Tough Relocation Rules Failed to Stop the Rams

The National Football League has explicit procedures for franchise relocation, but for the right amount of money, those guidelines can--and have--been overlooked.

The Los Angeles Rams initially failed to meet NFL guidelines in their proposed move to St. Louis, but after team President John Shaw talked about financial terms with league officials, and the Rams agreed to pay a $29-million relocation fee, league owners agreed to let them go.

The NFL’s formal procedures call for a team to notify the commissioner in writing 30 days before the opening date of the annual owners’ meetings, which this year will be March 11 in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The notification is supposed to include reasons for such a move, including lease information, financial statements for the four fiscal years preceding the announcement and an assessment of a team’s current stadium situation.

The Rams did all that, but an NFL audit found that the club made a profit--thereby failing to meet league relocation criteria.

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NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue recommended that their move not be approved.

At the owners’ meetings last March, the NFL’s finance committee began seeking a financial compromise. After the meetings were adjourned for a month, all parties reconvened and the Rams’ move received the necessary 23 out of 30 votes for approval.

League insiders said Friday that they expect the Seahawks to be forced to remain in Seattle this season because of the number of legal questions attached to their situation. King County has sued the Seahawks to try to stop the move; the Seahawks have sued, saying the county has violated its lease by not adequately maintaining the Kingdome.

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The Seahawks face another complication. After the Rams and Raiders moved, league owners passed a provision providing the league with the authority to determine who would fill the void left in the Los Angeles-area market.

The provision is there to prevent rebel moves such as the one being proposed by Seattle.

The NFL’s first priority in Los Angeles is the construction of a state-of-the-art football facility. On Monday, Roger Goodell, the NFL’s point man in returning football to the area, met again with Dodger owner Peter O’Malley, who has said he wants to build a facility near the baseball stadium for an expansion team.

If Seahawks owner Ken Behring is successful in moving the team to Los Angeles, league insiders expect Walt Disney Co. to become a minority partner.