The Rams will be "able to play a 'home' game in England this year in exchange for boosting the number of weekends that the Edward Jones Dome can be booked for other uses during the football season," according to Matthew Hathaway of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. The team "also agreed to pay temporary, game-day employees the hourly wages they would have earned at the Dome for the game against" the Patriots. The deal "was approved at closed meetings" yesterday afternoon by the boards of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission and the Regional Convention & Sports Complex Authority, which owns the Dome. The amended lease "gives the CVC more dates to schedule conventions and other nonfootball events at the Dome during the football season." CVC President Kathleen Ratcliffe said that that "could more than make up for the loss of downtown spending from one football game." The Rams' rent at the Dome "won't drop." The Rams pay the CVC $25,000 per game "for eight home games and two preseason games." Ratcliffe said that even though the Rams will "play only nine games at the Dome this year, the team still will pay $250,000 in annual rent." But Hathaway notes the negotiations over playing games in London "may not be over." The Rams also "want to play a 'home' game overseas" in '13 and '14. The deal approved yesterday "only applies to the game this year." The future games "allow the CVC to retain a bargaining chip over a separate, larger issue: negotiations about renovating the Dome" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/22).

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE: Lions President Tom Lewand in a teleconference with season-ticket holders last week said that he is "not interested in hosting a home game outside of Ford Field." He said, "I think the expansion of the NFL into international markets is a great thing. But we don't look to participate as a home team. ... You guys have started to make Ford Field into one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL, and we don't want to give that up. We want to make it even better. And it's not easy to do if one of our home games is in London or Mexico City or Toronto or somewhere else" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/22).

The Bills yesterday announced that they are moving a scheduled preseason game from Rogers Centre to Ralph Wilson Stadium next season "due to scheduling conflicts at the Toronto venue," according to Rodney McKissic of the BUFFALO NEWS. The '12 NFL preseason schedule "will have games starting the first week of August and the Blue Jays have a 10-game homestand scheduled for the middle of the month." The Bills still "will play one regular-season game at Rogers Centre as part of the Bills Toronto Series" (BUFFALO NEWS, 2/22). Rogers Media President Keith Pelley said that fans who pre-bought tickets to the preseason game "have been contacted and will receive refunds." Rogers "declined to divulge the number of people who bought tickets" (TORONTO STAR, 2/22). Meanwhile, the AP's John Wawrow noted there is "growing optimism" that the Bills "will renew their deal to play games in Toronto beyond this season." The Bills Toronto Series "enters its final year after the team and Rogers negotiated" a five-year, $78M agreement in '08 to have the Bills play five annual regular-season and three preseason games at Rogers Centre. Pelley said, "We're definitely interested in continuing the relationship with the Bills in Toronto." He "wouldn't provide specifics on the length or terms of a potential extension to the existing five-year deal, but did say that Rogers is not looking to expand the number of regular-season games the Bills play in Toronto." It is "expected the new deal will be similar to the existing contract." Bills CEO Russ Brandon: "Our goal is to continue regionalizing our franchise, and continue our series in Toronto, which has served us so well" (AP, 2/21).

FALLING SHORT: In Toronto, Bill Lankof writes, "The current series started overhyped and absurdly expensive -- and it has never lost that perception even though tickets could be bought" for as little as C$33 last year. The series "created little buzz and there was never a sense that this was a special happening." Rogers "doesn’t make many mistakes, but what was envisioned as a corporate boon has been a massive boondoggle." And this "latest give-back is simply an unspoken admission." If Rogers "really wanted this game, they'd find a way to work around the Jays" (TORONTO SUN, 2/22).

HOLDING STEADY: The Bills yesterday also announced that season-ticket prices at Ralph Wilson Stadium will remain flat for the '12 season while prices in the Tops Family Corner and Coors Light Rockpile sections will be reduced (THE DAILY). Family Corner ticket prices are "$30 per game -- reduced $10 from last season -- while Rockpile prices will be $25 per game, down $15 from 2011." The average season-ticket price is "$58.36 for non-premium seats and the last increase for season tickets was in 2010" (BUFFALO NEWS, 2/22).

