Nearly ten years after the Rams and NFL left the city, the St. Louis Battlehawks brought attention to themselves by qualifying for the UFL playoffs.
Thanks to the enthusiastic support of a crowd of 34,379 people at The Dome at America’s Center last Saturday, the Battlehawks narrowly defeated the San Antonio Brahmas 13–12 to secure their home playoff place. It was an incredible game. With a 10-0 advantage at the half, the Battlehawks’ success in the second quarter proved crucial.
The Brahmas made a comeback in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 10-6, but the Battlehawks held firm and won by a single point after a fierce battle. They were front-page news in a city that hasn’t seen postseason action since 2004 after this thrilling contest.
With St Louis recovering from the aftershock of their NFL exodus following the Rams’ relocation back to LA, the city is buzzing with excitement. The headline in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch read: “Thank you, Battlehawks”.
When the team moved to St. Louis in 1995 saw a lease agreement being signed, assuring that The Dome at America’s Center would rank in the league’s top 25 percent. However, having only filled 80-85 percent of the stadium’s 67,000 seat capacity over recent years, actions were deemed necessary.
The Rams franchise and the city of St. Louis went to arbitration over the issue, with the arbitrators siding with the Rams allowing them to break their lease. In January 2016, the Rams filed for relocation, eventually returning back to LA after leaving the city in 1994 to head east to St. Louis.
The city will host a playoff game for the first time since the Carolina Panthers defeated the Rams 29–23 in January 2004 to win the NFC Championship.
The Battlehawks defeated the Brahmas in the series to guarantee home-field advantage in the XFL Conference Championship game the following weekend. The winner will appear at The Dome for three weeks in a row as St.
On June 16, Louis will host the UFL Championship Game.
Anthony Becht, the coach of the Battlehawks, stated, “I can’t wait to walk out next week and see the crowd.” “We’re incredibly blessed to have a fan base that cares as much as St. Louis does.”
