Jim Thomas: Strange Dynamic Surrounding Rams Lack of Urgency --Audio

[SaneRamsFan]

I wouldn't think that's really the argument.

But it's more like cutting off the foot to feed the body. (So grossly drafting D over O). I get wanting to develop one unit as elite 1st (though I've yet to see "elite" anything from this team since Fisher got here outside of Quinn and Donald).

Backed themselves into a wall starting a bunch of 2nd and 1st year NFL guys on the line.

Hell, in retrospect, I go after big, nasty, fugly O-Lineman before actual skill player weapons.

What's better? Elite skill player, or a Dallas O-Line that my grandma with a walker could gain 4.5 yards behind.

That's pretty much what I meant about using draft equity sooner. We did use the #2 pick in the entire draft for a lineman, and if GR was developing faster the whole conversation would have a different tone. But as with the Gurley pick I think Robinson was the right pick as well. Everbody will feel differently by the end of the season-hopefully on the + side

 

[blue4]

I must admit I find it funny that a team can lose, sometimes embarrassingly, for over a decade and the most ire that can be found is for the reporter who doesn't make overwhelmingly positive reports or for opposing fans who don't respect us enough. I get as fans staying positive is a must, but it's not really a reporters job to play cheerleader. Until this talented team wins more than one game in a row the criticism will continue to come. And in Fisher's 4th year it's not undeserved.

 

[TheDYVKX]

 

[Tailback]

I have to think that Fisher has been given a guarantee that his job is safe this season and the next regardless of the record this year. In my opinion, the offensive woes are not going to be fixed with Fisher as a head coach. My fear is that Snead will be gone along with Fisher if/when Fisher does get let go.

 

[blue4]

I have to think that Fisher has been given a guarantee that his job is safe this season and the next regardless of the record this year. In my opinion, the offensive woes are not going to be fixed with Fisher as a head coach. My fear is that Snead will be gone along with Fisher if/when Fisher does get let go.

I'm in agreement that Snead is the more valuable of the two. As far as the actual players drafted that's in the eyes of the beholder and somewhat tied to Fisher's preferences so I don't look at that good or bad. It's the deals that he has made that have impressed me. He's flat out fleeced some people. Particularly in the NFC Least.

 

[PhxRam]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwM3cUJKkuE

 

[Prime Time]

I must admit I find it funny that a team can lose, sometimes embarrassingly, for over a decade and the most ire that can be found is for the reporter who doesn't make overwhelmingly positive reports or for opposing fans who don't respect us enough. I get as fans staying positive is a must, but it's not really a reporters job to play cheerleader.

I have no problem with a reporter being critical of a continually losing team. That's to be expected and is good journalism. What I object to is when a reporter gets his panties in a bunch because he doesn't get inside information on a pending trade and then lets it affect his reporting.

 

[HometownBoy]

I have no problem with a reporter being critical of a continually losing team. That's to be expected and is good journalism. What I object to is when a reporter gets his panties in a bunch because he doesn't get inside information on a pending trade and then lets it affect his reporting.

Also he's not saying anything we don't already know. We already know Fisher leaves a lot to be deserved, we already know that the teams are inconsistent, we already know we're still mortgaging our future instead of playing for today.

There's really no use in rehashing it ad infinitum.

 

[Angry Ram]

I must admit I find it funny that a team can lose, sometimes embarrassingly, for over a decade and the most ire that can be found is for the reporter who doesn't make overwhelmingly positive reports or for opposing fans who don't respect us enough. I get as fans staying positive is a must, but it's not really a reporters job to play cheerleader. Until this talented team wins more than one game in a row the criticism will continue to come. And in Fisher's 4th year it's not undeserved.

You can be a critic w/o being a dull bore.

 

[12intheBox]

See, I tend to see the NOT blowing up of things as a sign of a good coach (there are exceptions). I think the better coaches know how to work with what they have rather than try to blow things up to suit their style. Every coach wants to put their mark on a team but the good ones limit that. It is up to a the management to find the right guy.

That said it is also on management to be able to figure out if they have the right guy and when or if to move on. If it was me JF would be on the hot seat this year (GM might be depending on who you think would be the replacement for JF - I also believe a team should always have such a list ready). so far he has made a good D (with potential for great), but his O has been atrocious - be it his lack of development there, his inconsistent coordinators, his lack of planning (QB/Oline).

