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'99 Rams have gift of gab
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d63d376c-0d82-59b7-b7ea-2cfad33596af.html
Several members of the ’99 Rams Super Bowl championship team have done anything but fade into the sunset since their playing careers ended. In fact, it’s tough to turn on a television without seeing one former Ram or another talking football.
“It’s good to watch those guys have some success away from football, and on the camera,” said Fred Miller, the starting right tackle for the Super Bowl XXXIV champs. “They’re definitely charismatic guys.”
And gabby. For reporters covering that team, walking into the locker room for interviews was like strolling through a buffet line of quotes. You could pick up some humor here, some insight there, a dose of strong opinion, with a side order of perspective.
“It’s funny you say that because being in the locker room with those guys, we could talk,” wide receiver Torry Holt said. “We could talk with the best of ’em. Marshall, he always loved to debate. He and Tyoka (Jackson) used to debate all the time. Kevin Carter could talk and London (Fletcher) had his opinions.”
They’re still talking. Faulk and quarterback Kurt Warner are featured analysts on the NFL Network. Faulk also does television analyst work for Rams preseason games along with Holt. Warner also does radio analyst work on Monday Night Football for Westwood One.
Carter does college football studio work for ESPNU on Saturdays. Quarterback Trent Green is a game analyst for CBS but also does studio work for CBS Sports Network. Fletcher is part of the crew that brings you That Other Pregame Show every Sunday morning on the CBS Sports Network.
D’Marco Farr, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the ’99 champions, is the game analyst for Rams radio and is one of the hosts of the Fast Lane sports talk show on WXOS (101.1 FM).
Starting left guard Tom Nutten, who is fluent in German, has been a television “expert” for Super Bowl coverage in Germany in recent years.
Away from the mike, they will have plenty to talk about this Sunday and Monday during a variety of events scheduled to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Rams’ Super Bowl XXXIV title.
The keystone events are the “Greatest Show on Turf Celebration” at Union Station Hotel on Sunday night, and halftime ceremonies during the Rams’ Monday night game against San Francisco at the Edward Jones Dome.
“Not only were we talented football team guys who could handle their business on the football field and in the classroom, and went out and performed at a high level on Sundays,” Holt said. “We were renaissance. We had guys doing so many other things while they were playing. And once their careers were over, they just went right into what their hobbies were. We just had those kind of men on the team.”
Among all these talking heads, perhaps the biggest surprise in the group is Warner.
“It’s really nice to see how Kurt has come out of his shell,” Miller said. “You know, when he first started playing, he was just kind of the quiet guy that didn’t say a whole lot. He showed up for work and did his job. Now he’s a blooming television star.
“But you knew Kevin Carter had it in him. You knew Marshall Faulk had it in him. D’Marco Farr, definitely.”
And you knew Fletcher, who retired as a player after the 2013 season, had the potential as well because he was never shy about expressing himself as a Ram.
“I guess back then I was one of the guys that you would love to get a quote from because I would say anything,” Fletcher said, laughing.
True.
Faulk agreed with Miller’s assessment on the young Warner.
“Kurt wasn’t a big talker,” Faulk said. “Kurt was more of a surprise that it was something that he wanted to do. I didn’t see him going towards broadcasting when we played. But he does a great job, man. I enjoy working with him.”
As for Faulk, he takes his NFL Network job as seriously as he did his playing career.
“That’s my life right now,” Faulk said. “I’m consumed with that pretty much. That’s what I dedicate my time to, trying to become a better analyst, better broadcaster, being around the game of football.”
Because of their radio work, Warner and Farr will have to make a mad dash down to the field for Monday night’s halftime ceremonies — followed by a mad dash back up to the broadcast booths on the fifth floor of the Dome for the start of the second half.
The past two seasons that the Rams have had alumni weekend ceremonies at the Dome, Farr has been reduced to waving to the crowd from his radio booth at halftime. But he doesn’t want to do that this time because nearly the entire 1999 roster will be in town and on the field Monday night. Who knows? It could be the last time they’re all gathered together like this, and Farr doesn’t want to miss it.
