No one knows for sure who voted against the proposal that will place the Rams in Inglewood, with the ability of the Chargers or the Raiders to join them, because the ballots were secret. But two of the league’s 32 owners exercised their prerogative to say, “No.”
Per a source with knowledge of the ownership dynamics, it’s strongly believed that one of the nay votes came from Bengals owner Mike Brown.
Brown has a well-documented reputation for refusing to go along with anything that helps the league become bigger and better. His primary concern in those situations is the impact of the new revenue on the salary cap.
So Brown prefers the status quo, especially when the status quo doesn’t require him to spend more money on players. Which sheds light on the willingness of Brown to sign players like Vontaze Burfict, who went undrafted not because of talent — along with the willingness of Brown to remain patient with a head coach who is 0-7 in the playoffs. Regardless of whether the Bengals win or lose in the postseason, being good enough to get there every year is good for business.
As to Inglewood, Brown sees the league’s next-level play as bad for his team’s business, which makes him the most likely opponent of the move.
It becomes much more difficult to identify the second “no” vote, with several contenders for being the other naysayer. But it’s viewed as a given that Brown was responsible for one of the negative ballots.