Reports from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, this morning, say that St. Louis Blues chairman Dave Checketts is attempting to put together a group to buy the St. Louis Rams from the Rosenbloom family. Bernie Miklasz and Jim Thomas are both reporting that Checketts has already made contact with the Rams and Goldman Sachs to begin preliminary talks.
This news is terrific if Checketts can make it happen. If Checketts were able to pull this off it would be terrific for the entire city of St. Louis because he would essentially lock the Rams into the market because of the exact rules that forbid Stan Kroenke from becoming majority owner. If he wanted to move the Rams he would have to either divest himself of the Blues or sell the Rams to make the move and I can't believe that Checketts or any group he is involved with would do such a thing.
While it would be tremendous if Checketts were able to make it happen I have some doubts that someone like Checketts can do it. My first concern is that he doesn't personally have the capital to buy something like this. Although he is very wealthy you have to be uber-wealthy to buy an NFL franchise. Checketts is not. There were rumors as close back as 2007 that Checketts and his partners were running month to month, financially, with the Blues. If you are running that tight on an NHL franchise how can they even begin to think they could get an NFL franchise? That is a concern.
My other main concern is that the NFL does not like conglomerate ownership. They like to have one clear owner that they deal with and not a group of 5 different people running a franchise. It may be difficult to get league approval on a deal that would bring more people to the table from one franchise. I think the league doesn't mind dealing with a co-ownership situation but I don't know that they want a "corporation" running the team. One thing that will help in this aspect is that Dave Checketts does have a relationship with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. That has got to help considering the frosty relationship Paul Tagliabue had with the city of St. Louis.
As I stated in the article yesterday all is not doom and gloom on the Rams sale front. There is a long way to go before the team is actually sold and there will be some ups and downs along the way. I still hold fast in the belief that the Rams will remain in St. Louis for the foreseeable future. Dave Checketts, at the very least has sent a ray of sunshine into the proceedings.
Comments
What proof or links do you have regarding Checketts and the Blues going "month to month"? I don't ever recall reading that...seems kind of slanderous to say that unless you have proof?
Brian,
Thanks for reading. I appreciate that there is a lot of garbage out there that people just throw around. I am not, nor will I ever be, one of those people who just write something just for the sake of writing it.
I do know through several different people within the Blues organization that things were real tight when the team was struggling. From what I understand, and it makes sense, that things have gotten better with attendence being up and success on the ice.
I'll stand by what I said. It doesn't make Dave Checketts a bad person or even a bad businessman but it does tell you that he is not a billionaire by any stretch. That is the only point I am trying to make as we are looking at the sale of an NFL franchise not an NHL franchise.
Again thanks for reading and I appreciate your thoughts.
TK
“Thanks for reading. I appreciate that there is a lot of garbage out there that people just throw around. I am not, nor will I ever be, one of those people who just write something just for the sake of writing it.”
And if you expect me to believe that, than I have a comic book company to sell you! If Checketts can pull it off, then good for him, if not, then it’s not the end of the world your city will survive this. I’m only sorry that people like you make REAL St. Louis Rams fans look bad with your arrogance and whining about the team!
Dave Checketts is a coward for dropping Rush Limbaugh. I will never attend another Rams game if he becomes an owner. Nice way to throw your friends under the bus Dave.
I can not believe you would drop Rush due to the rantings of some idiots. I sincerely hope that all conservative season ticket holders turn in their tickets. Go Rush!
Dave Checketts should wise up and include Rush Lumbaugh in on the Rams deal. He would do more for the team, the NFL and the city of St. Lewis than anyone else involved in the deal. If he drops Rush it will show he is gutless in standing up for honesty and truth and is letting the slime merchants win with lies!
I am shocked that Dave Checketts would cowardly drop Rush from the deal. He needs to get some backbone and stand up against these constant accusations of racism, just because people have different opinions. This is America and its what makes America great. If people like Checketts who have the power to stand up for whats right back down, we will NEVER get past the "racist" issues in this country and people like Rangal and Jackson will continue to push their agenda to keep racism alive and well. Someone needs some backbone and obviously its not Checketts. What a wimp. I feel sorry for the fans
I am disgusted that Checketts would drop Rush because of controversy. What ever happened to doing what is right? Rush is being unfairly judged by liars and it is cowardly that this group would cave because of the "bad press".
With a "minimum" daily audience of 14.75 million, reports as high as 22 million, and with listenership soaring (Baker, 2009), it seems that the mainstream American media would catch on that Rush is actually popular and well-liked by many, many Americans. Certainly not a racist. I am very disappointed that Checketts would succomb to pressure so easily.
Reference: Baker, B. (2009). Limbaugh soars in August ratings, News Busters, newsbusters.org
With a "minimum" daily audience of 14.75 million, reports as high as 22 million, and with listenership soaring (Baker, 2009), it seems that the mainstream American media would catch on that Rush is actually popular and well-liked by many, many Americans. Certainly not a racist. I am very disappointed that Checketts would succomb to pressure so easily.
