The St. Louis Rams are eyeing a return to Los Angeles, and it might help

Would a move to Los Angeles benefit the Rams franchise?

A lot of talk has surfaced this year in regards to a possible move from St. Louis to Los Angeles for the Rams. Some points are positive, others negative. Would a move really benefit this franchise, or would it just prop up a struggling team and crush a loyal fan base.

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Earlier this year the Rams informed the Edward Jones Dome, their home field, they would convert their 30-year lease to year-to-year terms. In other words, they can fly the coop whenever they want. Any relocation would be subject to approval by the league and the other owners, but Rams owner Stan Kroenke has all but publicly announced he is in favor of moving the team to L.A.

Kroenke is part of a joint venture that announced plans earlier this year to propose an 80,000 seat stadium situated in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Petitions have been circling as quickly as the rumors. If the stadium were to come to fruition it would boast 14,000 more seats than the the Edward Jones Dome, and would most likely include all the modern amenities.

Attendance is going to play a major role in the final decision. In the past decade, the Rams have never had attendance numbers rate higher than 23rd in the league, and that was in 2006. Average attendance since then is just over 58,000 per game. That’s 87% capacity. While that number may seem solid, it’s not even enough to finish in the top half of the league. Years of sub-par football have lead to a steady decline in attendance.

Nov 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams fans hold up a sign from the stands during the second half against the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 22-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The question remains, why not take a chance on moving an average team to a larger market in hopes recreating a winning environment. Larger markets typically attract more lucrative free agents and team personnel as well. A move to a warm weather city would likely eliminate the need to build a dome stadium and leave an option for a retraceable roof, something Kroenke had interest in adding at the Edward Jones Dome according to a report done by ESPN in January, or a traditional stadium setting with no roof.

The obvious loser in all of these rumors are the fans. St. Louis, MO harbors some of the most loyal sports fans this country has come to know. The last franchise to relocate in the NFL was the Tennessee Oilers/Titans coming over from Houston were they played as the Oilers up to 1997. Prior to that, the NFL encountered one of the ugliest franchise relocations in major sports history when the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore becoming the Ravens spurring legal threats in 1996, and a black eye for the league. Since then, there has been no movement of franchises.

If the Rams jump ship it won’t be anything like the Cleveland/Baltimore fiasco, but there will be clear winners and losers. St. Louis will be losing a prominent pro sports franchise, and the rich seem to get richer in L.A. by adding yet another draw for tourism, media and revenue.

The stage is set for the possibility of a third team to leave the city of St. Louis, the Gunners and Cardinals prior to the Rams, and return to the city of angels they left behind almost 20-years-ago. Rams fans will certainly be anxious heading into the season with more than the playoffs riding on a successful one.