Pure speculation, to be sure—and I already jinxed Adam Gase off the jobsite…
Before I get into this Doug Pederson sequence, I’d like to say a few words of condolence for long-time St. Louis football fans…
Tuesday was a day for the business of officially kicking St. Louis fans twice in the teef, as the league’s 32 owners, a collection of the nation’s wealthiest and most powerful pseudo-enthusiasts, approved the plan of Stan Kroenke to move his St. Louis Rams to a palatial stadium he will build on an old horse track in Inglewood, California.
Disgraceful if you ask me… It sends the Rams back to Los Angeles, the city they ditched 21 years ago on another day which was equally insulting to any loyal fan base you can name. Thank the gods of Football this could never happen in Philly. Or could it?
The Rams’ move back to L.A. is strictly a money deal. Los Angeles is the second largest media market in the USA. It’s about the TV and advertising money. Most of the population out there could give two poo-poo’s about the NFL. That’s because the L.A. demographic is predominantly transient. In fact, you have about 40 percent of the local audience classified as being of Asian descent at this juncture and they could give two hoots about football. 30 percent or more are Hispanic and they are way more into beisbol. The remainder are casual fans of football at best.
St. Louis football fans got screwed again but not because of the live gate anticipated by Rams owners coming to the Coliseum next September. It’s all about the TV money.
The NFL also gave the San Diego Chargers a year to work out a deal to join the Rams in L.A., or get a new stadium built back home, or go to Plan “C” whatever that might entail. If the Chargers don’t move to L.A., then the Oakland Raiders will have a shot to move there. The NFL will give each franchise $100 million if they choose to build a stadium in their current towns. But news flash—the Chargers/Raiders proposed stadium in Carson, Calif., is dead.
Meanwhile the football fans in St. Louis are left reeling after losing the Cardinals (thanks, Bidwill family!) and now the Rams ( FU, Kroenke!)…
To be fair, Kroenke had a vision—he acquired nearly 300 acres near LAX, and had the money to put $1.86 billion into a combined stadium, retail and housing development that will help transform the area. The centerpiece will be a glass-roofed stadium that can seat capacities of 100,000, capable of hosting not just two NFL tenants, but Final Fours, mega concerts, political conventions, Super Bowls, Olympics, World Cups and everything else.
Eat me, I’m a hoagie…
It’s all fair under the U.S. Constitution— but it blows for the pro football fans of St. Louis, many of whom were weaned under the Jim Hart years and once shared a divisonal rivalry with Philly fans.
Of all the relocation candidates, St. Louis did the most to keep its team, pledging $400 million in public funds and clearing all sorts of hurdles for a new dome stadium. But that damnable L.A. TV/multimedia money cornucopia trumped all.
Money talks. The Rams walk.
“St. Louis is just out of luck?” Giants co-owner Steve Tisch was asked by reporters after the vote.
“Apparently,” Tisch said.
Gee, Steve…on behalf of the fans in St. Louis, thanks for nothing…
But back to Doug Pederson…
At the risk of jinxing Pederson, it kinda looks like he is the guy who, once his current business is finished with the Super Bowl run of Andy Reid and the Chieves, will be your next Eagles HC.
Phil Sheridan said it succinctly: “As a quarterback, Pederson followed Andy Reid from Green Bay to Philadelphia. As a coach, he followed Reid from Philadelphia to Kansas City. Lurie appears to be clearing out the Kelly era with a return to the Reid model. Pederson would be a pretty comfortable fit.”
Phil is probably calling this one correctly.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
