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St. Louis • The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission said Tuesday it has paid $2 million to the St. Louis Rams to cover the team's legal fees for the dispute over upgrades to the Edward Jones Dome that resulted in arbitration.
CVC spokeswoman Donna Andrews said payment was made May 20. Rams spokesman Artis Twyman confirmed the team was paid.
The CVC operates the dome that the Rams have played in since 1995, the year they moved to St. Louis from Anaheim, Calif. The dome was built with taxpayer funds to lure an NFL team.
The 30-year lease agreement allows the Rams to leave after the 2014 season if the dome is not deemed to be among the top quarter of the NFL's 31 stadiums. The two sides were far apart on how to get to that top-tier level, prompting arbitration.
In February, the panel of arbitrators sided with the Rams' far more expensive upgrade plan and ordered the CVC to pay the Rams' legal fees.
Football writers honor Atlanta's Gonzalez
Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez has won the 2013 Good Guy Award from the Professional Football Writers of America.
Gonzalez, who recently announced he will play one more season after originally planning to retire, has been honored for his professionalism in helping pro football writers do their jobs.
Gonzalez had one of his best seasons at age 36 as the Falcons went 13-3 and won the NFC South. One of the NFL's most popular players, Gonzalez caught a team-high 93 passes for 930 yards and eight touchdowns, earning his 13th Pro Bowl appearance.