NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that he has spoken with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig about the possibility of Rams Owner Stan Kroenke purchasing the Dodgers. The NFL considers L.A. its territory, so Kroenke's purchase of the Dodgers would run afoul of the league's cross-ownership rules. The rules prevent NFL owners from buying a team in another league in an NFL market. Goodell said that he assured Selig if Kroenke won the team at auction, the NFL would move quickly to decide how to handle the purchase (Daniel Kaplan, SportsBusiness Journal). In St. Louis, Jim Thomas notes the NFL and Kroenke were "able to reach an accommodation on cross-ownership" with respect to the Avalanche and the Nuggets when Kroenke assumed controlling interest of the Rams nearly two years ago. It is "possible the same thing could happen if Kroenke is successful in his Dodgers bid" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 3/27). In L.A., Sam Farmer notes Kroenke "would need an owner-approved waiver" from the NFL to own the Rams and the Dodgers. Goodell said of the potential for an NFL stadium to be built on the land surrounding Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine, "We've often said that that's an extraordinary stadium site up at Dodger Stadium, and it's something that we were interested in going back into the '90s" (L.A. TIMES, 3/27).
