Just curious where those on this board are from. I'm only 24 so I grew up with the Rams being in STL, and I'm a St. Louis sports fan all together. I'm pretty much the only person I know around here who is still a Rams fan after the move back to LA because it's all I've known for my entire life!
I'm from Denmark. The NFL only started becoming a thing over here during the last 10-15 years. If I remember correctly, I started really following football back in 2003, digesting everything I could, and the Rams immediately grabbed my attention. 1/ they were still being picked for European broadcast back then, and they were also pretty competent, and 2/ they share colors with my favorite football (as in soccer) team. That was enough.
That thrilling game with the double over-time loss to Carolina really pushed me over the edge. Even if it was a loss. Obviously I thought the Rams were gonna be good for a long time, so that helped a new fan too. How naive. Yet, once I'm in, I'm in. I was already a Rams fan, started to write on various fan forums, and that was pretty much that.
During winter one year, I was wearing my Rams hat to the supermarket, and the kid at the register kept staring at me, finally mustering up the nerve to ask me "how I could keep on being a Rams fan"?! And I don't really have an answer for that. But I have always believed that once you've picked your team, so to speak, whether by family history, chance, or whatever, once you're in, that's your team for life. Might be the NFL only regards me as a customer, but that's not how I feel about it. I have no patience for people who switch allegiances to other teams. So yea, it's been tough times for a Rams fan, but one of these days, fortunes will change, and oh, it will be so sweet!
I have nothing but respect for all of you out there who is still standing by the team, year after gruelling year.