ST. LOUIS — During a rare public appearance to introduce Jeff Fisher as the St. Louis Rams' new head coach, what owner Stan Kroenke didn't say might have been the most noteworthy item of the day.
Asked for an update on the team's future in St. Louis, Kroenke was non-committal and danced around rumors that the team could opt out of their lease in 2015 and move elsewhere.
The Rams' lease states that Edward Jones Dome must be a "top-tier" facility — one that's better than three-quarters of all NFL stadiums — in 2015 or they can void the remaining 10 years of the lease and relocate.
More than half the NFL teams have built newer stadiums since the Dome was built in 1995 for about $300 million. That makes it difficult to imagine the city of St. Louis being able to make enough improvements to make it one of the top eight venues in the league.
"I think this is all out there, the chronology of what occurs with the lease is public knowledge," Kroenke said. "I don't think for me to comment on that process is particularly timely. They are dealing with their side of it, and they will present a proposal to us by Feb. 1. There's a team in place that deals with all that.
"We'll see how that process sorts itself out. I started in St. Louis in one year from now that will be 20 years. I've been around here a long time."
When asked if he was willing to commit to another 20 years in St. Louis, Kroenke said, "We'll see how that process works out."
The Dome faced a similar "top-tier" evaluation in 2005 but the Rams granted an extension and eventually agreed to bypass the clause when the city paid for $30 million in improvements.
It's hard to imagine the Rams doing that again, especially with attractive offers to move the club likely to come from Los Angeles among other places. But that might be St. Louis' only hope to keep the team in town.
The lease calls for the Feb. 1 deadline for the city to present the Rams with a plan for how to make the venue among the top 25 percent of the league.
Another scenario, although highly unlikely, would be for the city to build a new stadium for the Rams that would persuade them to stay in St. Louis. But with loans to build the Dome still being paid off, it's hard to imagine funds being approved for a new stadium.
It's understandable that Kroenke wouldn't want to commit long-term to the city for a variety of reasons. He would be seen as a liar if things changed in the future and he also wants a bargaining chip with the city.
But still, many in attendance Tuesday believed Kroenke could have said more about whether the team will stay in St. Louis than he did.
Fisher was asked about his understanding of the team's future and also was non-committal. Interestingly, Fisher is from Southern California and played football at USC in Los Angeles.
"I have a great understanding of the future and the future of this franchise right now, at this moment, is here in St. Louis," Fisher said.
The future of the Rams remains unclear, and Tuesday's comments did nothing to ease the concerns of football fans in St. Louis. If anything, they made them worse.
