HOLLYWOOD—A billboard involving the Los Angeles Rams and their previous host city, St. Louis, has been taken down due to some upset Missourians.
The billboard was posted at the intersection of Highland and Franklin Avenues, and read, “Los Angeles > St. Louis. Welcome to LA, guys.”
The sign was commissioned by the Los Angeles based clothing company Popular Demand who has no affiliation with the NFL team.
Popular Demand Owner and CEO Blake Ricciardi said that he wasn’t trying to demean the city of St. Louis, but was just stating that he thinks Los Angeles is a better city.
“I just wrote a greater than sign from L.A. to St. Louis. It’s not like I was like, ‘St. Louis is the worst.’ I just think L.A. is better and it’s where we want to be and this is where the Rams want to be,” Ricciardi told ABC7.
Ricciardi said he was complimenting the city and was demonstrating a way to welcome the football team back to the city that it originally came from.
“A few (Rams players) may have told us they thought it was amusing. I mean it’s funny. I don’t think when they were playing in St. Louis they didn’t like the city at all. But I think they’re also pretty excited to be here. It’s L.A., it’s where everyone wants to be,” said Ricciardi.
As one might expect, the response from people and fans outside of the Los Angeles area was not a very good one. Many people found the billboard cruel, classless and disrespectful.
Due to the outcry, the billboard has since been taken down.
