Spagnuolo Stresses Team First

From insidestl.com


Spagnuolo Stresses Team First
By Howard Balzer Monday, February 09, 2009



It's been a whirlwind for Steve Spagnuolo since being named Rams coach on Jan. 17. Going to the Senior Bowl, hiring a staff, and now getting ready for the NFL scouting combine, which begins Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.


No, there is no offseason in the NFL.


Amid everything on his plate, Spagnuolo has also been adjusting some things behind the scenes. It all has to do with the "team-first" philosophy he preached in his first press conference.


The first time he entered the team's locker room, Spagnuolo didn't like what he saw. Changes were quickly made.


Previously, above every player's locker, there was an action shot photo of that player. Take them down, Spagnuolo said. In their place will be something more representative of the team.


Also, running back Steven Jackson might not know it yet, but the chair in front of his locker is also gone.


Back in 2003, when tackle Kyle Turley was with the Rams, he bought more comfortable chairs for the offensive linemen to use in their meeting room. An extra chair was delivered to Rams Park, and it ended up at Isaac Bruce's locker. That differed from the small stools that are at every player's locker.


When Bruce was released last year, the chair ended up at Jackson's locker. No more. In Spagnuolo's world, everyone is the same. All part of the team.


It also appears the Rams will hold camp thus summer at Rams Park. Spagnuolo was hopeful of finding a place to train that was only about an hour's drive from Earth City, where players could be away, but fans could attend without too much extra travel. He was told there simply isn't anywhere like that.


The Rams will explore the possibility of having some night practices at Lindenwood University.


Here is Spagnuolo's staff as it stands now:

ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH/FOOTBALL OPERATIONS: Bruce Warwick
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Pat Shurmur
QUARTERBACKS: Dick Curl (assistant head coach)
OFFENSIVE LINE: Steve Loney
ASSISTANT OFFENSIVE LINE: Art Valero
RECEIVERS: Charlie Baggett
RUNNING BACKS: Sylvester Croom
TIGHT ENDS: TBD
OFFENSIVE STAFF: Frank Leonard
QUALITY CONTROL/OFFENSE: TBD
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ken Flajole
DEFENSIVE LINE: Brendan Daly
LINEBACKERS: Paul Ferraro
SECONDARY: TBD
DEFENSIVE STAFF: Andre Curtis
QUALITY CONTROL/DEFENSE: Matt House
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR: Tom McMahon
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING: Rock Gullickson
ASSISTANT STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING: Chuck Faucette


It's possible Leonard could end up coaching tight ends. Ferraro has not officially been named linebackers coach, but that's expected to be his responsibility. Curtis might be the safeties coach with a coach to be hired to coach cornerbacks.

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Originally Posted by ramsanddodgers

The first time he entered the team's locker room, Spagnuolo didn't like what he saw. Changes were quickly made.


Previously, above every player's locker, there was an action shot photo of that player. Take them down, Spagnuolo said. In their place will be something more representative of the team.

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Nothing else to say besides I absolutely love it!

I am so excited about all that is going around in the Rams camp right now I can hardly breath. And we have not even entered FA yet.

GO RAMS!

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Originally Posted by ramsanddodgers

From insidestl.com


Spagnuolo Stresses Team First
By Howard Balzer Monday, February 09, 2009

No, there is no offseason in the NFL.


Amid everything on his plate, Spagnuolo has also been adjusting some things behind the scenes. It all has to do with the "team-first" philosophy he preached in his first press conference.


The first time he entered the team's locker room, Spagnuolo didn't like what he saw. Changes were quickly made.


Previously, above every player's locker, there was an action shot photo of that player. Take them down, Spagnuolo said. In their place will be something more representative of the team.


Also, running back Steven Jackson might not know it yet, but the chair in front of his locker is also gone.


Back in 2003, when tackle Kyle Turley was with the Rams, he bought more comfortable chairs for the offensive linemen to use in their meeting room. An extra chair was delivered to Rams Park, and it ended up at Isaac Bruce's locker. That differed from the small stools that are at every player's locker.


When Bruce was released last year, the chair ended up at Jackson's locker. No more. In Spagnuolo's world, everyone is the same. All part of the team.

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Though not nearly as extreme this reminds me of Tom Coughlin's actions when he became the new headcoach of the New York Giants.

Let me explain.....

