The city of St. Louis is accusing the NFL of failing to follow the league’s own policies regarding relocation of a franchise and is taking them to court over it.
The City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Convention and Sports Complex Authority filed a 52-page lawsuit against the NFL seeking payback for potential revenue lost as a result of the Rams leaving for Los Angeles. The potential revenue lost could escalate into the “tens of millions of dollars,” according to a report from KMOV.
“The Rams, the NFL, through its member teams, and the owners, have violated the obligations and standards governing team relocations by seeking and approving the relocation of the St. Louis Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles, California, despite the fact that the Rams failed to satisfy the obligations imposed by the League’s relocation rules and the fact that relocation was not supported by the required statement of reasons or the adopted relocation standards,” a statement from the lawsuit reads. “In so doing, Defendants have breached their contractual duties owed to Plaintiffs. Defendants also have made intentionally false representations to Plaintiffs, have interfered with the valid business expectancies of Plaintiffs, and have unjustly enriched themselves. Defendants are responsible to pay damages to Plaintiffs and to make restitution of profits.”
This is not the first time a lawsuit over the relocation of the Rams has been filed. Rams fans in St. Louis sued Rams owner Stan Kroenke, accusing the owner of lying to fans about the future of the franchise in St. Louis before trashing the city as not being a good market for the NFL.
What ultimately comes out of this latest lawsuit is not likely to satisfy the city of St. Louis. The NFL’s policies are not necessarily required to fall within any laws, and the organization is entitled to make adjustments and exemptions when called for. If the league felt a move to Los Angeles was good for business, which the owners voting in favor of a relocation would suggest, then they can probably get away without having to payback much, if anything, to St. Louis.
So good luck St. Louis. If successful, will San Diego follow? Maybe Oakland?
[KMOV]
