Rams Mini-Camp June 2012 (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Here are some first hand observations from Rams mini-camp which was held June 14-16 in Earth City. (The weather pretty much held up the first couple of days. They were especially nice because Tuesday and Wednesday they took place late afternoon. Thursday’s practice was midday so the heat seemed a bit worse.)

From the first day of mini-camp: Tuesday

– DNP and/or limited action: Center Scott Wells (excused absence as well as what coach Jeff Fisher finally said was partly due to a knee scope; Wells is expected back healthy in time for training camp), cornerback Cortland Finnegan (who was seen leaving OTAs last week with a left hand injury), and tight ends Mike Hoomanawanui (did light workouts on the sidelines) and Lance Kendricks (left practice with an apparent hand injury, according to Rams writer Nick Wagoner).

– Undrafted free-agent rookie running back Nick Schweiger made his full-squad debut today as Dartmouth finally graduated its seniors over the weekend.

– Speaking of Schweiger, he and fellow rookie running back Isaiah Pead looked to be getting some extra reps as they both play catch-up after missing a good chunk of OTAs.

– Sam Bradford and wide receiver Greg Salas connected on what looked like a beautiful fingertip catch by Salas. The Hawaii product also showed some tight footwork during the catch.

–It looked like tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold were getting some good work (not full contact) in this afternoon – a very good sign for Bradford.

» Continue reading “NOTES FROM RAMS JUNE 2012 MINI-CAMP”

Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Head Coach Jeff Fisher (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Cant’ say that I’m surprised or feel too bad for Mr. Kroenke.  Not that I wish bad things on anyone but if he had won the bid for the Dodgers I can only imagine what all the chicken littles (as Bernie Miklasz would say) of St. Louis would have done.  Jump into the Mississippi?

St. Louis Rams owner loses bid to purchase Los Angeles Dodgers - ThePigskinReport.com

St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke lost his bid to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball franchise. Major League Baseball announced that the team would be sold to the ownership group which included Los Angeles Lakers great, Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten. The purchase price for the Dodgers is a reported $2 billion dollars.

But this also doesn’t mean the Rams will necessarily be making St. Louis its permanent home either.  Living up to his nickname, owner Stan Kroenke pretty much remained silent about the on going negotiations with the CVC regarding the stadium lease.  When asked at the owners’ meeting in New Orleans Kroenke answered, “No comment.”  C’mon, what did you really expect?

The L.A. market stadium issue is far more complicated than one may think.  According to L.A. Times writer Sam Farmer, there’s lots to untangle.  So I think we can all breathe a little easier for now.

» Continue reading “Pigskin Cover 3: No Dodgers For Kroenke, Jets-West, And Trade From Six?”

Stan Kroenke, Jeff Fisher, and Kevin Demoff (STLouisRams.com)

The biggest Rams news in terms of free agency has been the signing of cornerback Cortland Finnegan.  He is very familiar with new Rams head coach Jeff Fisher from their days together in Tennessee and was a huge reason why he chose the Rams when the opportunity presented itself.  Cue Peaches and Herb’s classic, “Reunited.”

» Continue reading “Pigskin Cover 3: Finnegan, Robinson, & Dodgers”

Stan the Baseball Man? (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

With all the talk of trading the second overall pick, the Bounty scandal, and the Peyton Manning nationwide tour the story of Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s bid to buy the L.A. Dodgers have gone by the wayside.

Perhaps this is to his advantage.  Rams fans are still hungover from the mega trade that went down Friday night (not officially official until Tuesday at 3 p.m. when the league year begins) so the fact that Kroenke is now one of the three favored to win the bid is not getting much attention.

» Continue reading “Kroenke Continues Bid For Dodgers”

I wonder what Ram Man thinks about all this. (Personal Photo)

On January 20, 2012 Stan Kroenke and the NFL worked out this fantabulous deal where the St. Louis Rams will be playing one game a year in the UK’s Wembley Stadium for the next three seasons.  UK fans rejoiced as they were happy to see more live NFL games on their turf.

The Rams and the NFL are happy.  And the UK/European NFL fans seem happy.

So what’s the big problem?  The games they offered up to the league were three HOME games.  That left a very bad taste in the mouth of local fans and the St. Louis Conventions and Visitors Commission (CVC) who manage the Edward Jones Dome.

Statement from Rams owner Stan Kroenke:

We’ve seen first-hand the increased popularity of the NFL not only in London but throughout Europe.  To play a role in that growth over the next three years will be incredible and is a testament to the many good things happening not only in the NFL but also in the St. Louis Rams organization.

» Continue reading “But What About The Local Rams Fans?”

