The LA Ram Fan

[RamTime]

I Found this on Jerry's Rams site.

THE LA RAMFAN
We are the red-headed step-child, that uncle no one talks about or Jackie Gleason's character the "poor soul". What we are is the few, the proud, the LA Ram fan. We grew up loving that blue and white horn helmet, our idols had names like Deacon, Merlin, Roman & Maxie. We listened to Dick Enberg's play by play of the Ram games on the radio. If we were fortunate, we got to see them in person at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on a warm Sunday afternoon. We loved when our Rams went 11-1-2 in 1967 and cried when we lost to the Vikings in the 1969 playoffs. We stayed loyal thru the Prothro regime and salute him for his picks in the draft. Names like Hacksaw, Youngblood, Isiah Robertson and Dave Elmendorf would be the foundation
for the future. We get a new owner and a new head coach. Carroll Rosenbloom and Chuck Knox were their names. Starting in
1973, the Ram uniform changes color and so does the losing. We become the new NFL monsters going 12-2 in 1973. In the next seven years, our Rams set records that will NEVER be broken. Fred Dryer's 2 safeties in one game. Holding the Seahawks to -7 total yards in a game. Winning 7 straight divisions starting 7 different Quarterbacks. But, for some reason, we never got the breaks in the playoffs. In 1973, we go 12-2 and Dallas goes 10-4. We even beat them in the regular season. But, we
play the playoff game in Dallas. In 1974, we go 10-4 and so does the Minnesota Vikings. But, we beat the Vikes in a regular season game. But, instead of getting the Vikings in
LA on a warm day, we play the NFC
championship game in the snow in
Minnesota. We go over 99 yards and get no points and lose 14-10. In 1976, we go to the 6-inch line and on 4th down, Knox decides to kick a FG. Dempsey's kick is blocked and the Vikings run it back for a TD. Then in 1977, it was the mud bowl. It seemed we were jinxed, then in 1979 when Vinnie hit Waddy for that winning TD against Dallas. Finally making it to he Super Bowl and
getting emotional when Jack Youngblood, playing with a broken leg, is introduced to the world. And being so proud of our team in the way they played the Steelers in
the Super Bowl. Even though we loved our team, the new owner of the Rams, Georgia, did things we never would forget. When Carroll Rosenbloom drowned
just 8 months before the Rams played
in SB XIV, no tribute for her
husband. Not a armband or even a
few words. This was Georgia's coming
out party. Then on top of that was
the ticket scalping that sent her
new husband, Dominic Frontiere to
prison. Letting Hacksaw help our
arch-rival niners win their first
Super Bowl, letting Bruzinski go
to the Dolphins and Vinnie to the
CFL. We stayed loyal to the team
that was our Father's team. We
watch as our Rams who don't go after
plan B free agents as the niners
do, that helps them get another
SB ring.
We were devastated and angry when
the NFL owners approved the move of
our team to St. Louis. Alot of Ram
fans became ex rams fans. But, their
was that Ram fan that became a Ram
fan because of their Father. And
even though, they could care less
for the owner, it was the players
and tradition that they were loyal
to.
You see, we are the best fans in
the world. We didn't start out as
Cardinal fans and then become Ram
fans. We stay with our team, we are
the Wild Bunch. And even though she
snubbed us last Sunday. We
could care less, we are loyal to
"THAT THREAD" that links Deacon
Jones to Jack Youngblood to Kevin
Carter. We are devoted like we were
to that blue and white helmet. So
I salute you! The greatest fans in
the world. The LA Ram fan.

[RamDez]

Sorry but I read this as patronising rubbish designed to create an argument and put RAM FANS from different citys against each other. If it had been edited to reflect how LA fans still support the team rather than focus on the LA being hurt side .........

Sure I feel sorry for the LA lot but you know, I, A Scotsman who travels to see the Rams wherever they are, can feel nothing for that.

[RamTime]

It looks like this was written about a week after the 2000 superbowl. I am not sure who wrote it but I have a good idea and I can assure you that his intentions were not to divide. I think he is stating how the move from LA to Stl., filtered out many fans that claimed to be Ram Fans. What could cause a problem is the title and the ending which should just say Rams fans and not LA Rams fans.

[HUbison]

It looks like this was written about a week after the 2000 superbowl. I am not sure who wrote it but I have a good idea and I can assure you that his intentions were not to divide. I think he is stating how the move from LA to Stl., filtered out many fans that claimed to be Ram Fans. What could cause a problem is the title and the ending which should just say Rams fans and not LA Rams fans.

