How Many People Would Leave The Board

[RhodyRams]

it doesnt matter what city they play in, all that matters is the horns stay on the helmet !!!

Not going to lie, I dont want to see them move. Easier and cheaper for me to fly or drive to STL than to Cali, but I have no control over the situation anyway, so not getting my panties twisted about it

 

[Lunchbox]

What happens with the Rams doesn't affect whether or not I follow them but I would hate to see St Louis fans lose another team.

This is by far the best Rams forum around so I'll keep coming back every day.

 

[V3]

Couldn't that be flipped? Why should the Rams stay if the fans don't support them? Which the fans say, why should we support you when the product is so poor? To which they reply "plenty of other cities do, what makes you so special?"

First off, no other city has had to deal with a 5 year stretch like this. The worst 5 year run EVER in the NFL and one of the worst 10 year runs ever in the NFL. When other cities have bad runs, the attendance suffers. This isn't a matter of St. Louis not supporting the team. KC wasn't going to their games last year when they weren't good and they are believed to be some of the best fans in football and they haven't been bad for a long time. Second, St. Louis HAS supported the Rams. They paid for a huge chunk of the stadium (I think they even paid for the franchise/moving fees),they pay for PSL's, they continue to go to games despite a horrible run(they may not sell out but they still sell most of the tickets), the current lease the Rams have is one of the most generous in the NFL and that money should be going back to the city(fans) but it's barely anything, etc.

I always hear how football is a business. Well, if you want customers to buy your product from your business, the product should be good. It hasn't been. If you want to play the endless loop game of trying to transfer blame, just remember that if the Rams/Kroneke want to call football a business, then the blame starts with their product. They have no one to blame but themselves in those regards.

 

[leoram]

I grew up in Long Beach and moved to Missouri in 1974 when I was ten. The Rams followed me here. If they move back, I guess I will have to follow them. I owe them one, right?

 

[fearsomefour]

You sir, are dead to me lol

Well, wait till it happens then put coins in my eyes. Truth be told, I dont think are leaving St. Louis. Too much to overcome to do anything in LA now a days.

 

[fearsomefour]

As a Rams fan who grew up in Boston listening to Henry Ellard and Flipper Anderson work over the 9rs on my panasonic transistor radio in the wee hours of the Monday night telecast - I'm really indifferent to where they play as ive been a fan from a far for so long now. Ultimately I just want them to play someplace where they're appreciated and loved and having seen games in both places I'm not sure either city can make that claim just yet.... LA's long been indifferent to Football and the Lou cant seem to quite get behind them either...what's it gonna take to find the passion that turns up on this board representing every Sunday?

The Rams were loved and were a huge draw for decade after decade in LA. The Rams were appreciated and loved in St. Louis when winning. So, in reality it is the same most places. Winning cures all. I think we are seeing empty seats more now in the NFL (just not St. Louis, but, virtually everywhere). The games cost a ton more than they used to, even when adjusted for inflation and you can get every game from the comfort of home if you like. For me, living about a 4 hour drive from the nearest NFL stadium it is an easy choice.
I could drive to the Toilet by the Bay, pay $30 to park my car, hundreds for tickets, drop $50 for some gross cold food and risk assault getting back to my car after the game to sit in a parking lot for 2 hours trying to leave....so an expensive 14 to 15 hour day. Or, get up when I like plop down on the coach and watch the game from home.....pretty easy choice.
There are bandwagoners and great fans everywhere.
There is a part of me that would love to see the Rams back in LA. That is where I grew up going to games with my dad, where I bought season tickets when I was a teenager after saving my money up ect. Would it kill me if they stayed in St. Louis....heck no.
LA has a lot of interest in football and is a great college football town. Not just USC and UCLA however, there are smaller, Div 2 schools and JC games every saturday around so cal also.
If the Rams, Raiders, Chargers, Jags, any of them moved to LA the immediate reaction would be great....probably better for the Rams or Raiders as there is a built in fan base. But, after about 3 or 4 years if the team was not competitive the empty seat monster would show up.

