Officials in St. Louis want to keep Rams, avoid bidding war

City and state officials in St. Louis said they are committed to keeping the Rams, but not at the expense of a "bidding war" with other cities, ESPN.com reports.

On Monday, it was announced that Rams owner Stan Kroenke will build an 80,000-seat stadium in a Los Angeles suburb, leading to speculation that he will move the Rams back to Los Angeles where they played from 1980 through 1995.

ESPN.com reported that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon plans to try and keep the franchise in St. Louis.

“St. Louis is an NFL city and I am committed to keeping it that way,” Nixon said in a statement.

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The mayor’s office in St. Louis offered a similar sentiment, but cautioned it will not bend over backwards to accomodate the franchise.

“A National Football League franchise does have value and we should want one, but let’s use some common sense,” said Jeff Rainford, a spokesman for St. Louis mayor Francis Slay. “The parameters are not a blank check.”

In November, Nixon created a two-person committee to come up with new stadium plans by the end of this week, plans with the intent of keeping the franchise in St. Louis.

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The Rams moved to St. Louis from Anaheim, Calif., in 1995, where they had played as the Los Angeles Rams from 1980-94. The team played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 1946, when they moved from Cleveland, through the 1979 season.

The franchise originated as the Cleveland Rams for the 1937 season.

- Phil Watson