I don't know about the writer's intentions, but I know the result. The LA fan has seen a lot of ups and downs, wins & losses, the good, the bad. And I salute those that have been there for that. The St. Louis fan has not. In my lifetime, the Cardinals never had any ups, only downs. Bidwell never wanted to be here, and bolted for the desert first chance. We had nothing. For St. Louis football fans, we had to either pick up some team at random, venture cross state to root for the Chiefs, or simply watch whatever game happens to be on. That is ALL we had.

Then, for whatever reason, we got our team. They weren't impressive in the win column and had been discarded by most of the NFL as an "easy Sunday", but they were our team. Blue & Gold became dominant colors for the fall and winter. We had our Blues & our Redbirds, but there was more than enough room for our Rams. But this was not a team for one city. When the Rams moved to town, they parted company with several fans, but they also brought with them a more true fan. They brought the fans of Merlin, Deacon, Norm, Youngblood, Grier, Dickerson, Flipper, Everett, Hacksaw, etc. These LA Rams fans had seen it all. And the best part is there is room enough for all.

Do the Rams belong to the St. Louis fans? No. The past is too embedded to limit this team to one city. Do the Rams belong to the LA fans? No. The future is too bright to limit this team to one city.

But you see that is the beauty of our team. LA, St. Louis, Scotland, Miami, Oregon, Washington, Lincoln, England, Atlanta, Morgantown, Austin, San Antonio (there you go Terry), ..., it doesn't matter, we are all simply Ram fans, nothing more, nothing less, but always Ram fans.

[thoey]

But you see that is the beauty of our team. LA, St. Louis, Scotland, Miami, Oregon, Washington, Lincoln, England, Atlanta, Morgantown, Austin, ..., it doesn't matter, we are all simply Ram fans, nothing more, nothing less, but always Ram fans.

HEY!!! There is more to Texas than Austin...

[HUbison]

HEY!!! There is more to Texas than Austin...

Sorry, Terry. I was just grabbing cities & states at random and happen to think of Tx which lead me to write in Austin. For the record, San Antonio is a lovely city. Please re-visit my earlier post. :tongue:

[txramsfan]

There may be more to Texas than Austin, but Austin is the Oasis of Texas.... and you know it Terry.

:tongue:

[thoey]

There may be more to Texas than Austin, but Austin is the Oasis of Texas.... and you know it Terry.

:tongue:

Sorry, I misread that at first and thought you said anus...

Kidding. Austin is great if you like all that hustle and bustle. San Antonio has all the features of the BIG city, but with the small town attitude... Besides, I thought there was a chance you were moving here?

[RamDez]

It looks like this was written about a week after the 2000 superbowl. I am not sure who wrote it but I have a good idea and I can assure you that his intentions were not to divide. I think he is stating how the move from LA to Stl., filtered out many fans that claimed to be Ram Fans. What could cause a problem is the title and the ending which should just say Rams fans and not LA Rams fans.

I can also guess that he wrote it just after the super bowl when she who must be listened to came up with that acceptance speach. I too was anoyed by what she said but only from the point that as a Scotsman, I felt she missed my name out

[RamTime]

HUbison.
Great reply!

[r8rh8rmike]

It definitely would have been nice to hear her say that the Super Bowl win was for "all" loyal Ram fans who supported the team through the good and the bad. Her statement had a mean spirited pupose IMHO.

[RamDez]

It definitely would have been nice to hear her say that the Super Bowl win was for "all" loyal Ram fans who supported the team through the good and the bad. Her statement had a mean spirited pupose IMHO.

You know, as I was watching her take the trophy and was basking in the fact that OUR RAMS had won it, I got the feeling that she was stickingit to the NFL and for that I like her LOL :mask:

[HUbison]

It definitely would have been nice to hear her say that the Super Bowl win was for "all" loyal Ram fans who supported the team through the good and the bad. Her statement had a mean spirited pupose IMHO.

Sorry to be the slow one here, but could someone please refresh my memory on what it was she said in her acceptance speech? I honestly don't recall.

[r8rh8rmike]

HUbison, she held up the Super Bowl trophy and said something to the effect of, "This is for the Ram fans in ST. LOUIS!" Absolutely nothing against Ram fans in St. Louis, but I'm sure I was not the only longtime suffering Ram fan who was taken aback by the statement.

[r8rh8rmike]

You know, as I was watching her take the trophy and was basking in the fact that OUR RAMS had won it, I got the feeling that she was stickingit to the NFL and for that I like her

Dez, I would attribute her "this just proves I made the right decision to move the team to St. Louis" part of the statement as a slam on the NFL. I think she hit just about everyone she could in the speech. Very bitter woman. LOL