California Here We Come...

...right back where we started from. That refers to the St. Louis Rams moving back to Los Angeles. Yes, I realize that's not totally accurate, because the franchise started in Cleveland, but the point is that it's spent most of its existence in Los Angeles.

As a fan of the team, I have mixed emotions. I don't like seeing a team move, but this does bring them back to where I've always known them. Oh, by the way Mom and Dad, I'll be by soon to dig all my "Los Angeles Rams" stuff out of your basement.

It's also good to see that the yet-to-be-built stadium will be privately funded, which is a rarity in modern sports. It had appeared that if the team stayed in St. Louis, it would have been in a blackmail-funded stadium. I know that may seem like weak compensation for losing your team, people of St. Louis, but at least you don't have to pay for a stadium.

The funny/sad part of the story is that there were three teams wanting to move to L.A. The Rams were given first dibs, the San Diego Chargers can move in to the same stadium next year if they wish. And if they don't, the Oakland Raiders will get the opportunity. And among the further layers of irony:

• All three teams have already been based in Los Angeles before.
• The Rams and Raiders both left in 1994, allowing America's second-largest city to go from two teams directly to none. Then, after two decades of the league operating perfectly well with no team there, three teams want to move to L.A. as soon as possible.

Most people seem to be hoping that the Chargers stay in San Diego. Aside from the fact that they've been in the city for a half-century, it appears that their desire to move is not just the greed of getting a new stadium, but the greed of wanting part of the big L.A. market, rather than be satisfied with the adequate San Diego market.

If they don't move, Oakland certainly will. Their owner, Mark Davis, has the odd distinction of being the least-wealthy NFL owner. That may not sound like much, but it means he is one one the few owners who honestly does need government help to build a new stadium.

And as an aside: women, I know you hate it when your accomplishments her ignored and you are discussed and judged on your appearance. So I invite you to luxuriate in the criticism directed at Davis for his awful haircut. Sure, it doesn't make up for the millennia of superficial judgement you've suffered, but take a minute to enjoy it.

But I wonder if the Los Angeles market is as good as these owners think it is. It wasn't too supportive of the Rams in the past. Admittedly those were a lot of mediocre teams, but note that none of the city's three suitors is particularly strong right now.

Also, there seems to be a parallel with the disappointing series of Buffalo Bills games in Toronto. In that case, there seemed to be an assumption that because there are a lot of people in Canada who follow the NFL, there'd be a lot of enthusiasm for games involving the nearest team. But that didn't work out, because many Canadian NFL fans arbitrarily cheer on some far-off team with whom they have no real connection. I'm a great example: I'm writing this article on a team I chose at age eight because I thought their helmets looked cool. So I wonder, after the city of Los Angeles had gone a generation with no local team, how many people have developed attachments to other teams. Possibly the Rams will face a few years of crowds with divided loyalties. And that could be worse if there are two local teams diluting civic pride.

But still, I'll be cheering for them, even if locals don't. Now if you'll excuse me, I have I have an Eric Dickerson jersey to look for.