Could that be a L.A. Dodgers background soon? (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Rams owner E. Stan Kroenke likes to collect things.  More specifically, major professional sports franchises.  In my  article for 101 ESPN I referred to them as his sports children.  Now he’s looking to adopt another child into the Kroenke Sports Enterprise (KSE) family.  He has his sights on the newly orphaned Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kroenke already has several kids in his sports franchise family.  He has majority ownership in the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), Arsenal (EPL), and of course our beloved St. Louis Rams (NFL).  Unfortunately for St. Louis based Rams fans his interest in the Los Angeles Dodgers is adding fuel to the fire.

» Continue reading “Kroenke Files To Adopt The Dodgers”

A happy guy... Rams owner E. Stan Kroenke.

Why wouldn’t he be smiling.  Rams owner Stan Kroenke is doing what he does best – being a savvy businessman.  Look what SI’s Peter King found out for us curious Rams fans. – SI MMQB

One league office source told me a major selling point to the teams playing overseas is if you give up a home game, the league will compensate the team with a payment above and beyond what it made for a regular home game. That payment, I’m told, will be at least $5 million per home game lost.

So if the Rams can pocket an extra $15 million to $25 million over the three years of the deal, they shouldn’t have any excuses about paying out the kind of guaranteed money that some teams in the bottom quartile of NFL revenue — which the Rams are in — have to pay to attract and pay legit free agents.

Now the big question many fans should have is whether that extra revenue will be directly channeled back into the Rams organization.  Whether that goes to coaching salaries, player salaries, etc. is yet to be seen.

The other noise about town is about the money lost by the local businesses.  Hotels, restaurants, and other small businesses will not see any of the alleged $15 – $25 million dollars.  The fans will get over the three games lost to London eventually.  It’s the locals that are the real losers in this deal.

Let’s hope the Rams rise from the NFC West cellar and bring playoff games to St. Louis to make up for those games and more.

» Continue reading “Pigskin Cover 3: Stan Kroenke In The News”

Ominous teaser from last night...

As Rams fans on Twitter were speculating what this “major announcement” was going to be.  Well, we can save you the space on your DVR, that is if you want to see Rams Executive Vice President and COO Kevin Demoff deliver the message yourself.  Then by all means…

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas the NFL and more specifically the St. Louis Rams will be playing across the pond in London in 2012.

League sources told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday night that the team will play an AFC foe — believed to be the New England Patriots — during the 2012 regular season in London.

What has to be more disturbing to not only to local Rams fans is their team is going to be a more regular fixture in London.  This according to the Mirror (UK):

The Rams have also been linked with a possible long-term deal that will see them as a regular visitor to London for NFL games.  The league already has a similar deal in place with the Buffalo Bills, who play selected regular season games in Toronto, Canada.

Tim McKernan from 590 The Fan in St.Louis

Forget the move to LA this sets up the Rams to be the first NFL team to jump across the pond.

I have to hand it to Mr. Kroenke.  Silent Stan fits the build perfectly.  Not a word of all this until the very moments right before the big reveal.

It’s going to be an interesting day in the Rams world.  Time to get to your knickers in a twist, (local) Rams fans.

Rams Owner Stan Kroenke

It’s the start of a new era and a renewed sense of hope and optimism for the Rams organization and its fans.

The press conference announcing the Rams new head coach went pretty much as expected.  Except for one huge thing…

Kroenke won’t say Rams will stay here

So there’s a team in place that deals with all that. So we’ll see how that process sorts itself out. But it’s a thing that takes place over time.

We’ll see how that process works out.

And that last line is the kicker.  He didn’t say anything to reassure the fans in St. Louis that the team has intentions to make a permanent home here in the Lou.  It’s not a good sign, folks.  Not a good sign.

On the other hand, I do appreciate him not sugar coating things.  If the Rams do leave St. Louis because the stadium lease doesn’t get worked out at least we can’t blame Kroenke for lying.  He didn’t give fans a false sense of hope unlike someone who used to wear the number 5 for the St. Louis baseball Cardinals.  *cough, Pujols, cough.*

Like it or not Stan Kroenke did the right thing.

» Continue reading “Pigskin Cover 3: What Kroenke Didn’t Say”

Rams Owner Stan Kroenke, Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher, Rams EVP/COO Kevin Demoff. (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

I can’t remember the last time Earth City was buzzing with excitement.  According to Ron Clements who was present at Rams Park for the press conference: “I have no idea who about 30 percent of the media out at Rams Park are.”  So you know this is big news.

Rams Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff made a brief introduction outlining how they arrived at today’s press conference.  A process that started for the Rams two weeks ago when they let Steve Spagnuolo go.

» Continue reading “St. Louis Rams Announce Their New Head Coach Jeff Fisher”