The Rams have issued a statement responding to the contention by the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission that the team’s lease with the Edward Jones Dome requires all of their home games to be played there. And the Rams’ response focuses not on the language of the lease, but on the team’s belief that playing a game a year in London will be good exposure for St. Louis.
“We think that playing in London is great for the Rams and great for St. Louis,” the Rams’ statement said. “We are in talks with the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, which is also the region’s chief marketing group, about how to make the most of this opportunity. As the CVC said today, this will ‘elevate an awareness of St. Louis on the global stage.’ We look forward to having amicable and meaningful dialogue with the CVC on many issues and believe those conversations should remain between the parties.”
Missing from that statement is any denial from the Rams of the Convention and Visitors Commission’s contention that the lease requires them to play all of their regular-season home games at the Edward Jones Dome.
Also missing is the Rams’ reasoning for the claim that the Rams playing a game a year in London will be great for the city. Have other cities seen any tangible benefit from having their professional football teams play a game in London? Did Chicago and Tampa see an influx in tourists from England in the last few months after the Bears and Buccaneers met in London in October?
As the Rams prepare for that “amicable and meaningful dialogue,” they’ll need to be ready to explain how, exactly, the team leaving town for one overseas “home” game is great for St. Louis.