Rams owner Stan Kroenke: Move to L.A. is bittersweet
The St. Louis Rams' bid to relocate to Los Angeles was approved by 30 of the NFL's 32 owners, but owner Stan Kroenke refused to celebrate his club's imminent move to the second-largest media market in the United States.
Kroenke made a late, hyper-aggressive push to move his club to L.A., and agreed to relocate his team to Inglewood, Calif.
Earlier in the day, Kroenke's bid for the Rams to solely occupy a new stadium in Inglewood was rejected by the league's owners. Kroenke recuperated quickly, however, and per teams of the approval, the San Diego Chargers can join the Rams in Inglewood.
"I understand the emotional argument. It's not something you want to do," Kroenke said during a press conference with commissioner Roger Goodell.
The 68-year-old real estate developer is expected to write a relocation fee check for $550 million to the other owners and pay $1.05 billion up front to finance the stadium project, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN.
Kroenke released the following statement Tuesday evening:
This has been the most difficult process of my professional career. While we are excited about the prospect of building a new stadium in Inglewood, California, this is bitter sweet. St. Louis is a city known for its incredibly hard-working, passionate and proud people. Being part of the group that brought the NFL back to St. Louis in 1995 is one of the proudest moments of my professional career. Reaching two Super Bowls and winning one are things all St. Louisans should always treasure.
While there understandably has been emotionally charged commentary regarding our motives and intentions, the speculation is not true and unfounded. I am a Missouri native named after two St. Louis sports legends who I was fortunate enough to know on a personal level. This move isn’t about whether I love St. Louis or Missouri. I do and always will. No matter what anyone says, that will never change. This decision is about what is in the best long-term interests of the Rams organization and the National Football League. We have negotiated in good faith with the Regional Sports Authority for more than a decade trying to find a viable and sustainable solution. When it became apparent that we might not be able to reach an agreement, it was then and only then that we looked at alternatives.
We would like to thank the National Football League, its owners, and the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities for their diligence and dedication. We look forward to returning to Los Angeles and building a world-class NFL entertainment district in Inglewood.