The Rams on Thursday held a groundbreaking ceremony for their Inglewood stadium complex, and already nearly 2 million cubic yards of earth have been "moved to ready the 298-acre lot for development" of L.A.'s first "built-to-order football stadium," according to a front-page piece by Sandy Mazza of the L.A. DAILY NEWS. Rams Owner Stan Kroenke and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were joined by Inglewood Mayor James Butts and Pro Football HOFers Jack Youngblood and Eric Dickerson to "ceremonially shovel some soil for above-ground construction" for the $2.6B stadium, Current Rams DT Aaron Donald and P Johnny Hekker attended the event. Goodell said, "We are confident this is going to be the place to be in 2019 and beyond -- not just for football but for entertainment, for events, for eating, for living, for working." Mazza notes the 70,000-seat open-air stadium, which is set to open in time for the '19 season, will be "surrounded by 2 million square feet of retail stores, a 6,000-seat performance venue, a theater, 2,500 homes, and 25 acres of public parks" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 11/18). In L.A., Fenno & Farmer note the stadium, which will host Super Bowl LV in '21, sits "on a piece of land that's 3 1/2 times the size of Disneyland." Rams officials "already have been in talks with the NCAA about hosting future Final Fours, in addition to discussions about being a site" for a CFP championship game and "playing a role in the LA 2024 Olympic bid" (L.A. TIMES, 11/18). Kroenke said, "It’s our goal to build the most unique and fan-friendly stadium in the world. We’re going to give you something to be proud of. We’re going to build a global destination in the entertainment capital of the world. We think people from all over the world will seek this location out" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 11/18).
OPEN BOOK: In California, Rich Hammond writes Kroenke "briefly answered media questions" at the end of the ceremony, a "rare occasion" for him. Kroenke, who has "attended home and road games this season, was asked to assess the team." He said, "The defense has been playing very well and on offense we haven’t been producing the way we’d like to. So there’s a big opportunity there." Rookie QB Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's Draft, will make his first career NFL start on Sunday, and Kroenke called him a "very talented young man." Kroenke: "That's why we drafted him first in the draft" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 11/18).
