A Very Interesting Article You Can Draw Your Own Conlusions From

[r8rh8rmike]

From October, 1997:

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

You wondered how long the Rams would take to wear out their welcome in St. Louis, and here's the answer.

Less than 1,000 days. Georgia Frontiere's Camelot was shorter-lived than the Kennedys'.

Four-game winners when they fled Anaheim after 1994, the Rams are 2-5 and on pace for another one of those seasons. Quick turnarounds are not only possible but common in the modern NFL, and of the last-place teams in '94, the only one that hasn't already made it to .500 or better is you-know-who.

The offense is about as nimble as the Gateway Arch, the fans who forked over $80 million for personal seat licenses are yawning loudly and the St. Louis media's good nature is being sorely tested.

"Thank God for the Blues,'' the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted a fan saying at the Rams' 17-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at the Trans World Dome on Sunday.

At this rate, the Rams will lose more games in a 16-game football season than the Blues will in an 82-game hockey season.

What to do?

Between coach Dick Vermeil and Pro Bowl wide receiver Isaac Bruce, one of them has an idea, and it isn't Vermeil.

Sunday, Bruce lashed out at the play-calling and the team's effort, apparently venting frustration that started when he injured a hamstring in training camp and Vermeil questioned his offseason conditioning.

"It's going kind of backward for us,'' Bruce told reporters. "I think we made some huge strides last year as far as putting points on the board and playing harder than we are right now."

"We're in a backpedal. The offense is not playing hard. The defense is playing hard sometimes.''

Vermeil responded by referring to Bruce as the Rams' "so-called superstar'' and asking, essentially, who is he to make such broad criticisms?

The answer, actually, is Bruce really is a superstar. He's the community-spirited and very popular "Reverend Ike'' to St. Louis fans and he has done more for the Rams than Vermeil has so far.

Vermeil, 60 and lured back into coaching 14 years after he walked away from the Philadelphia Eagles, might find his second case of burnout has a shorter incubation period.

The blame for the league's second-worst offense, which hasn't scored a touchdown this month, is falling squarely on Vermeil.

Among the criticisms:

Vermeil, known for a quick hook in his Philadelphia heyday, is too slow to make changes with the Rams. Biggest change so far: Rookie punter Will Brice was released.

Meanwhile, young quarterback Tony Banks takes every snap and completes less than half his passes while one-time Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien sits, and running back Lawrence Phillips averages 3.6 yards and enjoys Vermeil's support.

Vermeil has spread himself too thin and should take over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Jerry Rhome.

On third down from their 15 in the second quarter Sunday, the Rams tried a reverse and fumbled the handoff.

"I don't think St. Louis wants to put the game in Tony's hands that early, and when you go to trick plays in the second quarter, that's an indicator,'' Seattle cornerback Jeremy Lincoln said.

The Rams don't throw deep to Bruce, their one true threat, often enough.

As Bruce put it: "I'm going to be double-teamed probably for the rest of my career. If you're not going to try to maneuver some kind of way out of that, I guess I'm just going to be taken out of the game every week. I'm a guy who can beat the double-team. I've proven that before.''

Of course, singling out one player or one problem isn't fair to all the others. From horns to heels, the Rams are just a bad football team.

Occasionally the defense steps up against a struggling team, and that's how they beat the New Orleans Saints and the slow-starting New York Giants early in the season. Since then, they've lost three straight.

Anybody in the market for a worn-out welcome?

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz, among others, has seen enough.

After the loss to Seattle he wrote this "could have been the most inept offensive performance that this football-deprived city has ever observed.''

"The football Cardinals . . . were never this bad artistically,'' he wrote, accusing the Rams of "fielding a vague and unidentifiable offense'' in which "the play-calling borders on sabotage.''

Sometimes, such attacks from outside the fold will bring a team and its coaches together. So let's see a big hug.

You first, Ike. No, you first, Dick.

Right now, the Rams aren't good enough to use locker-room chaos as an excuse.

What to do?

The answer from Los Angeles: Hey, it's not our problem anymore.

[AvengerRam]

The conclusion is obvious. Martz saved Vermiel's job (with some help from Marshall and Kurt).

[rammiser]

If you want to keep Losehan thats your opinion, but why? Because we kept Vermiel in 98? This is a completely different situation with a coach that bounces between himself and Olsen calling plays. Losehan continuousley gets yelled at by Jackson for calling stupid sweep plays. Bulger rolled his eyes at the guy and constantly yells at the sideline when a long developing pass play gets him smoked. Then Holt yells and screams at him because afterall he is our best wr yet we are running plays to stone hands Bennet down after down. In the grand scheme of things this is how you need to look at it. Who would you rather have coaching this team Marty Shottenhiemer or Scott Losehan? If you choose Losehan your just being stubbourn. Not only will this team not go backwards next year I think it would be possible to make the playoffs with an intelligent head coach. How can we get worse than what we have now. Giving Losehan another year just because is stupid. Fire him and take a run at Marty.

