Rams’ Ownership Future Cloudy After Death of Georgia Frontiere
January 20th, 2008 | by Kevin Morris |
Dale Rosenbloom, Frontiere’s son, takes over control of the team.
ST. LOUIS | Dale “Chip” Rosenbloom grew up surrounded by Rams football. Now he’s about to own the team - but for how long?
With the death of Georgia Frontiere, her son and daughter will inherit the Rams. Rosenbloom, 43, is a filmmaker; Lucia Rodriguez, 46, a wife and mother. Both live in Los Angeles.
They will split the 60 percent share of the team owned by Frontiere, but per league rule, only one person can have the controlling share. And that person is Rosenbloom.
Those close to Rosenbloom say he has some sense of obligation to his deceased father to keep the Rams franchise in the family. (When Carroll Rosenbloom drowned in a swimming accident in 1979, wife Georgia - Chip’s mother - took control of the team.)
As Rams owner, Rosenbloom wouldn’t suddenly become a hands-on owner like the Washington Redskins’ Dan Snyder. Those who know Rosenbloom say he feels a great sense of responsibility in making it work in St. Louis, and he wants the team’s fans to know that ownership cares.
But because of his career and family interests in Los Angeles, it may be inevitable that he sells the team. Those who know Rosenbloom say he would be in no hurry to make a decision and that a sale won’t be forced upon the family.
If the team is put up for sale, minority owner Stan Kroenke has the right of first refusal. Kroenke owns 40 percent of the Rams, a franchise valued at $908 million, according to Forbes. But because Kroenke now owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the NFL’s cross-ownership rule would prevent him from taking majority ownership of the Rams.
