1
Jun
2009
Anybody want to buy a football team? Oh wait, it’s just the Rams.
The Rams have had a rough go of it the last few years
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the St. Louis Rams “are likely to hit the open market in the near future, officially being offered for sale by majority owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez.”
The sale price is unknown, but Forbes magazine’s most recent estimate listed the Rams’ value at $929 million.
And if you are a St. Louis Rams fan, here’s the reason to be concerned: I’m told there will be no preconditions attached to the sale of the Rams. This means the Rams could be scooped up by out-of-town buyers.
And that’s a dramatic — and potentially ominous — development, given the Rams’ shaky lease at the Edward Jones Dome.
That lease, along with a general dearth of interest in the Rams – from both fans and potential local buyers – could put the team’s future in St. Louis in jeopardy. Could we see the Rams making a return to Los Angeles in the near future? Does anyone really care?
This kind of reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where Homer has his lifelong dream of owning an NFL Franchise fulfilled:
(Keep in mind this episode was from 1996. Substitute the Rams for the Broncos and you get my point.)
29
Apr
2009
SI’s Impact Players of the 2009 Rookie Class
6'6" WR Ramses Barden has a chance to replace Plaxico Burress as Eli Manning's red zone target in NY (Photo by Ben Liebenberg)
SportsIllustrated.com has selected their NFL Rookies With an early chance to shine in 2009.
Again, this is basically an exercise in futility, but that’s what we’re all about here at ReadAndReact, right? SI’s Don Banks looks at the NFL teams/situations where draftees have landed, and selects his impact players at each position based on their likelihood to contribute right away.
At WR, even though the Giants selected Hakeem Nicks in the 1st round, Banks thinks it’s their 3rd round pick, Ramses Barden who will make the biggest splash in NY:
While I think Cleveland second-round pick Brian Robiskie is going to walk into a major role in the Browns’ receiver-thin offense, on a hunch I’m giving my top billing to Barden, the 6-foot-6 Cal Poly product who is slated to inherit Plaxico Burress’s job of out-skying opposing cornerbacks and safeties in the red zone. Barden caught 50 touchdowns in college, so it’s a key role the third-round pick appears up for.
Other impact players of note include RB Donald Brown (Colts), C Alex Mack (Browns) and LB James Laurenitis (Rams).
On the flip side, RedZoneReport has their Top 10 2009 NFL Draft Bust Candidates. Interestingly, both articles selected the same player at #1 – QB Mark Sanchez (Jets).
And, one more reminder to check out the list of Undrafted Free Agent signings, to see which players your teams will be bringing into camp for a look.