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by AvengerRam

The conclusion is obvious. Martz saved Vermiel's job (with some help from Marshall and Kurt).

Definitely a conclusion one could make. In addition to probably saving Vermiel's job, Martz also was able to smooth out things with Bruce, who had a genuine dislike for his head coach as well as the way he did things on offense.

[general counsel]

I think ziggy and shaw deserve a lot of credit. They made the deal for faulk and made the move to get trent green. The biggest difference maker was faulk not martz, although martz sure helped.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by rammiser

Who would you rather have coaching this team Marty Shottenhiemer or Scott Losehan? If you choose Losehan your just being stubbourn.

I certainly have no problem with anyone who feels Linehan should go if that's their opinion. As for me, barring some major team revolt against him, I would rather have Linehan. You obviously don't know me if you feel I'm saying this just to be stubborn or to try and win some silly argument. Nothing could be further from the truth, so don't try and make the case that you know why I believe a certain way because you most certainly don't.

If this article shows anything, it's that the possibilty is there for a team to work things out, reload and rebound, despite player/coach difficulties and extreme adversity.

[AvengerRam]

Originally Posted by r8rh8rmike

If this article shows anything, it's that the possibilty is there for a team to work things out, reload and rebound, despite player/coach difficulties and extreme adversity.

Fine, its a possibility.

Now let's talk about probabilities...

[RealRam]

Originally Posted by R8rh8rmike

If this article shows anything, it's that the possibilty is there for a team to work things out, reload and rebound, despite player/coach difficulties and extreme adversity.

Possible indeed. AV questions the probabilities. I agree in that the odds are not very good, especially given the latest incidents [Holt] and record. But I do see a parallel in the article.

That's why I voted 'Disagree' in the 'Fire SL Now' poll.


Question:
How often do NFL Head Coaches resign (quit) voluntarily?

[ramsbruce]

Originally Posted by RealRam

Question:
How often do NFL Head Coaches resign (quit) voluntarily?

Bill Parcells has never been fired. Bobby Petrino this year. Nick Saban last year. That's all I have for you off of the top of my head RR.

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by AvengerRam

Fine, its a possibility.

Now let's talk about probabilities...

Um, okay.....

[RealRam]

Thanks, RB.

Petrino relinquishing his HC position at Falcons two weeks ago ... I wonder if this didn't trigger the minds in our Rams FO to start brewing a "quiet invitation" for someone to follow that example.

:\

[yodachu]

U know what I have been thinking, why did we ever hire Linehan? He has been coordinator under Mike Tice and Nick Saban. At least I think it was Saban. Not exactly the greatest of mentors. Martz had Vermiel. Belicheck had Parcells. McCarthy had Holmgren. Crennel had Belicheck. Um yeah, it doesn't seem like the successful head coaches now a days didn't get there on their own, they had great mentors. And Linehan, he had crap.

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by yodachu

U know what I have been thinking, why did we ever hire Linehan? He has been coordinator under Mike Tice and Nick Saban. At least I think it was Saban. Not exactly the greatest of mentors. Martz had Vermiel. Belicheck had Parcells. McCarthy had Holmgren. Crennel had Belicheck. Um yeah, it doesn't seem like the successful head coaches now a days didn't get there on their own, they had great mentors. And Linehan, he had crap.

Maybe you should rethink your McCarthy example because he never coached under or with Holmgren at any time.

[Fat Pang]

I think that this is a very pertinent and timely article.

It demonstrates that patience in the face of adversity is often better than what Bruce himself has termed the 'Microwave mentality ' that we often see today.

For me, Holt's outburst was a regrettable public faux pas that has not and will not serve either himself or his team very well at all. It has lessened him to some degree in my opinion and it isn't something he should be lionised for.

Again, how is this little tirade to be taken at face value over other statement of support for Linehan?

Simple, it fits with what some people want to hear.

Why do people put such weight into negative, destructive anger over more positive sentiment?

Simple, they're p***ed off themselves.

Of course, it has served to fuel the mosh pit of Linehan hate which has made such a display of itself on these boards and many others. It has not and will not change my belief that we should see a third season of Linehan but neither has it entrenched it.

It isn't a quesiton of being a real fan or not; never has been, never will be. Its a question of whether you genuinely believe that success will come sooner to this team by firing Linehan or by giving him that third option.

If he fails next season with a largely healthy team, he should go. But to put such weight in the public tantrum of a wide receiver in an injury filled, losing season would be a mistake.

[laram0]

How's it go?

What's worse the Devil you know or the one you don't?

The grass is always greener....???