Bernie Bytes: Rams Better Win Early

Bernie Bytes: Rams better win early

BY BERNIE MIKLASZ, Post-Dispatch Sports Columnist
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

* For several years now the Rams have been handed an NFL schedule that tends to be extreme. What do I mean by that? Well, you'd hope that all 32 teams would receive a fairly equitable distribution of home and road games, with home/road contests spread out evenly, to avoid clusters. But that isn't the case with the Rams' 2012 schedule.

Part of that stems from the Rams' own decision to give up a home game in agreeing to play the New England Patriots in London. That's listed as a home game but we know better than that. The Patriots are very popular in England, and if anything this will seem like a home game for Tom Brady and teammates. In essence, the Rams will have nine road games this season and only seven home games.

Let's take a look:

• The Rams will play two of the first three on the road.

• Beginning in Week 4 against Seattle, the Rams would have had a highly favorable stretch of playing four of five games at The Edward Jones Dome, but the trip to London reduces the advantage.

• As it turns out the Rams will play three of four in St. Louis during the stretch, but even that is complicated by a quick turnaround. After playing Seattle on Sept. 30 the Rams have to quickly pivot to a Thursday night home game vs. Arizona. The third home game during this stretch is against Green Bay on Oct. 21. That won't be easy, and then it's onto London.

• After playing Green Bay at home on Oct. 21 the Rams won't return to The Ed until Nov. 18, for their game against the NY Jets. After the Green Bay home game the Rams go to London, have a bye week, and play at San Francisco.

• To put it another way: because the New England game really isn't a home game, the Rams will have only three games at The Ed over the final 10 weeks of the season.

• Beginning with the Oct. 28 game at London, the Rams will be away from home for six of their last nine, five of their last eight, four of the last six, three of the last four, and their final two games.

• This will be the first time since 2000 that the Rams have closed a season with two consecutive road games.

• Only one of the final four games is against an opponent from the NFC West (Seattle, at the end, on Dec. 30.)

• A huge factor in schedule being so front-loaded with home games is the availability of the Dome. Because of other events booked into the convention center/stadium, several dates in the second half of the season were unavailable for scheduling Rams' home games. That's an issue. I'm sure this will be a point of negotiations in the discussions for a new lease agreement.

Not that anyone realistically expects the rebuilding Rams to contend for a playoff spot this season, but to have a fighting chance they'll have to rack some wins early, and take advantage of having three of four at home before traveling to London. Because the schedule turns against them pretty quickly.

Does anyone else find it hard to believe the Dome wouldn't let the Rams have first pick on Sunday's as far as scheduling goes? I know they didn't know about the London game, but wouldn't they leave the fall dates blocked out and give the Rams first choice?

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Originally Posted by MoonJoe

Does anyone else find it hard to believe the Dome wouldn't let the Rams have first pick on Sunday's as far as scheduling goes? I know they didn't know about the London game, but wouldn't they leave the fall dates blocked out and give the Rams first choice?

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Your right moonjoe. I can't imagine this kind of thing happening, in many other cities.? In their defense, the football produced by the Rams has been beyond pitiful. So it's understandable to some degree. But Id still like to see more passion, and a bigger respect for the game of football in the city of St.Louis.?

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The Patriots are very popular in England

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Anybody else see the irony in this?

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Originally Posted by HUbison

Anybody else see the irony in this?

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No I didn't but that is funny! I think for the most part they forgave our breakup after we helped them in WWII. ;)

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Originally Posted by MoonJoe

Does anyone else find it hard to believe the Dome wouldn't let the Rams have first pick on Sunday's as far as scheduling goes?

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You'd think that would be the case , but when you have a city owned and operated facility, this is what teams have to deal with. I worked for a convention center complex with an Arena, and it's all about cramming as many revenue generating events as possible into the space available. Like Bernie mentioned, it ultimately comes down to negotiations and the final terms of the lease. If the Rams want control of Sunday dates, they can negotiate it.

"RAMS better win early"..is laughable! Didn't a 9-7 team just win the SuperbowL?