Reference: Baker, B. (2009). Limbaugh soars in August ratings, News Busters, newsbusters.org
Rush doesn't need Dave to buy a NFL football team. He could probably afford to buy them all. Dave is just a wimp that cannot handle the aggressive and divisive arena of politics. It's a wonder he wants to be part of such a brutal sport when he can't even stick to his guns against the cowardly liberals that don't want conservatives to have any part in our culture. Too bad for liberals, since most people are conservatives.
Rush doesn't need Dave to buy a NFL football team. He could probably afford to buy them all. Dave is just a wimp that cannot handle the aggressive and divisive arena of politics. It's a wonder he wants to be part of such a brutal sport when he can't even stick to his guns against the cowardly liberals that don't want conservatives to have any part in our culture. Too bad for liberals, since most people are conservatives.
What a weasel Dave Checketts is I will never watch another
St Louis Rams game. How could he be such a wimp???
"Dave Checketts is a coward for dropping Rush Limbaugh. I will never attend another Rams game if he becomes an owner. Nice way to throw your friends under the bus Dave."
You're a retard.
"I can not believe you would drop Rush due to the rantings of some idiots. I sincerely hope that all conservative season ticket holders turn in their tickets. Go Rush!"
I cannot believe you have not been committed yet!
"Dave Checketts should wise up and include Rush Lumbaugh in on the Rams deal. He would do more for the team, the NFL and the city of St. Lewis than anyone else involved in the deal. If he drops Rush it will show he is gutless in standing up for honesty and truth and is letting the slime merchants win with lies!"
April Jones=Drug addict who can't spell St. Louis correctly.
"I am shocked that Dave Checketts would cowardly drop Rush from the deal. He needs to get some backbone and stand up against these constant accusations of racism, just because people have different opinions. This is America and its what makes America great. If people like Checketts who have the power to stand up for whats right back down, we will NEVER get past the "racist" issues in this country and people like Rangal and Jackson will continue to push their agenda to keep racism alive and well. Someone needs some backbone and obviously its not Checketts. What a wimp. I feel sorry for the fans"
And I feel sorry for the fans for putting up with gutter trash like you!
"I am disgusted that Checketts would drop Rush because of controversy. What ever happened to doing what is right? Rush is being unfairly judged by liars and it is cowardly that this group would cave because of the "bad press"."
If you wanna do something right, crawl back into that sewer you came out from!
"With a "minimum" daily audience of 14.75 million, reports as high as 22 million, and with listenership soaring (Baker, 2009), it seems that the mainstream American media would catch on that Rush is actually popular and well-liked by many, many Americans. Certainly not a racist. I am very disappointed that Checketts would succomb to pressure so easily.
Reference: Baker, B. (2009). Limbaugh soars in August ratings, News Busters, newsbusters.org "
And I'm very disappointed that the only good thing about you is that you would make a good punching bag!
"Rush doesn't need Dave to buy a NFL football team. He could probably afford to buy them all. Dave is just a wimp that cannot handle the aggressive and divisive arena of politics. It's a wonder he wants to be part of such a brutal sport when he can't even stick to his guns against the cowardly liberals that don't want conservatives to have any part in our culture."
fluck you you're just trying to get attention you little attention whore.. you need to stop being racist on the internet too i bet you have no life you jealous bitch.. so go get a life.. but i don't think you can. NO ONE LIKES YOU!
"Too bad for liberals, since most people are conservatives."
And you retarded conservatives are gonna get our country taken over by the Chinese and we will become a communist society thanks brain dead republicans!
"What a weasel Dave Checketts is I will never watch another
St Louis Rams game. How could he be such a wimp???"
Weasel? Wimp? I think you just described yourself! Congratulations for being the least retarded Slush Limpbore supporter on here!
Damn spell checker! Here's a repost of a response to Doug the retard with no life!
"Rush doesn't need Dave to buy a NFL football team. He could probably afford to buy them all. Dave is just a wimp that cannot handle the aggressive and divisive arena of politics. It's a wonder he wants to be part of such a brutal sport when he can't even stick to his guns against the cowardly liberals that don't want conservatives to have any part in our culture."
Fluck you! You're just trying to get attention you little attention whore.. you need to stop being racist on the internet too I bet you have no life you jealous bitch.. so go get a life.. but I don't think you can. NO ONE LIKES YOU!
"Too bad for liberals, since most people are conservatives."
And you retarded conservatives are gonna get our country taken over by the Chinese and we will become a communist society thanks too you brain dead republicans!
One last thing, if any of you Limpball losers want to continue “your” little debates about Limballs, then do it at my pal Kinky Gerlinky’s site the KinkyG forums (use Google search to find it tards!), there we talk about everything including your “precious” Limpbore! So come and take a look around or live in denial like the sheep you are!
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