St. Louis Rams blast city as NFL relocation application goes public



ST. LOUIS  (KTVI) – The Rams believe a move to Los Angeles would be best for its long-term success, and that no other NFL franchise would be interested in the proposed new stadium in St. Louis, according to the team’s application for relocation, obtained Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times.

The 29-page application details the franchise's reasons for wanting out of St. Louis, following "12 years of fruitless talks."

The Rams say attendance has been below league average despite an improvement in on-field performance, placing the franchise in the “low fourth quartile in gross ticketing receipts.”

On page 26 of the application, the Rams say St. Louis is not capable of supporting three major sports teams. No other NFL franchise would be interested in the current proposed riverfront stadium, the franchise says in its application, and that it doesn't make economic sense to be in the city.

The proposed Inglewood, Calif., stadium, with a capacity of over 70,200 seats, is a "shovel ready" project and could be ready by the start of the 2019 NFL season. The stadium carries an estimated $1.86 billion price tag.

If the NFL approves the relocation, the Rams would play in the Los Angeles area at some other stadium starting in the 2016 season while the new one in Inglewood is being built.