I have to say that I get a bit irritated at the whining and crying and conspiracy theorists out there who take issue with everything the league does. The notion that somehow the league "has it out for the Rams" or is trying to screw them in some way is simply preposterous and baseless. We've already discussed the formula-based schedule on another thread. Enough with the excuses: we've simply been a crappy football team for years now- THAT is the reason we've been unsuccessful- NOT schedule-making or anything else. When you're lousy, EVERYTHING becomes magnified- the schedule, your injuries, and all other intangibles.


The Giants last year had probably the toughest second half schedule in football. They had numerous injuries to key guys for much of the season. They responded by overcoming adversity, improving throughout the season, winning every playoff game on the road and winning the Super Bowl. THAT is what a winning organization does- not bellyache about the schedule or the factors stacked up against them. NO ONE had the Giants penciled in as a Super Bowl team at week 15 of the NFL season- some even had them missing the playoffs.

I fail to see how the 2012 Rams schedule is some kind of monster. At no time do the Rams play more than 2 away games in a row (forget London- when two teams travel overseas no one has an advantage over the other). Washington, Miami, Tampa, Buffalo and Minnesota are all teams that are beatable based on last year's records. Two of our divisional foes- Seattle and Arizona- are below average football teams. The opportunity is there for us: How do we as fans respond- by accepting the challenge to be better or piss and moan about how unfair things are?

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I have to say that I get a bit irritated at the whining and crying and conspiracy theorists out there who take issue with everything the league does.

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Maybe I missed it, but who exactly is doing this?

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Originally Posted by HUbison

Maybe I missed it, but who exactly is doing this?

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HUb- Bernie just wrote an article that qualifies. He claimed for several years the Rams have been given an extreme schedule (a dubious claim at best, and excuse-making at worst). He also bellyached about not having "an equitable distribution of home/away games- a claim that is completely ridiculous. There isn't ONE SINGLE INSTANCE in 2012 of the Rams playing more than two away games in a row except for London- a decision the RAMS THEMSELVES MADE!! And there's a whole other thread devoted to the schedule predicated on the false belief that the Rams have somehow gotten purposely stiffed by the NFL and agreed with by many Clanrammers- also completely ridiculous and flat out untrue.

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Originally Posted by NJ Ramsfan1

HUb- Bernie just wrote an article that qualifies. He claimed for several years the Rams have been given an extreme schedule (a dubious claim at best, and excuse-making at worst). He also bellyached about not having "an equitable distribution of home/away games- a claim that is completely ridiculous. There isn't ONE SINGLE INSTANCE in 2012 of the Rams playing more than two away games in a row except for London- a decision the RAMS THEMSELVES MADE!! And there's a whole other thread devoted to the schedule predicated on the false belief that the Rams have somehow gotten purposely stiffed by the NFL and agreed with by many Clanrammers- also completely ridiculous and flat out untrue.

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A) Bernie is not a ClanRammer (thank the heavens).

B) I've read that other thread, and nowhere in it is there a ClanRam poster agreeing with the premise that the NFL has some conspiracy against the Rams. In fact, there were no less than 7 posts in that thread with a poster specifically stating "there is no conspiracy".

I'm just not sure what you're seeing, but nobody here is advocating a conspiracy theory.

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Originally Posted by HUbison

Bernie is not a ClanRammer (thank the heavens).

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That hurts, man. That really hurts.

You know, I did post about the "Saints throwing the game last year" conspiracy (that went no where). Thank goodness cooler heads helped un-convice me.

However........

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Originally Posted by NJ Ramsfan1

The opportunity is there for us: How do we as fans respond- by accepting the challenge to be better or piss and moan about how unfair things are?

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It's more important the team accepts the challenge, don't you think? One thing is for sure, the Rams likely won't be favored to win any of their games making them the perpetual underdog. Maybe they can build on that somehow.

Geez, just get a product on the field that is not laughabe...... strap the helmet on and play fundamental football.
Who cares where what when..............