The O has been atrocious - in large part - because the most important position kept getting hurt. But we should have planned for that - right? Name the teams that have 2 QBs who can win enough games to get you to the playoffs. I'm not saying there aren't a few - but I'll bet you can count them on one hand. In a salary cap league - you just can't afford two starting QBs - and this is especially true if you are tied down by the last of the huge rookie deals.

But we can go in circles over whether sticking w Bradford as long as they did was a mistake - they stuck with him and got burned.

I'm trying to think of the new coaches who come in and don't blow the team up. Its tough because most teams that get new coaches stink to begin with so blowing them up is a good thing.

At the very least, can we agree that firing Fisher and (even if you kept Sneed) - we are likely looking at a brand new offense? This means that G Rob, Tavon, Quick, etc all get to start over with brand new terminology. Likely, we would be looking at a brand new defense as well.

If the goal is to win now - firing the coach may not be the best way to get there.

Still - its not like you and others who would put Fisher on the hot seat are all that wrong. He is far from an elite coach. He gets beaten by the opposing staff all too often. I just think we are pot committed for now and we need to see this thing through before we decide to shut it down and change directions.

 

[blue4]

I have no problem with a reporter being critical of a continually losing team. That's to be expected and is good journalism. What I object to is when a reporter gets his panties in a bunch because he doesn't get inside information on a pending trade and then lets it affect his reporting.

I don't see it affecting his reporting. I think that's in a lot of people's imagination. JMO. I think the relocation affects it far more than that. He's not exactly standing alone in his frustration on that. You don't find it weird that people froth at the mouth at the mention of a reporters name, but say "let's just give the man a chance" when referring to a 21 year HC going into his 4th year in a 5 year deal who's actually gotten worse in the standings every year? That's like blaming the local traffic clerk for laws you don't like. I just find that weird. With the threat of losing my team on the horizon and them playing below their potential once again, getting mad at reporters seem to me like a huge waste of time. Again JMO.

 

[12intheBox]

@blue4 - I'm sure JT appreciates you having his back - but let me blast him a bit anyway. Ask yourself a question. When was the last time he ever actually informed you of anything Rams related? He doesn't break anything. His football IQ is less than impressive. His writing certainly hasn't taken my breath away. Most frustrating of all is his overall lack of effort. His entire job is the Rams - they are his only assignment. He should be oozing Rams information - but he is basically indistinguishable from the bleacher report jabroneys who just collect information available on the web and put it into story form.

I don't have a personal issue with him - I just want better coverage for my favorite team.

 

[RaminExile]

I think JT is quite funny now. He's obviously just mailed it in. He does not give a crap anymore about this team. It doesn't make me angry - there's loads of ways to get your Rams News Fix, but his whole, passive aggressive, continuously sarcastic, tired tone I just find highly amusing. Seriously, it actually makes me laugh seeing his reports because you just get a feeling of how much it must suck for him because he's so apathetic towards it.

 

[-X-]

I don't have a personal issue with him - I just want better coverage for my favorite team.

Just read the transcripts that get posted here. Immediately after you'll find 20 stories on the web with different headlines that all contain direct quotes from the transcripts. Everything else is filler, but at least Bernie tries to add some statistical relevance to his stories that revolve around the quotes contained in those transcripts.

 

[blue4]

@blue4 - I'm sure JT appreciates you having his back - but let me blast him a bit anyway. Ask yourself a question. When was the last time he ever actually informed you of anything Rams related? He doesn't break anything. His football IQ is less than impressive. His writing certainly hasn't taken my breath away. Most frustrating of all is his overall lack of effort. His entire job is the Rams - they are his only assignment. He should be oozing Rams information - but he is basically indistinguishable from the bleacher report jabroneys who just collect information available on the web and put it into story form.

I don't have a personal issue with him - I just want better coverage for my favorite team.

When was the last time anyone informed me of breaking news on the Rams? ESPN? Nope. I don't believe any new reporter is automatically going to be ushered into Rams Park and given access to loads of top secret material. Sorry but I don't. The organization takes a leak on its fan base, what makes you think a local reporter is going to be shown respect? It's in the Rams best interests, relocation wise, to not deal with the StL media.

