50 Years Today

[551staaa]

Today marks my 50th anniversary of being a Rams fan. 8/27/72 I watched a pre-season game with the Rams visiting the Chiefs. My name is Jack Ellis and I grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina ( still live here, actually.) My dad was a Redskins fan and no one else in my family watched football. I needed a favorite team. I was ten years old and didn't know much about the NFL. Anyways, that night I learned that the Ram's quarterback (Roman Gabriel) was from North Carolina. Connection. Their primary receiver was Jack Snow. Connection. Their primary running back was Willie Ellison. Connection. Oh, and the curly horns were cool! So, I became a Rams fan that night and I've never looked back. It's been a fun ride!

 

[Allen2McVay]

 

[dang]

Exact same situation except it was the 1971 season. 4th grade 9 year old. Trading football cards it was time to pick a favorite team. And there was Roman Gabriel snd the horns. It was an easy choice. Been a Rams fan (LA, Anaheim, STL, LA) ever since. Thought about changing teams when they moved to STL and were doing poorly but that GSOT run in 1999 sealed the deal. Horns til I die.

 

[den-the-coach]

Today marks my 50th anniversary of being a Rams fan. 8/27/72 I watched a pre-season game with the Rams visiting the Chiefs.

That's a great story Jack many of us have similar stories, for me, 1973 was the year I was 7 years of age and liked both the Chiefs & Rams (uniforms) they played the first game of the regular season that year and I said, who ever wins that game, that is going to be my team moving forward and the Rams beat the Chiefs 23-13.

FWIW Jack, looking up that game between the Rams & Chiefs in 1972 preseason the Chiefs won that game 19-13 and the Rams under Head Coach Tommy Prothro was 1-5 in preseason that year leading to a disappointing 6-7-1 record and new owner Carroll Rosenbloom firing Prothro after the season and hiring Detroit Lion Offensive Line Coach Chuck Knox as the next Head Coach of the Los Angeles Rams to begin the 1973 season.

 

[VeteranRamFan]

Jack Snow! Also my first connection with the Rams. I too wore #84 playing football as a wide receiver plus, Jack came to our Letterman awards dinner and spoke to us and showed highlight films from 2 seasons prior as they did not do so well in the 1970 season but won the conference in 1969.

 

[madrid311]

ah. the old guys, lol. My dad who was an all-CIF basketball player but didn't play football went to William S Hart high school and was friends with Joe Kapp. (Minnesota's star QB nemesis in the late 60's) he invited pops to a ram's game in L.A. that we lost of course. I hated the Vikings back then, also the cowboys and 9'ers of course. lol. Been a fan ever since obviously. Go Rams.

 

[den-the-coach]

ah. the old guys, lol. My dad who was an all-CIF basketball player but didn't play football went to William S Hart high school and was friends with Joe Kapp. (Minnesota's star QB nemesis in the late 60's) he invited pops to a ram's game in L.A. that we lost of course. I hated the Vikings back then, also the cowboys and 9'ers of course. lol. Been a fan ever since obviously. Go Rams.

Yeah, again I was too young, but how the Rams lost to Kapp & the Vikings twice once in the Conference Championship Game at Minnesota is beyond me. Rams actually led at halftime 17-7. All those years many felt the Cowboys were the nemesis actually the Vikings were because the Rams never beat them in post season under George Allen or Chuck Knox.

 

[LARams_1963]

I'm with ya Jack! Started watching in 69/70. Fondest memories are of Willie, Roman, and Jack Snow.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Yeah, again I was too young, but how the Rams lost to Kapp & the Vikings twice once in the Conference Championship Game at Minnesota is beyond me. Rams actually led at halftime 17-7. All those years many felt the Cowboys were the nemesis actually the Vikings were because the Rams never beat them in post season under George Allen or Chuck Knox.

The '69 loss was actually in the Divisional Round.

The Rams won the "Coastal" Division that year.

The Coastal Division featured the West Coast Rams and 49ers; and the East Coast Baltimore Colts and Atlanta Falcons. Apparently, maps and globes were not invented until the 1970's.

 

[den-the-coach]

The '69 loss was actually in the Divisional Round.

Back then it was called "Conference Championship." Vikings beat the Browns in the "League Championship." And then went on to lose to Hank Stram & the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Keep in mind under the merger agreement, the leagues maintained separate regular-season schedules for the next four seasons—from 1966 through 1969—and then officially merged before the 1970 season to form one league with two conferences.

 

[RamDino]

I have posted before about my best friend liking the Rams. We were always playing football and I was always the quarterback. He turned me on to the Rams and Roman Gabriel became my idol. It didn't hurt that the Rams were 11-0 at that time. Been hooked ever since.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Back then it was called "Conference Championship." Vikings beat the Browns in the "League Championship." And then went on to lose to Hank Stram & the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Keep in mind under the merger agreement, the leagues maintained separate regular-season schedules for the next four seasons—from 1966 through 1969—and then officially merged before the 1970 season to form one league with two conferences.

Absolutely right! My apologies.

Western Conference Championship Game to advance to the NFL League Championship Game.

You are The Man Den. OldSchool often tells me that he 'is the man' but now I think he's making that-up.

 

[LouisvilleRam]

I was 5 or 6 years behind a lot of the posts in this thread. What first had me interested(77-78ish) in the Rams were the cool ass helmets(horns). Then I was just reading the back of some of my football cards and I saw Pat Haden and I shared the same birthday and that's all it took Rams fan for 45 years and counting.

 

[den-the-coach]

Then I was just reading the back of some of my football cards and I saw Pat Haden and I shared the same birthday

 

[Merlin]

Congrats Jack. 50 years is quite an achievement.

 

[Rambitious1]

Congratulations!!