Quote
Zooey
Right.
I am always amused by how freely people throw away other people's money. You don't become one of the richest people in the world by treating $15 million like sofa cushion money.
And I will say this about Kroenke: from what I have read about him, and what I have seen in the way he pursued buying the Rams, and the way he pursued Los Angeles, the man makes long term plans, and sticks with them. He described his own method of conducting business pursuits as hammering a stake into the ground. You don't get a business deal done in one swing. You hit the stake, and you hit it again, and you hit it again, and eventually you have driven in the stake. It takes time, and it takes focus. That is how he bought the Rams. That is how he moved to LA. One swing at a time, without deviating from the plan.
Stan also keeps all of his options open as long as possible. Why? Because that is the sensible thing to do.
So he waited until the last minute to exercise his option to buy the Rams. Remember? And he kept everything in play for the move to Los Angeles with the exception of the St. Louis option itself which interfered with his plan. So he blasted it, keeping focused on the stake in LA.
Stan signed Fisher to a two-year deal. Why? Because he wants his options open going into 2019 and the new stadium. That is why it is only a two-year deal. Kroenke wants the option of a new coach in the new stadium. He isn't going to change his mind about that, or forfeit that option because people are complaining about losing. And nobody is going to sign a two year deal to be a head coach in the NFL. So it's Fisher. And he isn't going to back off that plan at the first sign of adversity, just like he didn't back off any of his other plans in the past. Furthermore, Kroenke knows perfectly well that the way to stop the complaining is by winning, not by changing the coach. The team wins, and everybody drops their pitchforks and torches.
Now, interestingly, the second year of Fisher's deal is a Team Option. That tells me that Kroenke wants to win, and Fisher has to win next year, or else. He wouldn't give himself the option of casting off Fisher if he didn't take that option seriously. So, imo, Kroenke's plan is to give Fisher next year. If Fisher wins, he gets the second year, and then the question will come up again going into the new stadium. If Fisher loses next year, Fisher gets let go, and someone (Williams, maybe) gets promoted to interim head coach for 2018. That, there, is the way it looks to me.
Another tea leaf reader. Everyone understands this is just Zooey's speculation, right?
I'm just not so sure that the tea leaves would put Fisher and the word "win" in the same sentence. To say that Stan expects Fisher to win next season is just insulting Stan's intelligence.
Do you guys realize that Fisher hasn't had a winning season since 2008. No playoff wins since 2003. Fisher's best season with Rams is still 5 seasons ago with many of Spags players. And Fisher has fielded one of the worst passing offenses in the last 10 years going back to his day with Titans. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to predict how the Rams would be with Fisher the next two years.
Stan doesn't care about the fans or the media. And Stan could care less about winning now. The Rams have been closer to the bottom of the league in wins the last few years yet the Rams are closer to the top in valuation growth year over year.
Stan's team valuation just doubled this year. He could care less about winning now. He can afford another losing season or two. Shoot, what's another two seasons compared to over a decade of losing. Even after all that, we're still here hoping and spending monies on the team.
Stan will posture that he didn't have a choice but to keep Fisher. Stan will have Fisher fire a few assistants and make some splashy trades just to keep our interest. Stan's team will get plenty of publicity for having a record breaking coach in total losses and consecutive losing seasons and having the best front seven in football. And just when the fans have just had it, here comes a shiny new coach and a shiny new stadium.
Then Stan's Rams' valuation will take another huge jump. That Stan is one smart man.
That's how I read the tea leaves any way.
Go Stan!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2016 01:49PM by govane.
