The two competing plans for Los Angeles's NFL stadium—one for the St. Louis Rams in Inglewood and another in Carson, for the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers to share—could be getting a major shift in the lineup. The Daily News reports that Stan Kroenke, the Rams owner and the owner of the land that the stadium will rise on in Inglewood, has sent a letter to the NFL's Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities "indicating a willingness to bring on a second-team partner."
A "high-ranking source" says that, in the letter to the six-owner group, Kroenke doesn't state a preference for which team would share his Inglewood stadium. (Earlier in the fall, ESPN heard rumors that some NFL owners wanted a Chargers/Rams joint stadium.) It does lay out plans to have the cost and the use of the stadium split equally between the two teams. The fact that Kroenke's even written the letter at all seems to suggest a feeling from his camp that maybe two teams are better than one, and that partnering up is the best chance for his team's relocation from St. Louis.
But whether or not any teams will move to Los Angeles at all has yet to be decided. The NFL's team owners will have the final say and are expected to vote in January, but it's just as possible that the vote could get delayed; no clear favorite has emerged yet, so they may need more time to hash things out.
Yesterday, the LA Times reported that the league set a December 28 deadline for the three cities that would stand to lose these teams to make their final offers to try and keep them by building new stadiums. The Chargers and the Rams have spurned offers from San Diego and St. Louis respectively; Oakland hasn't even made a major play for the Raiders.
· Rams owner Kroenke open to second NFL team in Inglewood [LADN]
· FAA Warns Shiny Inglewood NFL Stadium Could Jam LAX Radar [Curbed LA]
· The NFL Has No Idea Which Team and Stadium Will Bring Football Back to Los Angeles [Curbed LA]
· See the Chargers and Raiders Pitch to the NFL to Build a Ridiculous Stadium in Carson [Curbed LA]