So now we have more insight into what has gone on behind closed courtroom doors, that is before the case document was sealed soon after being leaked in the STL vs. NFL lawsuit that is still ongoing in a St. Louis courtroom. The NFL has done its damnedest to keep Joe Public from obtaining these documents and seeing what lengths the NFL had gone to help the Rams escape St. Louis.
Yours indeed has obtained and thoroughly gone through these documents, and I will say that a great deal has been left out. The evidence received was mostly pro-NFL and pro-Rams propaganda that was an attempt to solidify their case against the St. Louis law team seeking potential damages upwards of $500 million to $1 billion.
As you read through these documents and have a basic understanding of the circumstances surrounding this case, then as you pour over these files, please note that you must follow the timeline on what was done and how to piece together the puzzle. I have placed all files related to the case in this article below.
In this case, all of my digging for evidence, clues, and anything related to the facts has been trying at times. The road to this point couldn't be littered with more obstacles. The NFL doesn't want this out in the public eye, and they do not want the stain of their past and current discretions to shine a light on their devious attempts to continue to screw fan bases whenever applicable.
Thirty-plus years of following the NFL, first understanding the game and how it works, then realizing how the NFL's business functions. It's a filthy game that is played, and frankly, I am not one to stomach it—any of those who have read my stories know what side I am on. For too many years, fans have been taken full advantage of by the NFL and their bad business practices catering to the millionaires and billionaires that seemingly have all the say in every matter of how the NFL operates. At least, that's how it seems.
After a thorough investigation, it is clear that from at least 2012 and more than likely much earlier, Enos Stanley Kroenke, Rams officials, certain NFL executives, and a portion of NFL owners were privy to, if not part of, the scheme to get the Rams out of St. Louis and back in LA. Click the link and read my story for details.
Will the courts have the wear-with-all to weather the storm and hold the NFL accountable for their nefarious deeds to pull a second franchise out of the St. Louis market?
Somehow, I am doubtful because, as the title of my second story suggests, money is indeed everything for the NFL. Will this come down to a settlement? Possibly. Will St. Louis receive a team as compensation for the NFL's bad business dealings? Hopefully so.
XFL VS. USFL
One question is why St. Louis would even want the NFL back. We had the XFL, and it looks to be that the BattleHawks will be returning in 2022-2023 with Dani Garcia, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Redbird Capital as principal owners after purchasing the entity from Vince McMahon and Titan Sports Inc. for a sum of 15 million. With the new XFL ownership and the CFL having discussions about a potential merger now dead and the XFL announcing that it will relaunch in 2023, what does the future of football look like in The Gateway City?
The USFL has announced plans of returning with TSL (The Spring League) owner Brian Woods teaming with Fox Sports to resurrect the USFL brand. The question is, what does that look like? The jury is still out on the matter.
Anyone that follows me knows how much I love the game of football. I lived in that game for nearly 35 years. I walked away from the NFL because they have treated fans who spend their hard-earned money on their product only to rip their favorite team away to cash in on another market.
That is where I pose this question, with the almost meteoric growth that the XFL and the BattleHawks had before being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with grass-roots fan pages and groups like The X Fan Show that have grown to a very respectable size, and continue to grow.
Where would they play?
The USFL is planning on returning in the spring of 2022. The XFL still has a lease on the Dome at America's Center, so that is likely not an option for the USFL to play in. The Cardinals won't allow football to be played at Busch III, so that's out. The Blues could be in the playoffs during that period. The new privately-funded soccer stadium in downtown St. Louis won't be ready anytime soon. The ownership has made it clear that American football will not be played inside their facility. The Family area is the first to come to mind, but it only seats 9,000 + people.
So, where would the USFL play?
Unless there is some structuring when the teams play in the Dome, I don't see how it could be done; it is not impossible, just tricky.
Fans in St. Louis want football, and we are tired as fans of selling our souls and taking out a second mortgage on our homes to pay for PSLs when NFL teams care so little about their market. That leaves us the option to support an entity that wants to be here, whether St. Louis wins the lawsuit and is rewarded an expansion franchise, the XFL returning, or the USFL planting roots. No matter what, the future is bright for St. Louis football fans.
I'll see you in the stands soon!
Derek King