Tickets for the Greatest Show celebration Sunday at Union Station remain available at www.greatestshowonturf.com. Tickets for the Rams-49ers game are available at www.stlouisrams.com.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d63d376c-0d82-59b7-b7ea-2cfad33596af.html
Several members of the ’99 Rams Super Bowl championship team have done anything but fade into the sunset since their playing careers ended. In fact, it’s tough to turn on a television without seeing one former Ram or another talking football.
“It’s good to watch those guys have some success away from football, and on the camera,” said Fred Miller, the starting right tackle for the Super Bowl XXXIV champs. “They’re definitely charismatic guys.”
And gabby. For reporters covering that team, walking into the locker room for interviews was like strolling through a buffet line of quotes. You could pick up some humor here, some insight there, a dose of strong opinion, with a side order of perspective.
“It’s funny you say that because being in the locker room with those guys, we could talk,” wide receiver Torry Holt said. “We could talk with the best of ’em. Marshall, he always loved to debate. He and Tyoka (Jackson) used to debate all the time. Kevin Carter could talk and London (Fletcher) had his opinions.”
They’re still talking. Faulk and quarterback Kurt Warner are featured analysts on the NFL Network. Faulk also does television analyst work for Rams preseason games along with Holt. Warner also does radio analyst work on Monday Night Football for Westwood One.
Carter does college football studio work for ESPNU on Saturdays. Quarterback Trent Green is a game analyst for CBS but also does studio work for CBS Sports Network. Fletcher is part of the crew that brings you That Other Pregame Show every Sunday morning on the CBS Sports Network.
D’Marco Farr, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the ’99 champions, is the game analyst for Rams radio and is one of the hosts of the Fast Lane sports talk show on WXOS (101.1 FM).
Starting left guard Tom Nutten, who is fluent in German, has been a television “expert” for Super Bowl coverage in Germany in recent years.
Away from the mike, they will have plenty to talk about this Sunday and Monday during a variety of events scheduled to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Rams’ Super Bowl XXXIV title.
The keystone events are the “Greatest Show on Turf Celebration” at Union Station Hotel on Sunday night, and halftime ceremonies during the Rams’ Monday night game against San Francisco at the Edward Jones Dome.
“Not only were we talented football team guys who could handle their business on the football field and in the classroom, and went out and performed at a high level on Sundays,” Holt said. “We were renaissance. We had guys doing so many other things while they were playing. And once their careers were over, they just went right into what their hobbies were. We just had those kind of men on the team.”
Among all these talking heads, perhaps the biggest surprise in the group is Warner.
“It’s really nice to see how Kurt has come out of his shell,” Miller said. “You know, when he first started playing, he was just kind of the quiet guy that didn’t say a whole lot. He showed up for work and did his job. Now he’s a blooming television star.
“But you knew Kevin Carter had it in him. You knew Marshall Faulk had it in him. D’Marco Farr, definitely.”
And you knew Fletcher, who retired as a player after the 2013 season, had the potential as well because he was never shy about expressing himself as a Ram.
“I guess back then I was one of the guys that you would love to get a quote from because I would say anything,” Fletcher said, laughing.
True.
Faulk agreed with Miller’s assessment on the young Warner.
“Kurt wasn’t a big talker,” Faulk said. “Kurt was more of a surprise that it was something that he wanted to do. I didn’t see him going towards broadcasting when we played. But he does a great job, man. I enjoy working with him.”
As for Faulk, he takes his NFL Network job as seriously as he did his playing career.
“That’s my life right now,” Faulk said. “I’m consumed with that pretty much. That’s what I dedicate my time to, trying to become a better analyst, better broadcaster, being around the game of football.”
Because of their radio work, Warner and Farr will have to make a mad dash down to the field for Monday night’s halftime ceremonies — followed by a mad dash back up to the broadcast booths on the fifth floor of the Dome for the start of the second half.
The past two seasons that the Rams have had alumni weekend ceremonies at the Dome, Farr has been reduced to waving to the crowd from his radio booth at halftime. But he doesn’t want to do that this time because nearly the entire 1999 roster will be in town and on the field Monday night. Who knows? It could be the last time they’re all gathered together like this, and Farr doesn’t want to miss it.
Tickets for the Greatest Show celebration Sunday at Union Station remain available at www.greatestshowonturf.com. Tickets for the Rams-49ers game are available at www.stlouisrams.com.