Rams, an NFL owner familiar with the situation says at least two groups not involving DeBartolo have had discussions with those brokering the sale about a possible purchase. The owner said it appears unlikely that Stan Kroenke, a Rams minority owner, will try to buy out Frontiere's heirs and assume control of the franchise. To gain NFL approval, Kroenke would have to divest himself of his ownership interests in the NBA's Denver Nuggets and NHL's Colorado Avalanche because failing to do so would violate the NFL's cross-ownership policy (which does not allow someone with controlling ownership in an NFL franchise to own major pro sports teams who play in a different NFL city). "It'll be interesting to see what happens," DeBartolo said.
 

Hostile

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I got $20 on me. It's yours if I get luxury box seats for every game against the Cowboys.
 

Yeagermeister

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Hostile;2088414 said:
I got $20 on me. It's yours if I get luxury box seats for every game against the Cowboys.

One box every couple of years....no problemo......The Memphis Rams will gladly do that. :laugh1:
 

Hostile

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Yeagermeister;2088426 said:
One box every couple of years....no problemo......The Memphis Rams will gladly do that. :laugh1:
The Czech is in the male.
 

DallasFanSince86

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I got $10. And I'm with Hostile, I'm in if I get a seat when playing against the Cowboys. But it can be any seat in the stadium.
:laugh1:
 

Yeagermeister

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DallasFanSince86;2088433 said:
I got $10. And I'm with Hostile, I'm in if I get a seat when playing against the Cowboys. But it can be any seat in the stadium.
:laugh1:

Bob Yeucker(sp?) on the way lol
 

Hostile

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DallasFanSince86;2088433 said:
I got $10. And I'm with Hostile, I'm in if I get a seat when playing against the Cowboys. But it can be any seat in the stadium.
:laugh1:
Naw, Cowboys fans party together man. He's in the box or no deal on the 20.
 

big dog cowboy

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FWIW, the Rams are denying this as just reported on NFL Live on ESPN.
 

Doomsday101

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Raiders went back to Oakland from LA it would be only fitting that the Rams ended up back in LA
 

PosterChild

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Read an article somewhere (probably here) that the Lambs only cleared 10 million bucks last yr.
 

Doomsday101

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thewireman;2088498 said:
Does Cali really need another football team? 4 football teams in one state is a lot

Largest city in Cali should have one and when you think that it is the media capital of the US (along with New York) it makes sense for the NFL to have a franchise back in LA
 

THUMPER

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Eddie "The Gangster" DeBartolo is not welcome in the NFL. They finally cut ties with that whole lot when Carmen Policy stepped down from the Browns a few years ago. Their mob ties were pretty well documented and the last thing the NFL needs now is for them to get their foot back in the door.
 

the kid 05

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Hostile;2088414 said:
I got $20 on me. It's yours if I get luxury box seats for every game against the Cowboys.

you can have the luxury box seats ill gladly take the seats behind the boys at the 50 yard line :)
 

Doomsday101

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the kid 05;2088513 said:
you can have the luxury box seats ill gladly take the seats behind the boys at the 50 yard line :)

Myself. I was told by John McClain that the new Cowboys stadium will have luxury boxes on the field level the 1st of their kind.
 

the kid 05

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Doomsday101;2088519 said:
Myself. I was told by John McClain that the new Cowboys stadium will have luxury boxes on the field level the 1st of their kind.

do you expect anybody else to do sucha thing? the whole luxury boxs never seemed to thrill me, to me the idea of going to a game is to be surrounded by other fans and being able to see the action first hand
 

THUMPER

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Doomsday101;2088519 said:
Myself. I was told by John McClain that the new Cowboys stadium will have luxury boxes on the field level the 1st of their kind.

Bruce Willis' character from Die Hard?
 

Doomsday101

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the kid 05;2088522 said:
do you expect anybody else to do sucha thing? the whole luxury boxs never seemed to thrill me, to me the idea of going to a game is to be surrounded by other fans and being able to see the action first hand

I'm with you, I would rather be in the stands with good seats surrounded by true football fans than the luxury box crowd who stand around and visit with it each other. Hell even Jerry Jones can’t stand that crowd which is why he ends up on the sidelines with his Boys. :laugh1:
 

zeromaster

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But to people that can afford it, watching the game while avoiding the drunks and screaming kids has its appeal too. :rolleyes:
 
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