Spagnuolo’s four pillars: faith, character, core values, team first

[RamWraith]

By Bill Coats
St. Louis Post-Dispatch


These were Steve Spagnuolo’s opening remarks Monday before taking questions from reporters:

“It’s a privilege and an honor to stand in front of you as the head football coach of the St. Louis Rams. I’m a very blessed man.

“I’d like to first thank Chip Rosenbloom, Lucia Rodriguez, Stan Kroenke, John Shaw. A few days ago when we sat down and visited, it was due to them that we got to this point today. I’d also like to thank Billy and Lawrence McCutcheon, who were involved in that same process, for their role.

“I was very, very fortunate in this league to work for two outstanding organizations, and it’s because of the experience in those two organizations and the people that I worked with that I’m able to be here today. So I would like to thank (Eagles owner) Jeffrey and Christina Lurie, (Eagles president) Joe Banner, (coach) Andy Reid, (defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson and all the players and coaches down in Philadelphia who for eight years helped me grow as a football coach and got me to this point.

“And my deepest, deepest appreciation to the Mara family (Giants owners), the Tisch family (Giants executives), (coach) Tom Coughlin, (general manager) Jerry Reese and those very, very special coaches and players for the New York Giants who made two years there some of the most memorable years of my life. Very, very special.

“To my parents and family and friends for their undying support throughout my entire career. That’s all meant a lot. And most importantly, the most important person in my life, I’d like to thank my wife, Maria, for all she has done for me and hopefully will continue to do. Maria and I are real excited to be a part of the St. Louis Rams and this community. We look forward to a wonderful, wonderful experience.

“As a head coach, I will be committed to doing everything possible to bring success to this franchise. I’m not about predictions, I’m not about bold statements. But we hope that we’re going to be about faith, character, core values and team first. Those will be the four pillars we will hang our hat on.

“The group here -– Billy and myself and all the people that are going to work here in the St. Louis Rams organization –- we all know the overwhelming amount of work and effort it takes to build success and to sustain it. But I think with the help of the people involved and the support of an outstanding ownership group that we will be able to do that.”

More later . . .

[Curly Horns]

Tell me i'm not having a dream.....lol

This is a great hire for our Rams.

This guy is a leader. I was not even there yet I can sense it in his words.

Very well done by all.

Great things to come....Great things!

[dewalt_ram]

Great to hear that finally some leadership and direction for this team in which this team has not had since Vermiel retired. Weed out the players who only want a CHECK and build a team with players who want to WIN SOME TITLES!!!!!

[BlueTalon]

Bump for comic value.


(I had to search to find what the original 4 pillars were, and ended up with this.)

[GROUND DOG 39]

I in no way, shape or form, felt energized after hearing this press conference. Do us a favour Ferter.:

[fliptalianstallion]

Spags's legacy of bringing character will carry on with this team. He may not have built this team under loads of talent or great coaching, but the foundation of character is something that will bring greatness to this team in the long haul

[MoonJoe]

It doesn't bother me one bit he tried to bring success based on the four pillars. I would take that all day over secretly taping walk throughs, punching your assistant coach or or breaking your team mates eye socket. All day long.

[NJ Ramsfan1]

It doesn't bother me one bit he tried to bring success based on the four pillars. I would take that all day over secretly taping walk throughs, punching your assistant coach or or breaking your team mates eye socket. All day long.

100% right, MoonJoe. Neither Spags nor anyone else should ever have to apologize for his values or for trying to do things the right way. In an age of cheaters and scheisters, I applaud Spags for his efforts at bringing class to the organization. It's just too bad he did not get the job done on the field.

[Curly Horns]

I in no way, shape or form, felt energized after hearing this press conference. Do us a favour Ferter.:

Hmmm?

Who is us? And what kind of favor does us want?

Certainly you don't expect me to apologize for some optimism that I wrote 3 years ago? At that time we were coming out of the linehan era with spags being highly touted and most, if not all, Rams fans were extremely optimistic.

Now, I have no clue where you were 3 years ago, but I do know you were not even a member of the ClanRam when I wrote that post. Of course you probably would have posted your displeasure and passed off spags' remarks as pure rubbish had you been a member?

At least you are not as classless as the hawks fan that decides to bump this thread because it finds humor in another man's values and principles. How in the hell that is funny - I have no idea. Perhaps this individual feels that Spags wronged him/her in some manner? God only knows.

[GROUND DOG 39]

Hmmm?

Who is us? And what kind of favor does us want?

Certainly you don't expect me to apologize for some optimism that I wrote 3 years ago? At that time we were coming out of the linehan era with spags being highly touted and most, if not all, Rams fans were extremely optimistic.

Now, I have no clue where you were 3 years ago, but I do know you were not even a member of the ClanRam when I wrote that post. Of course you probably would have posted your displeasure and passed off spags' remarks as pure rubbish had you been a member?

At least you are not as classless as the hawks fan that decides to bump this thread because it finds humor in another man's values and principles. How in the hell that is funny - I have no idea. Perhaps this individual feels that Spags wronged him/her in some manner? God only knows.

I was joking Ferter. I posted a face, but it didn't come up on your thread. It showed up as : for some reason.

[fearsome foursome]

Ferter, we all shared that same optimism. And feel the same way again. Hope springs eternal.

[BlueTalon]

At least you are not as classless as the hawks fan that decides to bump this thread because it finds humor in another man's values and principles. How in the hell that is funny - I have no idea. Perhaps this individual feels that Spags wronged him/her in some manner? God only knows.

At the risk of offending you further, allow me to explain the humor. It has nothing to do with Spags' actual pillars, which are admirable. It has to do with the fact that most of ClanRam has been in a state of angst regarding Spags and Devany, and every mention of the 4 pillars I could find was lampooning them or marginalizing them (in a football context). I simply didn't know what they were.

When I searched and found this post, it was an "aha" moment for me, and I instantly understood the situation a lot better. We had the same kind of thing happen with the Seahawks -- while it wasn't codified into anything like the 4 pillars, our new GM had a philosophy of only getting high character players... and we went from Super Bowl contenders to a pile of crap in just four years.

Look, "another man's values and principles" is fine for that man and whoever agrees with him. But those values and principles helped keep the Rams locked in the cellar. If you don't feel some sort of positive emotion because Spags' 4 pillars are no longer the driving force behind building the Rams, then I don't know what else to tell you.

Anyway, the humor was just in comparing the posts that were SOOOOOO excited about Spags and his new 4 pillars (regardless of who posted them) with the unmitigated relief, three years later, that he's gone.

Now is the time for unbridled optimism with Fisher & Co., and I'm happy for Rams fans.