Unluckiest state in America has lost three NFL teams worth a combined $22.2bn in 40 years

Losing one Super Bowl champion franchise is bad enough, but Missouri has done it twice.

When the Kansas City Chiefs head across state lines in 2031, the unluckiest state in America will have lost three pro football teams in under four decades.

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Some locals have taken the Chiefs’ $4 billion relocation to Kansas personally.

One senator is even proposing to remove the Chiefs’ status as the state’s football team and give it to the UFL’s St Louis Battlehawks.

St Louis Cardinals up sticks for Arizona

The first of the three were the St Louis Cardinals.

Formed in 1920, the Cards are the oldest franchise without a Super Bowl victory.

The Cardinals won championships in 1925 and 1947 when they were based in Chicago, long before the Super Bowl era.

Their time in Missouri was not as successful.

Owner Violet Bidwill Wolfner became the first female to relocate a team when the NFL allowed her to move to St Louis in the wake of competition from the AFL in 1960.

The team was based at Busch Memorial Stadium and reached the playoffs just three times during 27 years in the Show Me State (1974, 1975 and 1982).

With zero postseason wins and swindling attendances, Bill Bidwill — Violet’s son — headed for the dessert and the Phoenix Cardinals were born in 1987.

Now the Arizona Cardinals, the franchise is worth $5.5 billion, per Forbes.

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St Louis Rams take The Greatest Show on Turf on the road

The Rams were founded in Cleveland — a city like St Louis that knows the indignity of losing multiple franchises — in 1936, but by 1945 had set up in Los Angeles.

There were plenty of good years — including championships in 1950 and 1951.

By the 90s, however, leaner times had set in and the ownership blamed Anaheim Stadium, which was primarily set up for baseball.

Orange County was in the midst of a recession and with no new arena on the cards, owner Georgia Frontiere decided to head east.

Her proposal to relocate to St Louis was blocked by other owners,

“This was one of the most complex issues we have had to approach in years. We had to balance the interest of fans in Los Angeles and in St. Louis that we appreciate very much,” said commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

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“In my judgment, they did not meet the guidelines we have in place for such a move.

“Once the bridges have been burned and people get turned off on a sports franchise, years of loyalty is not respected and it is difficult to get it back.

“By the same token, there are millions of fans in that area who have supported the Rams in an extraordinary way. The Rams have 50 years of history and the last 5 or so years of difficult times can be corrected.”

Frontiere was prepared to take the legal route and got her way.

“The desire to have peace and not be at war was a big factor,” according to Tagliabue.

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Dick Vermeil took over as head coach in 1997 and found an unlikely hero two years later.

After quarterback Trent Green suffered a season-ending injury in preseason, his role went to an undrafted free agent who had spent time in Europe. Kurt Warner.

Vermeil said that the team would “rally around Kurt Warner, and play good football.”

They did that and thensome. Warner, running back Marshall Faulk and wide receiver Isaac Bruce ran one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history, posting 526 points.

St. Louis won Super Bowl XXXIV to cap a glorious but, unfortunately for the local fans, short era.

Vermeil retired and was replaced by offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who led the team back to the Super Bowl but lost to the New England Patriots.

Success didn’t continue and Frontiere died in 2008 after 28 years as owner.

Stan Kroenke took over in 2010 and six years later, amid complaints that the Trans World Dome had fallen behind its competitors, the Rams were back in LA.

St Louis didn’t have the market to compete and Kroenke built the most expensive stadium of all time, winning the title there in 2022 with Sean McVay as coach.

His Rams have an estimated value of $10.5 billion — the third-highest in the world behind the Dallas Cowboys and Golden State Warriors.

Kansas City Chiefs follow the money

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St Louis was left reeling, but the state of Missouri still had the Chiefs.

A three-time world champion powerhouse worth $6.2 billion, Clark Hunt’s team has been at Arrowhead Stadium since 1972.

But as is so often the case, money talked and, barring some late drama, Missouri will lose its only remaining NFL franchise.

There are still the Stallions and MLB‘s Royals, who could also be heading for Kansas.

Luckily, their baseball rivals the Cardinals are still flying the flag for pro sports in St Louis alongside NHL‘s Blues.

The NWSL outfit Kansas City Current, who count Patrick and Brittany Mahomes among their owners, also play in Missouri.

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