And it's less about having his back and more about wishing people would just move the heck on with their lives. I don't think much of Strauss's columns, but I don't follow his columns around dogging each and every one. The guys I don't like, I don't read. Simple as that. I don't impugn his character, I don't refer to him as a fat blowhard ala Bernie, and so on.

 

[12intheBox]

When was the last time anyone informed me of breaking news on the Rams? ESPN? Nope. I don't believe any new reporter is automatically going to be ushered into Rams Park and given access to loads of top secret material. Sorry but I don't. The organization takes a leak on its fan base, what makes you think a local reporter is going to be shown respect? It's in the Rams best interests, relocation wise, to not deal with the StL media.

And it's less about having his back and more about wishing people would just move the heck on with their lives. I don't think much of Strauss's columns, but I don't follow his columns around dogging each and every one. The guys I don't like, I don't read. Simple as that. I don't impugn his character, I don't refer to him as a fat blowhard ala Bernie, and so on.

Albright broke the Foles trade a few days before it happened.

King spent an entire draft with the Rams and gave us insider info as to who our targets were (after the fact, of course)

Heck, even @CoachO has broken news before JT and he is just a fan who keeps an ear close to the ground.

You don't just show up and expect full access - you develop sources. Lots of them. Equipment people, secretaries, janitors, players wives - whatever it takes. Work at it - it's a job.

 

[blackbart]

There are a lot of factors that come in to play with firing a coaching staff and not all of them have to do with the win loss record. With this team as much as there are people who want to ignore it, moving this team to California is part of the equation.

 

[LesBaker]

I have no problem with a reporter being critical of a continually losing team. That's to be expected and is good journalism. What I object to is when a reporter gets his panties in a bunch because he doesn't get inside information on a pending trade and then lets it affect his reporting.

This is an artists rendering of how JT responded when he found out the Rams made a trade without notifying him in advance.

 

[blue4]

Albright broke the Foles trade a few days before it happened.

King spent an entire draft with the Rams and gave us insider info as to who our targets were (after the fact, of course)

Heck, even @CoachO has broken news before JT and he is just a fan who keeps an ear close to the ground.

You don't just show up and expect full access - you develop sources. Lots of them. Equipment people, secretaries, janitors, players wives - whatever it takes. Work at it - it's a job.

As far as Foles and the draft, again it's in the owners best interests not to deal with the St Louis media.

As for fans breaking news, they don't have to wait for facts to be confirmed.

The developing sources thing? What is a janitor going to know? Do you honestly think that those employees aren't told not to talk to the media? Players wives? Come on. Do you really think those people knew about the Foles trade?

Anyway I've made my point. I think it's a colossal waste of time to worry about a reporters demeanor or enthusiasm. The owner's trying to leave, the veteran coach gets outsmarted on a regular basis and our panties are in a twist because the local reporter wasn't enthusiastic enough about a 24-10 loss to a team who has given us a large number of their first round draft picks and has a second year coach. But if we insist I guess...

 

[12intheBox]

As far as Foles and the draft, again it's in the owners best interests not to deal with the St Louis media.

As for fans breaking news, they don't have to wait for facts to be confirmed.

The developing sources thing? What is a janitor going to know? Do you honestly think that those employees aren't told not to talk to the media? Players wives? Come on. Do you really think those people knew about the Foles trade?

Anyway I've made my point. I think it's a colossal waste of time to worry about a reporters demeanor or enthusiasm. The owner's trying to leave, the veteran coach gets outsmarted on a regular basis and our panties are in a twist because the local reporter wasn't enthusiastic enough about a 24-10 loss to a team who has given us a large number of their first round draft picks and has a second year coach. But if we insist I guess...

Perhaps we are arguing about two different things. I could care less about the tone of his pieces - I just want better access. More info.

I base my beef with JT (and Wagoner, btw) on two things. 1. Other teams - I get a lot better info on other teams than I can my own. Maybe the Rams are more standoffish but Peter King gets access somehow. 2. My own experience - I had a high profile case a while back and the media went to lengths you wouldn't believe. We weren't talking but that wasn't good enough. They stalked my office staff, tried talking to my wife, and - yes - they even offered my cleaning lady money for inside access.

Btw - you wouldn't believe the kind of info you can get from families and admin staff - they have ears and people talk.