If not for Vermeil there is no GSOT. People don't give Vermeil the credit due.

[Curly Horns]

Not according to Dick Vermeil in an article titled 'Bombs Away' by SI's Peter King in SI's commemorative book after SB34. The book is full of great articles about that magical season. In fact this particular article seems to refute what is often posted here, by other fans, after Trent Green's knee was injured. Martz was very distraught after the injury and states that Vermeil had a lot of confidence in Warner.

There is mention, in another article titled 'Road To Glory' by Lars Anderson, that Vermeil was summoned to LA, drilled for five hours and given a list of demands to fill by shaw. However, the hiring of an OC, let alone a particular OC, was not mentioned in the list of demands.

Now you can all call Vermeil a liar, if you so choose, but this is how the story is told in the book mentioned above.

This book was a special collectors edition produced after the victory in SB34. I have a link to where a person can buy a copy of the book. If you'd like the link let me know, otherwise I will post the link in this thread at a future date and time.

not sure if I agree with that mate.

Vermeil was summoned to Sedona after the 98 season and was read the riot act and I do believe he was told who to hire.

Might be wrong though

I do agree that without Faulk we would never have turned it around.

[RamDez]

makes for some good reading

[Curly Horns]

makes for some good reading

Anything that is Rams related, while in bold print with great color pictures, makes for good reading. I grew up and spent most of my life without the internet to follow the Rams by. Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News were the information highways of those days.

[HornIt]

Not according to Dick Vermeil in an article titled 'Bombs Away' by SI's Peter King in SI's commemorative book after SB34. The book is full of great articles about that magical season. In fact this particular article seems to refute what is often posted here, by other fans, after Trent Green's knee was injured. Martz was very distraught after the injury and states that Vermeil had a lot of confidence in Warner.

There is mention, in another article titled 'Road To Glory' by Lars Anderson, that Vermeil was summoned to LA, drilled for five hours and given a list of demands to fill by shaw. However, the hiring of an OC, let alone a particular OC, was not mentioned in the list of demands.

Now you can all call Vermeil a liar, if you so choose, but this is how the story is told in the book mentioned above.

This book was a special collectors edition produced after the victory in SB34. I have a link to where a person can buy a copy of the book. If you'd like the link let me know, otherwise I will post the link in this thread at a future date and time.

Yep, and that has essentially been validated by those who covered the team at the time.

DV liked Warner and wanted to give him a look at the end of the 98' season, which he did. He believed the team was fine with Warner as the #2 QB behind Green all along going into the 99' season. Martz did not. Martz wanted to bring in Paul Justin as the backup to Green. Martz admitted himself that he didn't even know who Kurt Warner was before he got to the Rams.

[PARamfan]

The bottom line is this people and I have never been shy on where I stand on this debate because I grew up in a n area and watched DV turn one of the worst franchises in the world into a winner(Eagles)took them to a Superbowl.When he was hired as Rams coach I was ecstatic and knew he would turn our pathetic team around as well and he did.it took him 3 years to put the pieces in place and Faulk and Warner were the pieces we needed at that point.
Back to the bottom line Superbowl wins by head coach Vermeil 1 Martz 0 and this one he had a big hand in the loss because his ego was always bigger than his brain.

[AvengerRam]

Vermiel isn't a liar, but I doubt he'd write a book titled Stop Giving Me Credit - It Was All Martz's Doing (The Dick Vermiel Story).

Truth be told, this is a pointless debate. Here are the top 10 reasons for the GSOT and its success:

1. Marshall Faulk
2. Kurt Warner
3. Isaac Bruce
4. Torry Holt
5. Orlando Pace
6. Az-Zahir Hakim
7. Adam Timmerman
8. Ricky Proehl
9. The rest of the O line
10. The TEs and FBs

Why argue about who is #11?

[PARamfan]

Vermiel isn't a liar, but I doubt he'd write a book titled Stop Giving Me Credit - It Was All Martz's Doing (The Dick Vermiel Story).

