NFL Exec VP/Business Ventures Eric Grubman predicted the city of St. Louis would "fall short of having a compelling proposal" for a new Rams stadium, as the venue will "cost more than is on the drawing board at the moment." Appearing on ESPN Radio 101.1 St. Louis, Grubman noted funding "has declined" for a new stadium, while new taxes "are being proposed for the Rams." He said, “The stadium’s going to cost more than is currently being planned. That’s just the nature of stadiums. And the feedback was given very, very clearly that the committees and the various owners who saw the drawings and the plans and so forth and so on had their own sense that this was not a top-tier stadium. ... Each owner knows whether he would want to play in that stadium, and if it’s top-tier they want to play there. If not, they know that. So that feedback was given a while ago, which means to get a top-tier stadium, the budget’s going to have to go up." Grubman noted even if the NFL prevented Rams Owner Stan Kroenke from moving to L.A., he would not necessarily have to accept St. Louis’ new stadium proposal. He said, “The rest of the owners cannot compel any team to sign a lease. They can deny him the ability to relocate, but they can’t compel him to sign a lease. ... He doesn’t have to do anything. He has a lease. That lease has rights. What he may choose to do in the future is the same as anybody who would do in that situation. It depends what his options are." Grubman concluded the interview by saying, “I’m not trying to prepare anyone for bad news, I am not trying to prepare anyone for good news. ... There’s no revelation here in my comments. The deal that’s on the table has taken longer. They all do. It has gotten more expensive. They all do. And the funding sources have gone down. They all do. Every deal I have worked on has had those three characteristics” ("The Bernie Miklasz Show," ESPN Radio 101.1 St. Louis, 12/9).
