Re: I don't see that, Zooey...

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JamesJM
Or maybe not..not sure - and by the way, HI.... in PM I asked about you some time back with zn....good to see you still kicking.

I do agree Stan has long range plans... I would add that that's not necessarily a bad thing. That said, his long range plan is on the verge of collapse with what happened this year... and if it continues next year? He can't open that new stadium fielding this type of team, I don't think, because it kills his 'dream', whatever that might be. Add this: What if the Chargers DO come to LA? (I don't think they will, personally, but it's possible)... even if they bring a below average team but one that wins the occasional big game and flashes great rarely but occasionally Kroenke opens his stadium 'second fiddle'... I don't think that's in his plans. And here I freely admit I'm going out on a limb: I think bringing the Ram's back to LA Stan DOES appreciate in it's implications for the Rams, the NFL, for LA.

Back to agreeing... winning DOES fix that... but that takes a 'bit' of time... not really a 'long' time but some time. I really think any 'plan' that incorporates a last minute 'options open' is a bad plan and not one Kroenke would consciously undertake.

For me, without knowing (of course)... I think Kroenke hired Fisher because he felt, as many did, he was the man for the job. (I thought he was a good choice, not my pick but a good one none the less).... then he did what I think is sound 'think'... he stuck. I don't begrudge him that. Went too long for me, and it continues, but at it's essence 'sticking' I think a good quality in an owner. Think "Al Davis" as the extreme opposite.

What I'm getting at is... I don't think I, nor you, nor anyone else 'knows' Kroenke right now... not even by factoring in his other sport's franchises... this is different, seems to me. The 'decision' has extended beyond what I think is reasonable... but that's *me*... when I'm calm, (rarely these days), I can wrap my brain around the possibility that he's deliberate, far from rash, and this 'next' decision will be the one that tells the tale.... for now... to quote wv, I dunno for sure. - JamesJM

Okay. Well. First of all, ZN is not the kind of guy who goes out of his way to deliver "hello" messages. He is more of a lobster-sucking git than anything else.

So...hello. I've missed you. I like you. I miss you.

I think this, basically: I try to put myself in SK's shoes. From his perspective, the Big Entree is the new stadium. And all the hotels and restaurants and TV studios and all that business. The complex he is building will be the greatest sports complex ever built up until now. That is what he is thinking about. He isn't worried about attendance dropping a few thousand next year. He doesn't WANT that to happen, but in the billionaire class, that isn't a loss that hurts. He doesn't give a crap about what Snoop Dogg thinks. I mean...please.

Winning fixes everything. You know that. I know that. Stan knows that. It is basic.

And all these people who are saying that Stan only cares about money, and doesn't care about winning...that is wrong.

There is a salary cap in the NFL. The Rams spend to the cap every year. So whether they win or not, the expense stay the same. But the revenue does not stay the same. If the Rams win, more tickets get sold, they get sold at a higher price, and more merchandise gets sold, and the value of the team rises. Stan knows this because Stan is a billionaire and not an idiot. Winning DOES matter to Stan.

So here is where the departure happens. Most fans have concluded that Fisher isn't going to win, and they are up in arms about it.

Meanwhile, it is apparent that Stan doesn't share that point of view. End of story. I can make a case for Fisher, but it is irrelevant. Stan thinks Fisher can win.

Furthermore, from Stan's point of view, what are his options? I mean...if I owned the Rams, I would want my options completely open to me moving into the new stadium. Completely open. Which means, either Stan keeps Fisher, or he hires somebody for two years. And who the hell is going to take on the job with a two year deal? Nobody, that's who.

Fisher is the Rams coach for the next two years. There is no amount of fantasy, no amount of raging, no column inches that are going to convince me otherwise. We have two more years of Fisher. At least. And that is what I would do if I was the owner, and what all of you would do as well, if you were the owner. You might think you would bravely do something else, but if it were your millions of dollars on the line, you would do the same thing. Fisher is here until the opening of the new stadium. At least.