Rams President John Shaw met with Save the Rams co-chair
Leigh Steinberg for more than three hours on Monday to discuss an
offer to keep the team from leaving Orange County. Steinberg had
complained that unlike St. Louis, Save the Rams had not "received
a 'wish list' from" Shaw. Steinberg: "No one has given us a
specific game plan for what it would take to keep the Rams.
...That was the point we made today." The groups proposal calls
for $60M-$70M in renovations at Anaheim Stadium, guarantees
luxury-box and season ticket sales and construction of a new
practice facility. It would also convert Anaheim Stadium to a
football-only facility and plan a new home for the Angels. Shaw
is expected to meet with FANS, Inc. of St. Louis later this week
(Jim Thomas, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/11). Save the Rams
leaders are concerned their offer is "being viewed by the Rams as
a way to drive up" the bid from St. Louis. If the Rams don't
make a counterproposal, Steinberg said he will ask Commissioner
Paul Tagliabue to get involved (Mouchard & Himmelberg, ORANGE
COUNTY REGISTER, 10/8).
WHATEVER IT TAKES? In Baltimore, Vito Stellino writes that
"St. Louis is expected to give Shaw everything he asks for on his
wish list, including paying off $30M in bonds on Anaheim
Stadium." Shaw reportedly also likes the "low-profile approach"
of Stan Kroenke, a key "money man" behind FANS Inc., who is not
expected to demand majority control of the team the way Peter
Angelos is (Baltimore SUN, 10/9).
