Could St. Louis receive an NFL Team through lawsuit settlement?
There is no doubt that the city of St. Louis has been frustrated with the NFL and Rams over Stan Kroenke over the relocation of the Rams. Since 2015 when the Rams relocated, St. Louis has been left without football, besides the few months of the XFL. The Battlehawks, the St. Louis XFL team, captured the hearts of many, you could tell the love for a football team was still there in the city.
The city of St. Louis sued Stan Kroenke over the relocation of the Rams by breaking the NFL’s own relocation rules. The NFL still allowed the move to happen which frustrated the citizens of St. Louis even more.
According to NFL Insider Mike Florio, has mentioned talk within the league that allowing St. Louis a relocation team may save everyone in this deal.
Flash Back to 2017
In 2017, St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, sued the NFL and Stan Kroenke over the wrongful relocation of the Rams. The County claimed that the NFL violated their own rules and allowed Kroenke and the Rams to move to Los Angeles, where a new stadium was built, SoFi Stadium.
SoFi Stadium just opened last year, and the years before, the Rams played home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
The lawsuit currently is valued at over $1.5 billion to be paid to the city of St. Louis. Stan Kroenke is a rich man but even $1.5 billion is a lot for him. The best loophole for Kroenke to use in this situation would be to allow the league to expand in St. Louis and give the people what they want.
While the money would help, the people of the city truly want football back. Rams fans were passionate and cared. They loved the days of Torry Holt, Kurt Warner, and “The Greatest Show On Turf.”
To Relocate or Start Scratch?
The most logical thing to do currently is to move the Los Angeles Chargers to St. Louis. While the move from San Diego to Los Angeles hurt many, this move to St. Louis is the most logical.
The Chargers are typically outdrawn by their opposing teams’ fans at Charger home games. The Chargers would receive a fanbase that is loyal, passionate, and energetic to have the NFL back in ‘The Lou.’
By moving the Chargers, would keep the number of teams in the league the same, and it would still allow the Chargers to be in the AFC West, and keep them closer to most of the teams in their division now.
Eventually, this move would require a new stadium. The Chargers would not be willing to relocate without a new stadium. The Jones Dome is outdated and not up to date with the rest of the league.
If you look around the league, the Chicago Bears are moving to a new stadium in the future. The Chargers and Rams just got a new stadium, the Raiders just got a new stadium on their relocation. This is the move of the NFL, in upgrading stadiums.
What To Look For?
Unfortunately, this is all pure speculation right now. As of now, St. Louis is the home of the Cardinals, Blues, Battlehawks, and the new soccer club, St. Louis City. The news of bringing the NFL back to St. Louis could track more speculation as the season goes on, and as court dates for the lawsuit come up.
To save face and money, this move would be in the best interest of the league and St. Louis. The fans want football back and they are not afraid to let you know about it. What should the NFL do? Bringing football back to the city is a good start.
