Money is all that matters to a business owner these days. Take a look at prospective St. Louis Rams minority owner Stan Kroenke; he is exercising his right to majority ownership for the team. Although he can’t at the moment, once the NFL either changes ownership rules or he sells his other franchises in Denver, Kroenke will be the owner of the team.

Kroenke, a native of Columbia, Mo., does not want to purchase his hometown team; he wants the Rams for purely financial reasons. It is no secret that the Edward Jones Dome has fallen from the top of quality in the National Football League. The stadium is now 15 years old and domes have long become obsolete since the arrival of retractable-roof stadiums. The logical thing you would expect a Missourian to do would be to lobby for a new stadium, either publicly or privately financed.

However, I have suspicions the last place Kroenke wants the Rams is in St. Louis. A dig into his business life and connections discover that he is a leading member on a committee to build a NFL stadium in Los Angeles, the former home of the Rams. If all the cards fall into place, Kroenke will become owner of the franchise.

It is sad to see that profit has overcome allegiance. It is sad to see that a native Missourian is willing to move a home state team to a larger market for mere financial motives. If money is the only thing that matters, what is Kroenke going to do when the team is unsuccessful in Los Angeles or the stadium falls below standards? Move the team again? A sports franchise is a symbol of a city. Just like the Yankees identify with New York, like the Cowboys belong to Dallas. Money should not be the only factor. It is upsetting indeed to see how the motives of franchise owners have become skewed.