Demoff on Stadium negotiations

We had Kevin Demoff on the show the other day, and I thought I'd share some of his thoughts on talks with the CVC next year...

On negotiations with the CVC next year: “We need to get a labor agreement so that we know our fiscal future and what we need out of a stadium agreement. Our viewpoint on a stadium is very simple. We want to get a stadium solution that works for the citizens of this region that makes this city competitive for Final Fours, for political conventions, for bowl games. We want a global solution. Not just what the Rams need, but what is needed to move St. Louis forward as a region and as a city. If we’re going to have a 65,000 seat stadium downtown, let’s make sure it works for all parties involved. If it works for everybody, it should work for us.”

(If that IS the stance, the obviously the Rams aren’t planning for an open air stadium, because Final Fours and political conventions aren’t held outdoors.)



On the top 25% rule in the contract: “I think there are a lot of ways to look at the top twenty-five percent. There have been eighteen stadiums built since the Edward Jones Dome was built, and there have been four that have had more than a $300 million renovation in that period. Obviously there’s been a lot of work done. I don’t think it does anybody any good to lay out guidelines for exactly what it is that meets the criteria. I think the criteria need to be what makes St. Louis a better place for our citizens, and a better place for everybody long term. As long as we use that as our guiding principle, how we can work together, how we can build something meaningful for everybody involved, then it shouldn’t really matter where it ultimately ranks.”