A very close friend of mine (Kenny) is the Vice President of the local Giants Fan Club. Every year the club has get togethers. Whether it's a summer cookout or a fancy banquet. Kenny always invites and urges me to attend the various functions. I generally go to at least one each year. Believe me they all know that I am a RAMS fan, period. Well anyway at these functions there is always a guest speaker. At one time they actually had a player active or former as a guest speaker but most recently they have had a guy (KEN PALMER) who covers the Giants for a small local Giants paper. Similiar to Barry Waller here at the Clan, I guess? Ken Palmer has access to press conferences, the players and coaches. I don't know how many years Tom Coughlin has been the headcoach of the Giants now but I do remember Ken Palmer telling all of us at one of the banquets how Coughlin made many unpoplar changes in the locker room rightaway. First of all he had all pictures, radios, televisions and games removed. He also had all the walls painted white. Another thing that stuck with me was that Coughlin took a copy of the previous years injury report and held a team meeting about that injury report. He went on to tell the players if there isn't a broken bone you're playing!!!! That conditioning is going to change drastically.

So is Spags a chip off the old block? Maybe a little so far but he has just started to put his stamp on our team.

Sounds good to me.

I'm certain there will be some female-dogging from players being leaked out to the media. And from that, there will be a breaking in period where players and fans alike will wonder if this whole "Spags" thing was a good idea. But after that, with a new culture in place, wins will follow.

At least I hope so.

Disgruntled Player on Saturday: "Coach is a taskmaster and a jerk!"

Scoreboard on Sunday: Rams 27, Opponent 3

Disgruntled Player on Sunday night: "Coach rules!"

the players currently have a losing mentality..once they put in the hardwork and show that they no longer have that then im sure Spags will give them some slack...giving players slack when they havent earned it is where the problems stem from.

I love this mentality that Spags brings to the club. It just gets me excited for the season to start.

Pretty superficial stuff but a good start, I guess. I just hope they don't neglect the hedges or lobby decor.

The "you're playing if there isn't a broken bone" attitude doesn't make sense. I think it leads to players under-reporting & trying to play through injuries which affects the team sometimes even more negatively than shirking.And for a longer period of time; see SJ's thigh, Little's hammie,etc.

By all means, eliminate the excuse-makers or change their attitude; see Cogs' tummy ache, but a blanket rule like the one ascribed to Coughlin can be detrimental to the team and , in an extreme case like Stringer, tragic for the player.

And how is a coach, never mind we outsider fans, supposed to evaluate value/performance, if he doesn't have accurate information about player injuries? And I don't think he will have accurate feedback from players if that rule is so black & white.

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Originally Posted by Azul e Oro

Pretty superficial stuff but a good start, I guess. I just hope they don't neglect the hedges or lobby decor.

The "you're playing if there isn't a broken bone" attitude doesn't make sense. I think it leads to players under-reporting & trying to play through injuries which affects the team sometimes even more negatively than shirking.And for a longer period of time; see SJ's thigh, Little's hammie,etc.

By all means, eliminate the excuse-makers or change their attitude; see Cogs' tummy ache, but a blanket rule like the one ascribed to Coughlin can be detrimental to the team and , in an extreme case like Stringer, tragic for the player.

And how is a coach, never mind we outsider fans, supposed to evaluate value/performance, if he doesn't have accurate information about player injuries? And I don't think he will have accurate feedback from players if that rule is so black & white.

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While I don't know if there was a literal component to the "broken bone" rule or not, I assume the idea of better conditioning and a focus on mental toughness would be directed more to the latter (Cog's belly ache) than the former (SJ's thigh, Little's hammie). But that's just my assumption.

Coughlin had a very strict approach to the Giants when he first came in but the Giants never became very successful until he gave the players some freedom and stopped treating them like they were soldiers at boot camp. Spagnuolo wasn't there for a lot of Coughlin's really strict days either. You have to have the right balance which is what the Giants had this season and is probably what Spags will bring to the Rams. I'm really liking the direction this team is heading.

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Originally Posted by jmk321

Coughlin had a very strict approach to the Giants when he first came in but the Giants never became very successful until he gave the players some freedom and stopped treating them like they were soldiers at boot camp.

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Seems there was a similar change of approach by a Super Bowl winning coach in about the 1999 season?

THis makes me really want the 2009 season to kickoff!!!