Just a quick word on Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ...
What I'm about to write has nothing to do with the debate over the merits of building a new stadium for the Rams/NFL.
This isn't a part of the argument about the value of sports to a community, and measuring that against other, more essential priorities.
Everyone is entitled to their own views on those subjects.
I'm simply offering my observations on Gov. Nixon's efforts on the Rams/stadium front.
Nixon is in his second term and can't run for governor again.
So in many ways, the St. Louis stadium is Nixon's last campaign.
The governor is doing all that he can to keep the Rams in St. Louis — or, if that doesn't work out, at least put St. Louis in position for another NFL franchise should the opportunity surface.
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Let's review Nixon's impact and influence:
• Nixon's most important contribution was his first move: to appoint Dave Peacock and Bob Blitz to lead the STL stadium task force. Without the Peacock-Blitz leadership, the stadium had no chance. I'm not saying it will definitely happen. I'm just pointing out that the whole idea — a football venue on the north riverfront — was a complete non-starter without Peacock and Blitz doing the valuable work to push it forward. And Nixon had the foresight to choose the right leaders for the project. In perhaps the most significant development, Peacock and Blitz quickly established a comfortable rapport with NFL executive VP Eric Grubman, who has taken a proactive approach in assisting the STL task force.
• Nixon provided direction, giving Peacock and Blitz a list of "core principles" that must be satisfied for the project to go forward. Nixon disclosed his six mandatory principles in our interview on Dec. 21, and you can find them in this Dec. 22 column. But the shorthand version: the stadium must be located in an area of existing blight and serve as catalyst for redevelopment; the site must meet environmental regulations; the project must provide construction jobs that pay competitive wages; the new-stadium plan must include a way to repurpose the Edward Jones Dome to maximize its value; the stadium must be a public asset rather than be owned by the team; no new taxes.
• Nixon has had at least three recent discussions with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. According to league sources, Nixon has made it very clear to Goodell that the stadium project is serious, and that he'll do everything he can to help bring it to fruition. The same sources tell us that Goodell has been impressed by Nixon's willingness to take a proactive approach in the process instead of sitting on the sideline.
• Along those lines, Nixon participated in a Tuesday meeting with Grubman, Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff, Peacock and Blitz. Sources tell us that Grubman appreciates Nixon's willingness to take action, saying that it is rare for the Governor of a state to be so extensively involved this early in a lengthy process.
• Nixon has turned up his passion in an effort to generate public support for the stadium. He came to St. Louis to preside over a Tuesday news conference at the proposed site and cast the project as an opportunity to redevelop an unsightly, largely neglected area of the riverfront. And if the stadium initiative fails, Nixon predicted the area would look the same 10 years from now.
"This is a historic opportunity to bring hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment to this area, build an iconic stadium that will stand the test of time, and transform these deserted streets into a thriving destination for residents, workers, tourists and football fans," Nixon said.
Peacock is appreciative of Nixon's leadership and willingness to speak out in favor of the stadium _ which may not be the most popular stance for a politician to take publicly.
And Peacock was impressed by the nature of Nixon's forward-thinking comments Tuesday.
"It demonstrated the resolve the governor has in getting this done, and it also had an air of inevitability to it," Peacock said. "As the Governor said, this is our moment in time, and he’s right. We need to capture this moment."
Thanks for reading ...
— Bernie