St. Louis Rams May Soon Be Owned By Rush Limbaugh, Others

St. Louis Rams May Soon Be Owned By Rush Limbaugh, Others

by Ross Everett

Popular talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has long been one of
the United States most polarizing media figures. He may soon
become one of the National Football Leagues most
controversial owners. On Tuesday, Limbaugh announced that he
is teaming up with St. Louis Blues owner David Checketts to
make a bid to purchase the struggling NFL team.

Limbaugh issued a statement that was short on details due to
various confidentiality agreements, but made clear his
intention to purchase the football team:

“Dave Checketts and I have made a bid to buy the Rams and we
are continuing the process.

The statement didnt place a value on the Limbaugh/Checketts
bid, nor did it specify any other individuals whod be
involved in the bid. He did specify that he and Checketts
would be responsible for the operation of the team. Forbes
Magazine has estimated the value of the franchise at just
over $900 million. That was several years ago, however, and
the current value of the franchise may be in the $750 to
$800 million range.

The team is currently owned by the estate of Georgia
Frontiere, specifically her children Chip Rosenbloom and
Lucia Rodriguez who inherited 60% of the team upon her death
in 2008. The remaining 40% is owned by Stan Kroenke.

A statement issued by the Frontiere estate revealed very
little additional information:

“Our strategic review of our ownership of the Rams
continues. We will make an announcement upon the completion
of the process.”

Checketts and the National Football League both declined
comment.

Limbaugh is a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri and an avid
sports fan. He once worked in a sales capacity for the
Kansas City Royals baseball team, and had a short stint as a
studio analyst on Monday Night Football.

Despite Limbaugh and Checketts ties to the area, the rumor
of the sale has raised concern in St. Louis. The city has
already lost one NFL team, when the Cardinals moved to
Tempe, Arizona in 1987. The NFL passed over St. Louis for an
expansion franchise in 1993, awarding it instead to
Jacksonville, Florida. In 1995, Frontiere”a St. Louis
native”was persuaded to move the team back to her hometown.
There is a clause in the Rams lease that would allow the
team to relocate without penalty as soon as 2014 if their
current home at the Edward Jones Dome is not deemed to be
one of the top 25% of NFL stadiums. Its already one of the
oldest facilities in the league, and there are no current
plans to replace or renovate the structure.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and a noted authority on
sports betting and <a
href=”http://www.sports-1.com/sports/football-betting/nfl.php”>NFL
point spreads</a>. He is a frequent sports radio guest where
he gives advice on how to successfully <a
href=”http://www.sports-1.com/sports/football-betting/nfl.php”>bet
on NFL</a>. He lives in Las Vegas with three dogs and a
bunny.