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The Los Angeles Rams are reportedly set to host the San Francisco 49ers in China at some point in the 2018 season, according to Sports Business Daily’s Don Muret. The SBD also noted that it is likely that the Rams and 49ers would meet as the season opener.
If this report turns out to be true, the NFL and the Rams would be making a colossal mistake. The Rams/49ers rivalry was once one of the best in the NFL. It ranked up there with the Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns, and the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins rivalries. The Rams’ return to Los Angeles has already been heralded as the renewal of this great rivalry by fans in both cities. What sense does it make to move a Rams’ home rivalry game to China?
I have long disagreed with many fans who believe that Kroenke is a terrible owner. His record shows the opposite, in terms of business acumen. Kroenke’s teams have been rather mediocre on the field, but fans can always count on him doing what’s best for their long-term success. That reasoning is what led to him moving the team back to L.A. in the first place. Kroenke is a stone cold businessman, and he will do what it takes to ensure that his franchises are financially successful.
However, if this report is true, I can’t defend Kroenke. Knowing how strong a businessman Kroenke is, it is surprising that the Rams would consider sacrificing a divisional home game against their traditional rival before the team even plays a down in L.A. I understand that the Rams are focused on improving their brand internationally, which is why they volunteered to play a home game overseas for the next three seasons. Yet by allowing the NFL to schedule a home game against the 49ers in China, the team and the league risk alienating the fanbase.
Apparently, the NFL and Kroenke have forgotten the relationship between the fans and former owner Georgia Frontiere, which led to the alienation of many long-time Rams supporters in the 1980s and 90s. Frontiere’s relationship with the fans broke down to the point that many of them stopped putting money in her pockets. Eventually, she moved the team to St. Louis.
Kroenke has a long-term plan for the Rams, which includes some sacrifices that must be made in the present day. However, asking the fans to give up a home game for the next three years is one thing. Asking them to support Kroenke giving away their most important rivalry game of the year is a whole other story. This isn’t the right way to build goodwill with a fanbase that has been spurned by this franchise before.
If this report is valid, the NFL and the Rams should re-think it. Moving a Rams-49ers game to China is horrible idea. The league would never move a Bears-Packers game overseas, so why does it make sense take a Rams-49ers game and put it in China? No one benefits from that, especially if another opponent is available.
The NFL has said time and time again that it wants to make sure that the return to L.A. is successful. One way of doing that is to actually rebuild the great rivalries the Rams had there, and that means putting them on their home field against their natural rivals – the 49ers.
Derek Ciapala has been following the Rams since childhood. He has been published on Yahoo! Sports, Sports Out West and multiple other websites. You can check him out on Facebook or Twitter @dciapala.
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The Los Angeles Rams are reportedly set to host the San Francisco 49ers in China at some point in the 2018 season, according to Sports Business Daily’s Don Muret. The SBD also noted that it is likely that the Rams and 49ers would meet as the season opener.
If this report turns out to be true, the NFL and the Rams would be making a colossal mistake. The Rams/49ers rivalry was once one of the best in the NFL. It ranked up there with the Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns, and the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins rivalries. The Rams’ return to Los Angeles has already been heralded as the renewal of this great rivalry by fans in both cities. What sense does it make to move a Rams’ home rivalry game to China?
I have long disagreed with many fans who believe that Kroenke is a terrible owner. His record shows the opposite, in terms of business acumen. Kroenke’s teams have been rather mediocre on the field, but fans can always count on him doing what’s best for their long-term success. That reasoning is what led to him moving the team back to L.A. in the first place. Kroenke is a stone cold businessman, and he will do what it takes to ensure that his franchises are financially successful.
However, if this report is true, I can’t defend Kroenke. Knowing how strong a businessman Kroenke is, it is surprising that the Rams would consider sacrificing a divisional home game against their traditional rival before the team even plays a down in L.A. I understand that the Rams are focused on improving their brand internationally, which is why they volunteered to play a home game overseas for the next three seasons. Yet by allowing the NFL to schedule a home game against the 49ers in China, the team and the league risk alienating the fanbase.
Apparently, the NFL and Kroenke have forgotten the relationship between the fans and former owner Georgia Frontiere, which led to the alienation of many long-time Rams supporters in the 1980s and 90s. Frontiere’s relationship with the fans broke down to the point that many of them stopped putting money in her pockets. Eventually, she moved the team to St. Louis.
Kroenke has a long-term plan for the Rams, which includes some sacrifices that must be made in the present day. However, asking the fans to give up a home game for the next three years is one thing. Asking them to support Kroenke giving away their most important rivalry game of the year is a whole other story. This isn’t the right way to build goodwill with a fanbase that has been spurned by this franchise before.
If this report is valid, the NFL and the Rams should re-think it. Moving a Rams-49ers game to China is horrible idea. The league would never move a Bears-Packers game overseas, so why does it make sense take a Rams-49ers game and put it in China? No one benefits from that, especially if another opponent is available.
The NFL has said time and time again that it wants to make sure that the return to L.A. is successful. One way of doing that is to actually rebuild the great rivalries the Rams had there, and that means putting them on their home field against their natural rivals – the 49ers.
Derek Ciapala has been following the Rams since childhood. He has been published on Yahoo! Sports, Sports Out West and multiple other websites. You can check him out on Facebook or Twitter @dciapala.
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