Settlement reached in lawsuit over Rams’ St. Louis departure
The NFL and Rams owner Stan Kroenke will pay $790 million to settle a lawsuit filed by St. Louis interests over the team’s relocation to Los Angeles, a joint statement from St. Louis city and county said Wednesday.
No details of the settlement were released, and it wasn’t immediately clear how much would be paid by Kroenke and how much would be covered by owners of the league’s 31 other teams.
“This historic agreement closes a long chapter for our region, securing hundreds of millions of dollars for our communities while avoiding the uncertainty of the trial and appellate process,” read a statement from St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.
The settlement, reached in mediation, ends a 4 ½-year-old lawsuit filed in the wake of the Rams’ 2016 departure. Kroenke and the NFL had failed in bids to have the lawsuit dismissed or at least moved out of St. Louis, and courts were sympathetic to the St. Louis side’s effort to disclose financial information of team owners — rulings that hastened the push for a settlement. PACKERS’ RODGERS SAYS HE’S BEEN PLAYING WITH FRACTURED TOE » Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says his toe injury is a fracture and added that he doesn’t expect the situation to cause him to miss any games.
Rodgers has been playing with the toe injury each of the past two games after missing a 13-7 loss at Kansas City because of a positive COVID-19 test. The reigning MVP said the injury occurred while working out at home during his quarantine.
The NFC North-leading Packers (8-3) host the Los Angeles Rams (7-3) on Sunday and then have the next week off.
Soccer
COLUMBUS, ST PAUL HOST NEXT 2 US QUALIFIERS »
The United States figures to be playing its next three World Cup qualifiers in frigid weather.
The Americans said they will return to Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, for their World Cup qualifier against El Salvador on Jan. 27 and will host Honduras on Feb. 2 in the first qualifier at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Canada is expected to locate its Jan. 30 qualifier against the U.S. at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario, a decision that caused the U.S. Soccer Federation to opt for cold-weather venues for all three matches in the January window.
Honduras will be traveling to Minnesota from a home game three days earlier against El Salvador.
EUROPEAN POWERS JOINED BY SPORTING IN CHAMPS
LEAGUE LAST 16 » The parade of European powers advancing to the Champions League knockout stage was disrupted by Sporting Lisbon completing a stunning turnaround to join them.
Manchester City and Real Madrid are back in the round of 16 after beating teams they lost to in September. Paris SaintGermain also goes through despite its 2-1 loss at City after leading through Kylian Mbappé’s goal early in the second half.
Madrid’s 3-0 win at Sheriff — avenging a 2-1 home defeat to the champion of Moldova two months ago — ensured Inter Milan also advanced from Group D by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0.
Three-time European champion Inter returns to the round of 16 after a 10-year absence, though Sporting ended a 13-year wait by beating Borussia Dortmund 3-1.