"With only five days to go before the first critical deadline approaches that could secure the Rams' future in St. Louis, a lot of people need to answer a few important questions. Whatever the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission comes up with Wednesday as it outlines plans to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome to a "first tier" venue, isn't it time that someone take an accurate pulse of this region to determine just how badly we want or need an NFL franchise to call our own?

Isn't that's what it comes down to?

Ask yourself the simple question: What's it worth to the St. Louis region to be one of the only 32 municipalities in America that has an NFL franchise?

I'm not looking for answers from the irrational windbags who lead with raw knee-jerk emotions, or the snide citizens who look down at pro sports as if they were eying cancerous growths rather than valued civic commodities."