 

[Mister Sin]

The unfortunate thing about St.Louis is that is has one of the most historic Baseball franchises, not to mention one of the best. So when u have the Rams dragging ass, people jump ship. It drives me nuts, but truth is, it has to be them that puts quality on the field to make people want to come watch.

 

[Nathan Ibarra]

Obviously I'll still be here cause I'm from Los Angeles.. It's so crazy out here.. I've been hearing Rams news for the last week! It's on the morning news, Pardon the Inturuption, ESPN, Around The Horn.. It's getting closer and closer.

 

[RamFan503]

Ain't going anywhere. Tried to find another team when they left LA but the first time I saw the helmets on the field again, I was back like the addict I am. Horns over home. And of course the guys on this site have become more that just fellow posters on a forum. I feel like I've actually known many of you guys for quite a while.

 

[Mister Sin]

I worry if something happens and the jags come to town. I'm a homer, I don't think I could love two teams. And I doubt I could stand to cheer for the jags over the rams. So no matter what, it's the horns baby

 

[The Rammer]

Ha I thought of leaving and betraying my Rams is unthinkable. Give me championships and loyalty until death brings it's ice cold hand upon me.

 

[fearsomefour]

Ain't going anywhere. Tried to find another team when they left LA but the first time I saw the helmets on the field again, I was back like the addict I am. Horns over home. And of course the guys on this site have become more that just fellow posters on a forum. I feel like I've actually known many of you guys for quite a while.

So true. I was so pissed I tried I mean really tried to turn away from the Rams. I was in San Diego at the time, I was going Chargers by default, but, mostly college football. Didnt make it through the first preseason game I caught a glimpse of....cant deny it.

 

[Dagonet]

I'll try not to be to long here.. I grew up roughly an hour out of St. Louis in Illinois. I live here now after moving around the midwest for awhile, including St. Louis. I became a Rams fan back in 1973. That's when I really started following football. Don't get me wrong, being in the St. Louis area, I was a Big Red fan. However, back in the day CBS carried the NFC, and our market would get the Rams on the late games quite often. During the Coryell years with the Big Red, the Rams became my 2nd team in the NFC to root for. They soon became my first team to root for when Bidwell fired Coryell which ensured the demise of the Big Red. I have followed the Rams ever since. I've seen them in 3 SB's and will see them in more. That is god willing my health stays as it is for awhile. When one hits 50, one never knows.

When the Rams came to St. Louis, I was elated as I was living in Fairview Heights at the time. You couldn't get a ticket then, and it continued that way thru the GSOT days.I hope they stay but am not going to lose any sleep over this issue. If the Rams do leave St. Louis, I hope it's back to LA. I have stated this on other boards and FB groups/boards. I have made many Ram friends from all over the US and the world. I have met many very good people from the LA region. Again, if they are going to move, better to have them go back to LA.

No I would not leave this board. Rams forever!

 

[Cullen Bryant]

I just want what's best for the Rams. I would be thrilled with a brand new state of the art stadium whether it be in St. Louis or LA. Besides, where else would I go for my Rams news, I used to jump all over the place to get my Rams fix but now I just come here.

 

[bluecoconuts]

First off, no other city has had to deal with a 5 year stretch like this. The worst 5 year run EVER in the NFL and one of the worst 10 year runs ever in the NFL. When other cities have bad runs, the attendance suffers. This isn't a matter of St. Louis not supporting the team. KC wasn't going to their games last year when they weren't good and they are believed to be some of the best fans in football and they haven't been bad for a long time. Second, St. Louis HAS supported the Rams. They paid for a huge chunk of the stadium (I think they even paid for the franchise/moving fees),they pay for PSL's, they continue to go to games despite a horrible run(they may not sell out but they still sell most of the tickets), the current lease the Rams have is one of the most generous in the NFL and that money should be going back to the city(fans) but it's barely anything, etc.

