Stan Kroenke Breaks Silence, Vows To Keep Rams In St. Louis

Kroenke Reassures Rams Fans Team Will Stay In St. Louis

If Stan Kroenke "gains NFL approval in his quest to purchase the Rams, he vows to do everything he can to secure the team's long-term future in St. Louis," according to Bernie Miklasz of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Kroenke, in his first interview since announcing that he has exercised an option to match Flex-N-Gate President Shahid Khan's bid for the available 60% of the team, "broke his customary silence in an attempt to reassure Rams fans of his positive intentions." He said, "I'm going to attempt to do everything that I can to keep the Rams in St. Louis. ... I've always stepped up for pro football in St. Louis. And I'm stepping up one more time." Kroenke is "bothered by the perception that he'd work against St. Louis, or that he'd scheme to move the Rams back" to L.A. Kroenke said, "I'm born and raised in Missouri. I've been a Missourian for 60 years. People in our state know me. People know I can be trusted. People know I am an honorable guy." Miklasz writes it was "encouraging to hear him speak so adamantly of his desire to find a way to make it work here." Kroenke, who owns the Nuggets and Avalanche, "declined to discuss his plan to persuade the NFL to accommodate his bid for the Rams" by circumventing the league's cross-ownership rules. Meanwhile, Rams Majority Owner Chip Rosenbloom yesterday "also ended his period of silence on the Rams' sale." Although he "wouldn't discuss the sale process," he "emphasized that he likes Khan and Kroenke and considers them friends." Rosenbloom: "There's no reason to believe that Stan would be anything less than committed to St. Louis. ... He's been by our side for 15 years" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 4/21).