St. Louis Rams: Roger Goodell Wants Rams in STL; London Games in Doubt

NFL Commission Roger Goodell says that the St. Louis Rams proposed 2012 "home" game versus the New England Patriots could be in jeopardy, according to this NBCSports.com report.

According to Goodell:

"

We’re going to play the London games.  We hope it will be with the Rams and the New England Patriots next year. That’s what we planned. I think it’s great for the city of St. Louis to be able to get that global exposure, but there are issues that are going to have to get resolved.

"

The aforementioned lease issue is what Goodell was referencing.  The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Convention presented their initial proposal on February 1, of which the Rams have 30 days to accept or reject.  

It is expected that the Rams will reject the proposal and will counteroffer by May 1, regardless of how well they may (or may not) like the CVC's plans. 

As for the Rams long-term tenure in St. Louis, Goodell said that:

"

 We want to keep our franchises where they are so we’d love to have the St. Louis Rams  stay in St. Louis.

"

This coincides with a report by Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who says that Goodell sat down with him and made it clear that he does not want the Rams to move. 

Although any move would ultimately be up to the owner of a team and the new city, it is encouraging to St. Louis fans to hear of the support of NFL Commissioner Goodell. 

Many former St. Louis Rams have begun speaking out in support of the Rams staying in the Gateway City, including Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt.

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here and to follow him on Twitter.