Despite the optimistic words of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the league isn’t certain that the city of St. Louis will allow the Rams to play in London next season.
The league has suspended ticket sales for the game in Wembley Stadium with that in mind, according to the Associated Press. NFL UK said in a statement on their website they expect ticket sales to resume soon. The Rams “have expressed optimism that a resolution is near.”
The use of the word “resume” indicates that tickets were available. We wrote two days ago that there was confusion about when the tickets would go on sale, and that ticket sales were delayed.
These are strange times for the Rams. Goodell gave a very tepid endorsement of the team’s future in St. Louis when asked on Friday.
“We want to keep our franchises where they are, so we’d love to have the St. Louis Rams stay in St. Louis,” Goodell said.
The Commissioner was asked if the terms of the Rams’ lease in St. Louis were realistic.
“Well, that’s what they agreed to, both the representatives of St. Louis and the team, when the team relocated back into the St. Louis market in the mid-'90s,” he said.
The London game issue looks like a separate matter, but it’s all part of the same problem. The city of St. Louis and the Rams organization are not seeing eye to eye.