DENVER (AP) - Turns out, the billionaire owner known as “Silent Stan” doesn’t mind talking when he’s walking his dog around the halls of the Pepsi Center.
On his stroll Friday with his German shepherd, E. Stanley Kroenke briefly chatted with The Associated Press about his football team the Los Angeles Rams (“we’re competitive,” he said), his Barclays Premier League soccer squad Arsenal (“I’m there every month”) and what occupies his time these days (“How do I spend my time? I spend my time on my businesses and my family”).
In 2010, the NFL approved Kroenke’s bid to become principal owner of the Rams. In 2014, he became sole owner.
And after last season, the team moved to Los Angeles.
Asked what he would say to Rams fans after relocating the franchise from St. Louis to L.A., he responded: “We’re building a team and we’re excited for the future of the Rams. The response in receiving the team back to Los Angeles was absolutely fantastic. It’s been a great experience.”
The Rams are 3-2 heading into their game this weekend in Detroit (2-3). After that, they’ll take off for London to face the New York Giants.
“We’re young,” Kroenke said. “I think it’s the fifth year in a row we’re the youngest team in the NFL. We’ve been building this team.”
On the new stadium front, Kroenke said that developers appear on pace to open the 70,000-seat, clear-roofed football stadium in Inglewood, California, in August 2019. The stadium will serve as the main attraction of a sprawling campus that includes a 6,000-seat theater, about 2,500 residential units, 895,000 square feet of retail space, a 300-room hotel and office space. There will also be at least 25 acres of parks, playgrounds and green space.
“We’re building a small city to the centerpiece of which is a great, big stadium,” said Kroenke, whose name, E. Stanley, is an ode to baseball icons Enos Slaughter and Stan Musial.
In addition to the Rams, he’s the majority shareholder of Arsenal and also owns the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, along with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. His son, Josh, oversees the Nuggets as well as the Avalanche.
“Hopefully, they’re going to have some great teams this year,” Kroenke said. “We’ve got some exciting players. We’re looking forward to it.”
Kroenke’s Denver-based company, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, runs the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. His subsidiary companies oversee cable channels such as The Outdoor Channel and the World Fishing Network. He’s also served on boards for companies such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame.
“There’s always a lot going on,” Kroenke said, before hopping on the elevator with his dog.
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AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham contributed.
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