Truth be told, this is a pointless debate. Here are the top 10 reasons for the GSOT and its success:

1. Marshall Faulk
2. Kurt Warner
3. Isaac Bruce
4. Torry Holt
5. Orlando Pace
6. Az-Zahir Hakim
7. Adam Timmerman
8. Ricky Proehl
9. The rest of the O line
10. The TEs and FBs

Why argue about who is #11?

You're right about 1 thing heve Av players win games.But my question to you is who assemblled and coached this group of players?Who was the man that lead them to ultimate victory?

[AvengerRam]

Charley Armey, John Shaw, Jay Zygmunt, Dick Vermiel, Mike Martz, Al Saunders and Henry Ellard.

[PARamfan]

I'll give you Armey and Vermeil and maybe Ellard but the rest,no they presided over more losing seasons and tearing down teams than these others.I say Vermeil won in spite of Shaw and Zygmunt's ineptitude.That's just my opinion.

[RamsSB99]

Vermiel isn't a liar, but I doubt he'd write a book titled Stop Giving Me Credit - It Was All Martz's Doing (The Dick Vermiel Story).

Truth be told, this is a pointless debate. Here are the top 10 reasons for the GSOT and its success:

1. Marshall Faulk
2. Kurt Warner
3. Isaac Bruce
4. Torry Holt
5. Orlando Pace
6. Az-Zahir Hakim
7. Adam Timmerman
8. Ricky Proehl
9. The rest of the O line
10. The TEs and FBs

Why argue about who is #11?

No need to argue about #11. You don't even get to #11 without the players. Thats why #1 is the HC that helped bring all the players in in the first place. First you need a HC that says the type of players he wants goes out and gets them and then you need to hope the HC picked the right players and coaches to coach them.

The HC is number 1 because this was a losing franchise and the coach had to get the players first and he chose the players he thought he needed on this team to succeed. Then all the rest of those slide down the list. Then #12 would be our front 7 on defense that Vermeil assembled in 1999 it was very good. The DL was great and the LBs where good led by Fletcher. #13 would be the coaches that coached the players which the HC chose.

[RamsSB99]

Vermiel is a proven HC he took a losing Phily team and in three years turned it into a good team. He took a Rams team and within three years turned it into the GSOT (he assmebled the players). Then he went to KC and he took a losing KC team and after one year on the job his team had a better record the next four years (2002-2005) then the GSOT team that he left and was coached by Martz. Vermeil assembled the talent and coaches that created a high power offense in KC and in his first year 2002 KC blew the Rams out 49-10 KC won.

Vermeil HC for three organizations. All three where perenial losers when he took over and all three turned into winners.

Vermeil's HC success rate at taking bad teams and turning them into good teams:
3-0

[PARamfan]

Vermiel is a proven HC he took a losing Phily team and in three years turned it into a good team. He took a Rams team and within three years turned it into the GSOT (he assmebled the players). Then he went to KC and he took a losing KC team and after one year on the job his team had a better record the next four years (2002-2005) then the GSOT team that he left and was coached by Martz. Vermeil assembled the talent and coaches that created a high power offense in KC and in his first year 2002 KC blew the Rams out 49-10 KC won.

Vermeil HC for three organizations. All three where perenial losers when he took over and all three turned into winners.

Vermeil's HC success rate at taking bad teams and turning them into good teams:
3-0

And to add to this stat Martz can't even keep an OC job longer than a year anymore.

[theodus69]

I feel the chemistry of that 99 team was like non other we will ever see in Rams history. All parts of the Puzzle were there. i feel if Martz was more into winning and not power , they might have won more SB's IMO.
Vermeil should have stayed longer. And Martz should have taken a back seat for awhile longer and reaped the rewards. Instead he forgot to oil the car and it blew up. Martz is not a HC , an OC ,yes . HC.....no!
But to what this thread is asking........ It was definately a team effort and the perfect set up. Those memories will be with me forever!!!!!!!!!