I always hear how football is a business. Well, if you want customers to buy your product from your business, the product should be good. It hasn't been. If you want to play the endless loop game of trying to transfer blame, just remember that if the Rams/Kroneke want to call football a business, then the blame starts with their product. They have no one to blame but themselves in those regards.

There are plenty of cities that have long poor runs in all different sports. Again, I'm just saying it can always be flipped. Yes, the Rams have put fourth a very bad product on the field lately, so it's understandable to see a dip in attendance. I'm not bagging on St. Louis at all, near every team goes through attendance slumps.

St Louis didn't really pay for the Rams, but they paid for an NFL team. Any NFL team would have done, it just happened to be the Rams. They built the dome to attract an expansion team (St Louis Stallions) that was awarded to Jacksonville instead as the NFL deemed St Louis wasn't suitable as an NFL market. They then offered the dome to Gerorgia Frontiere who moved the Rams from LA to St Louis, with the promise that the city would pay for any stadium upgrades as well as a low lease and several other things, that eventually wasn't met, which is part of why we are where we are now.

I think that the land that Stan bought has nothing to do with the Rams personally, and I think his focus is on the Rams staying in St Louis in a nice new building.

However I don't agree with the assessment that it's acceptable to abandon your home team when they're not playing well, and then get upset if they feel the need to move, which is a lot of what it seems to be. Especially when those fans pop back up when the product improves and pretends like they've been die hard fans the entire time. Then we see the product start to improve, yet the Rams are still relying on well traveling visiting teams to sellout seats.

 

[V3]

There are plenty of cities that have long poor runs in all different sports. Again, I'm just saying it can always be flipped. Yes, the Rams have put fourth a very bad product on the field lately, so it's understandable to see a dip in attendance. I'm not bagging on St. Louis at all, near every team goes through attendance slumps.

St Louis didn't really pay for the Rams, but they paid for an NFL team. Any NFL team would have done, it just happened to be the Rams. They built the dome to attract an expansion team (St Louis Stallions) that was awarded to Jacksonville instead as the NFL deemed St Louis wasn't suitable as an NFL market. They then offered the dome to Gerorgia Frontiere who moved the Rams from LA to St Louis, with the promise that the city would pay for any stadium upgrades as well as a low lease and several other things, that eventually wasn't met, which is part of why we are where we are now.

I think that the land that Stan bought has nothing to do with the Rams personally, and I think his focus is on the Rams staying in St Louis in a nice new building.

However I don't agree with the assessment that it's acceptable to abandon your home team when they're not playing well, and then get upset if they feel the need to move, which is a lot of what it seems to be. Especially when those fans pop back up when the product improves and pretends like they've been die hard fans the entire time. Then we see the product start to improve, yet the Rams are still relying on well traveling visiting teams to sellout seats.

If people are going to stand by the idea that football is a business, then no, it can't be flipped. For example, if I open a bakery and my baked goods aren't very tasty and people don't come into my store, I, as the owner, can't say, "it's the people's fault for not liking my bad products". It's not the people's fault. It's the baker's. If the bakery makes better product, the people will come in(assuming reasonable price and market). For the Rams, if Kroenke wants to insist that it's only business, then he need to realize(and he does) that people aren't going to be flocking to see the Rams if they continue to not win. It all starts with the owner of the business and if he manages to create a product consumers want. You can't flip it and put blame on the consumer. Not in business. In football, if the Rams were to put a winning team on the field, ticket prices were reasonable, and people still didn't show up, then it would tell you that the Rams aren't in a prime market and it would be sound business logic to move. Using my previous example, it would be like if my bakery produced good products but people still didn't come in. If the products aren't too expensive and people know about the bakery, then it tells you it's in a bad location.

I fully understand what Kroenke is doing with the Rams and the land he purchased. Businesses do that sort of thing all the time. I just don't want to hear that the Rams are moving because of the fans. They have been alienated like few fan bases have EVER been alienated before. The only way blame can be assessed to the fans is if the Rams were winning(good product), the tickets prices were reasonable, yet the fans still didn't show up.