Former Dodgers Owner Peter O'Malley "has withdrawn his bid" to buy the team, according to sources cited by Bill Shaikin of the L.A. TIMES. The decision means the O'Malley family "will not reclaim the stewardship of the team it owned for nearly half a century." Backed in part by the South Korean conglomerate E-Land, O'Malley "was one of 11 bidders to survive the first cut." Blackstone Advisory Partners, the investment bank handling the Dodgers sale for outgoing Owner Frank McCourt, has "asked the remaining bidders to submit a new offer this week." However, one source said that O'Malley "was concerned he might not win the bidding even if he made the highest offer." O'Malley "publicly called for McCourt to sell the Dodgers before Commissioner Bud Selig applied pressure for him to do so." A source said that O'Malley's decision to withdraw was "strategic," adding that the O'Malley family remains "interested in helping to restore the pride and prominence of the Dodgers in any way possible" (L.A. TIMES, 2/22). In L.A., Steve Dilbeck wrote of O'Malley, "I was never convinced he had a real shot, not after he came out publicly and criticized Frank McCourt’s ownership, saying it had lost all credibility and he needed to sell the team." There were "some who did not want to see O’Malley regain the team, figuring he was a tad too mature and it would be going backwards." Dilbeck: "Reasonable concerns maybe, though with O’Malley you had no doubt he would put the team first and would be buying it for the right reasons" (LATIMES.com, 2/21). Meanwhile, ESPN L.A.'s Tony Jackson cited a source as saying that although the second round of bids is "due Thursday, there is nothing to stop additional individuals or groups from entering the process after that deadline." MLB is presently "undergoing a process of vetting every potential buyer, including each individual member of each potential ownership group." Even if MLB determines that "one of those individuals isn't suited to own the club or be a part of a group that owns the club, McCourt can appeal that decision to a mediator if he chooses" (ESPNLA.com, 2/21).

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster sat down yesterday "with top business leaders from both cities for an unprecedented meeting" focused on determining how the region and its business community can "better support" the Rays, according to Richard Danielson of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Foster "organized the meeting." The get together "was not about whether to build a stadium," and the "two-hour conversation didn't have a formal agenda but was focused largely on building relationships." The chamber presidents "talked about ways to expand their annual springtime Rays luncheons to bring in more people, generate awareness of the franchise's economic impact and fuel interest in ticket sales." One idea was to "create some cross-pollination by having the Tampa mayor to the St. Petersburg lunch and vice versa" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/22). In an interview on WDAE-AM Friday, Buckhorn said the Rays' stadium, if not in St. Petersburg, "needs to be in downtown Tampa." He added, "If the divorce occurs, I think the Rays are a regional asset that we need to keep, and I've said from day one, long before anyone cared what I said, that downtown Tampa is the best place for them. I think the economic opportunities around an urban baseball stadium are huge. Huge. It would transform downtown Tampa like nothing we could ever imagine." In Tampa Bay, Danielson & Van Sickler note when told of Buckhorn's comments, Foster "shrugged." He said, "From Buddy Dyer saying Orlando is best, to Bob Buckhorn saying Tampa is best, to Bill Foster saying St. Petersburg is best, that's what mayors do" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/17).

About 1,600 Packers fans got letters last week stating that the team “no longer would sell single-game tickets to people with disabilities and their designated companions” and that those people “will have to buy season tickets just like everyone else,” according to Paul Srubas of the GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE. Americans with Disabilities Act changes that went into effect in March require entertainment venues “to treat people with disabilities like everyone else when it comes to ticket sales.” That means the Packers “can’t sell single-game tickets to them.” It also means the Packers “must end the practice of allowing people with disabilities who hold season tickets to sell unwanted tickets back to the team.” The Packers provide “772 seats or spaces for wheelchairs for people with disabilities and their designated companions in Row 61 of the stadium as well as in the club seats.” Packers Dir of Ticket Operations Mark Wagner said that about “half of those tickets went to single-game users on a first-come, first-served basis” (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 2/22).

PACK GIVING BACK: In Green Bay, Patti Zarling notes the Packers "awarded about $255,000 to nearly 80 civic and charitable groups throughout Wisconsin at a special event" yesterday at the Lambeau Field Atrium. Including those grants, the Packers foundation has “donated more than $2.5 million since it was established in 1986.” The Packers organization “estimates it has had a charitable impact of about $6 million in the past year” (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 2/22).