Rams Owner Kroenke Applies For Relocation to L.A.

By NICK WAGONER
ESPN Staff Writer

The Rams and owner Stan Kroenke view their current home as a two-sport city that should no longer include football and offers a stadium plan that would not appeal to any NFL team, they told the league in their application for relocation to Los Angeles.

In the final section of that document, which was filed to the NFL on Monday, the Rams indicate St. Louis has fallen so far behind economically that it can no longer support three professional sports teams. Also, the Rams say the stadium proposal put forth by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon's task force and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (RSA) does not appeal to them, let alone any NFL team.

"No NFL club would be interested in the RSA's New St. Louis Stadium," the application reads. "Any NFL Club that signs on to this proposal in St. Louis will be well on the road to financial ruin, and the League will be harmed."

According to a study cited by the Rams, St. Louis, which also is home to MLB's Cardinals and the NHL's Blues, ranks 61st out of 64 major cities in recent economic growth and has the lowest population growth of any major U.S. city since 2008. In bold letters, the application says San Diego and Oakland are "substantially stronger markets than the St. Louis market."

Those are assessments to which the St. Louis task force quickly offered a dissenting opinion.

"The Rams' assessment of their experience in St. Louis after 21 seasons of remarkable support by fans, businesses and the community is inaccurate and extremely disappointing," the task force said in a statement. "We will remain in contact with league officials and team owners, as appropriate, in the days ahead of the meeting in Houston. Otherwise, nothing has changed. We have a spectacular stadium proposal that delivers the certainty the NFL has asked for, and we are and will continue to be an excellent home for the St. Louis Rams."

The 29-page document the Rams sent to the NFL is divided into three parts, which offer explanations as to why the Rams believe Kroenke's Inglewood project is superior to the Carson project put forth in tandem by the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, the ways the Rams believe they meet the NFL's guidelines for relocation, and how leaving the St. Louis market for Los Angeles will strengthen the league.

"The Rams proposal to build a stadium and NFL campus in Inglewood, California meets every objective in the Commissioner's June 2012 memorandum, and the Rams' application meets each every relocation guideline and policy," the document begins. "The Rams Inglewood Project presents the League and all of the Member Clubs with the best opportunity for successful long-term operations in Los Angeles."

Included in the details of the Inglewood proposal is that the new stadium would not open until 2019, but the Rams have agreed to play in the NFL's international series at least once a year while occupying a temporary venue.

As for stadium specs, the nearly $1.9 billion stadium would take up about three million square feet, which would make it the largest stadium in the NFL. It calls for 70,240 fixed seats and could accommodate an additional 30,000 people in a standing-room-only capacity for large events. It also includes 274 suites, 16,300 premium seats and 12,675 dedicated surface parking spaces, all of which exceed the Carson project, according to the application.

The Rams argue that the ability to create additional space for large events would bring the NFL a potential windfall of up to $50 million more than Carson would if hosting a Super Bowl. The Rams also offer the stadium as a potential future home for the NFL scouting combine and the Pro Bowl.

Browns Hire Mets DePodesta

Continuing their unconventional approach this offseason, the Cleveland Browns have announced the hiring of Paul DePodesta of the New York Mets as the team's chief strategy officer.

DePodesta -- who helped the Mets become National League champions last season -- will be above newly hired executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown in the organizational hierarchy and will report to owner Jimmy Haslam, according to sources.

"We are fortunate to bring in Paul, an extremely talented, highly respected sports executive who will add a critical dimension to our front office," Haslam said. "His approach and ambition to find the best pathways for organizational success transcend one specific sport and his experience as a high-level sports executive make him a terrific addition to the Cleveland Browns.

"While we are excited about what Paul will provide our organization, we remain fully focused on the critical task of identifying the right head coach and player personnel executive who will provide the football expertise needed to be successful."

The Browns expect DePodesta to help members of the team's player-development, sports-science, high-performance and analytics departments maximize their efforts. He will also have a significant voice in determining Browns personnel decisions, including what, if anything, the team does this offseason with former first-round draft pick Johnny Manziel. He will also be part of the group that conducts the coaching search.