The Rams may be improving but it's still a bad(mediocre) product. They aren't even above .500. Fans have been burned so bad, so many times that they aren't going to trust this organization until they see that it's not some fluke(not with ticket prices the way they are). That's going to take time. More than a couple of years. Fans will continue to support bad teams if it's only for a relatively short stint but when it lasts a decade, the burden of proof lies on the Rams to show that things have turned around. They haven't done that yet. That's part of the reason why they aren't selling out every game. The other part is that it's a recession and tickets are expensive.

 

[bluecoconuts]

If people are going to stand by the idea that football is a business, then no, it can't be flipped. For example, if I open a bakery and my baked goods aren't very tasty and people don't come into my store, I, as the owner, can't say, "it's the people's fault for not liking my bad products". It's not the people's fault. It's the baker's. If the bakery makes better product, the people will come in(assuming reasonable price and market). For the Rams, if Kroenke wants to insist that it's only business, then he need to realize(and he does) that people aren't going to be flocking to see the Rams if they continue to not win. It all starts with the owner of the business and if he manages to create a product consumers want. You can't flip it and put blame on the consumer. Not in business. In football, if the Rams were to put a winning team on the field, ticket prices were reasonable, and people still didn't show up, then it would tell you that the Rams aren't in a prime market and it would be sound business logic to move. Using my previous example, it would be like if my bakery produced good products but people still didn't come in. If the products aren't too expensive and people know about the bakery, then it tells you it's in a bad location.

I fully understand what Kroenke is doing with the Rams and the land he purchased. Businesses do that sort of thing all the time. I just don't want to hear that the Rams are moving because of the fans. They have been alienated like few fan bases have EVER been alienated before. The only way blame can be assessed to the fans is if the Rams were winning(good product), the tickets prices were reasonable, yet the fans still didn't show up.

The Rams may be improving but it's still a bad(mediocre) product. They aren't even above .500. Fans have been burned so bad, so many times that they aren't going to trust this organization until they see that it's not some fluke(not with ticket prices the way they are). That's going to take time. More than a couple of years. Fans will continue to support bad teams if it's only for a relatively short stint but when it lasts a decade, the burden of proof lies on the Rams to show that things have turned around. They haven't done that yet. That's part of the reason why they aren't selling out every game. The other part is that it's a recession and tickets are expensive.

Exactly, but if that Baker moves his shop elsewhere, and improves his product, how can the previous locations customers blame him for their lack of a bakery?

 

[V3]

Exactly, but if that Baker moves his shop elsewhere, and improves his product, how can the previous locations customers blame him for their lack of a bakery?

He wouldn't have had to move at all if he had just improved his product. And if he moves and then improves the product, that has nothing to do with the previous customers. That's the baker's fault. Improve the product before moving and he won't have to move at all.

I guess you can boil it down to this: if the Rams move, it's not the fans' fault. It's because Kroenke wanted someone to pay for a large portion of his new stadium and that's starting to get into the dark side of business that I HATE.

 

[PressureD41]

Been a Rams fan since 84' (11 years of age). Since I'm from Vancouver Canada its doesn't matter to me where they play. Though Disneyland & Rams trips have a better selling point to my family..

Re: this forum. Im a big fan of it and wont leave

 

[Ram Quixote]

When the Rams left LA, I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the internet at the time, and the Rams weren't doing well. It seemed easier to let them go, especially since all I ever heard was bad news. Mind you, I didn't stop being a Ram fan, I just didn't have the means to follow them. That was a tough time.

Then came the changes in the offseason preceding 99. I began to hope, though I still didn't have the means to get Rams news. Then the season started, and finally the networks started showing Ram games in LA. Eventually, I discovered the internet. At that point, there was no choice in the matter.

And there wouldn't be now, either.