The biggest drama from the NFL owners’ meetings happened behind closed doors. That is where several of the league’s presiding billionaires exploded over Rams owner Stan Kroenke possibly backing away from his promise to cover tens of millions of dollars in legal expenses, according to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham.
Unsurprisingly, Robert Kraft is playing a sizable role in the matter.
The backstory is kind of dry, but basically, the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority says the NFL broke its own relocation guidelines when the Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2016. St. Louis is suing the NFL, contending it cost the city millions of dollars in revenue.
While the case involves all 32 teams, Kroenke signed an indemnification agreement (when one party agrees to cover losses and damages) as part of the relocation. However, Kroenke is now challenging the agreement.
That news reportedly stunned league owners, some of whom were ordered to provide eight years of records of phone calls and emails and email for discovery. A Missouri judge fined four of those owners, Clark Hunt, John Mara, Jerry Jones and Kraft, for not turning over their complete records.
Kraft reportedly expressed his frustration once Roger Goodell asked Kroenke to leave the room.
“Next came Kraft, who sources said seemed to speak for many in the room that Kroenke's position was unfair,” Wickersham writes. “He mentioned all the legal hassle he had gone through. … He argued that if providing financial records as a result of lawsuits would be a consequence of serving on league committees, it would dissuade other owners from wanting to be on committees and making consequential decisions for the league.”
Kraft was part of the six-person LA committee.
The Rams’ SoFi Stadium is billed as the crown jewel of the NFL, costing well over $6 billion to build.
St. Louis could ask for more than $1 billion in damages, Bloomberg reports. A trial is scheduled for Jan. 10.
