ST. LOUIS — The hastily organized gathering in the parking lot of the Missouri Athletic Club, just a stone’s throw from the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis, had the feel of a political stump speech.
On a recent steamy Thursday evening, local luminaries including Mayor Francis Slay jumped onstage to whip up the crowd of a few hundred fans, some of whom carried homemade signs and sang songs including one with the lyrics “We’re not gonna move” to the tune of the Twisted Sister song “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
But instead of fishing for votes, Slay and the other speakers tried to drum up support for a $1 billion stadium project that they hoped would keep E.