DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Every St. Louis Rams game day, schools buses line up outside the stadium. With the Rams doing so much with charities and schools, fans figure that has something to do with it. They are mistaken. The NFL now requires all stadiums have buffer zones to protect them from explosive vehicles that could be crashed into the buildings.
Kevin Demoff from the St. Louis Rams said "We have some particular challenges being a downtown stadium. The NFL would like a 100 foot perimeter around the stadium. Unfortunately because there are streets around the stadium and it's downtown, we can't provide that."
"It certainly gives an enhancement to our buffer zone," said Nicholas Langella, the new General Manager of America's Center, which includes the dome. "It's also very visible; it actually acts as a deterrent."
People may think it has to do with the arrest of suspect terrorist, Najibullah Zazi in September. Zazi's the Colorado man authorities say had bomb-making plans and stadium layouts stored on his computer. The buses actually appeared right before that.
"That's strictly a coincidence to what has happened this year," Demoff said. "We were always planning to implement this for the 2009 season...not only are there no threats against St. Louis, there are no threats anywhere else in the league."
Langella said it cost $7000-a-game for the buses; the Rams and America's Center, splitting the cost. Though the buses worked well as a portable security wall, he said they might be gone next season.
"We definitely will use [the buses] for the remainder of the NFL season, as well as some other high-profile events," Langella said. "We're looking at a few different options. If we can enhance it without having to use these buses, that would be great. For now, this is what we have."
"We continue to look at long-term solutions including closing the streets around the dome to make it safer and a more fan friendly environment and to increase our tail-gating experience," Demoff said.
He said street closures were not options with the Highway 40 closure this year.
Demoff and Langella said they were looking into closing the streets and making them "tail-gate" zones next season. They wanted to gauge feedback from fans, police, the city street department and the Missouri Department of Transportation before making changes for 2010.
Kevin Demoff from the St. Louis Rams said "We have some particular challenges being a downtown stadium. The NFL would like a 100 foot perimeter around the stadium. Unfortunately because there are streets around the stadium and it's downtown, we can't provide that."
"It certainly gives an enhancement to our buffer zone," said Nicholas Langella, the new General Manager of America's Center, which includes the dome. "It's also very visible; it actually acts as a deterrent."
People may think it has to do with the arrest of suspect terrorist, Najibullah Zazi in September. Zazi's the Colorado man authorities say had bomb-making plans and stadium layouts stored on his computer. The buses actually appeared right before that.
"That's strictly a coincidence to what has happened this year," Demoff said. "We were always planning to implement this for the 2009 season...not only are there no threats against St. Louis, there are no threats anywhere else in the league."
Langella said it cost $7000-a-game for the buses; the Rams and America's Center, splitting the cost. Though the buses worked well as a portable security wall, he said they might be gone next season.
"We definitely will use [the buses] for the remainder of the NFL season, as well as some other high-profile events," Langella said. "We're looking at a few different options. If we can enhance it without having to use these buses, that would be great. For now, this is what we have."
"We continue to look at long-term solutions including closing the streets around the dome to make it safer and a more fan friendly environment and to increase our tail-gating experience," Demoff said.
He said street closures were not options with the Highway 40 closure this year.
Demoff and Langella said they were looking into closing the streets and making them "tail-gate" zones next season. They wanted to gauge feedback from fans, police, the city street department and the Missouri Department of Transportation before making changes for 2010.
