Ram fans do not travel well

[JackKirbyFan]

In tomorrow's LA Times Liz Granderson in her column compares and contrasts the LA Ram fan base with those of the 31 other NFL teams. She claims that even at the home playoff game against the Cowboys, there was a 60-40 split, asserting that 40 percent of fans were cheering for the visiting teams. I don't know how she can prove that because people I talked or heard from that were at the game believed that 70-30 or 75-25 favoring the Ram fan base was more accurate. However, she does correctly point out that the 21-years that the Rams were in St. Louis they lost a vast majority of their SoCal fan base. I will even go one step further. When the Rams left for Anaheim following the 1979 season, fans living on the Westside, Santa Monica, Culver City, the entire SFV and Ventura County began to lose interest in the Rams b/c they wouldn't travel that far to watch them play and they adopted other teams to cheer for. This loyalty to other teams has now been passed down to the next generation and beyond. At my place of employment there were a couple of us who still cheered for the Rams even they appeared in two Super Bowls as the St. Louis Rams. In fact many former fans openly rooted against them. They simply passed down their hatred of Georgia Frontiere to the players. Maybe a couple of Super Bowl appearances and/or victories will change all that.

 

[rams1fan]

Interesting. I have been a fan since 69 but that was growing up in NJ. So Rams where never a local team for me so I never had that betrayal moment. I did not like when they moved to STL or back to LA for that matter simply because I think that is a crap thing to do to your fan base.

With all that players change owners change and I just ignore that and root for the horns.

 

[MrRiceGuyRJ]

Soooooo frustrating!!!

My family have been loyal Rams fans for our entire lives. But I can definitely confirm that the fan base isn't the most loyal. My brother and I used to fly to STL to watch them once a year, and I admit I'm a loud fan that stands and cheers and screams (especially when our defense is on the field), and we'd get neighboring fans around us telling us to sit down or be quiet like it was a spectator sport. I still remember watching them on Monday Night Football against the Bears and similar to LA today, nearly half the fans were visitors and they were much louder than the home crowd.

I'm not sure if there's many more franchises that have weaker home field advantages. I'm not sure what we can do to get this fan base grow strong other than hook some fair weather fans by being super good, a new stadium (maybe make tickets more affordable?), and stop moving

 

[JackKirbyFan]

Interesting. I have been a fan since 69 but that was growing up in NJ. So Rams where never a local team for me so I never had that betrayal moment. I did not like when they moved to STL or back to LA for that matter simply because I think that is a crap thing to do to your fan base.

With all that players change owners change and I just ignore that and root for the horns.

 

[badnews]

There are no "good relocations" in Rams history.
All of them were bad.

Well, except for getting out of Cleveland. I think all Rams fans can appreciate that move.

 

[NoCoNite]

In tomorrow's LA Times Liz Granderson in her column compares and contrasts the LA Ram fan base with those of the 31 other NFL teams. She claims that even at the home playoff game against the Cowboys, there was a 60-40 split, asserting that 40 percent of fans were cheering for the visiting teams. I don't know how she can prove that because people I talked or heard from that were at the game believed that 70-30 or 75-25 favoring the Ram fan base was more accurate. However, she does correctly point out that the 21-years that the Rams were in St. Louis they lost a vast majority of their SoCal fan base. I will even go one step further. When the Rams left for Anaheim following the 1979 season, fans living on the Westside, Santa Monica, Culver City, the entire SFV and Ventura County began to lose interest in the Rams b/c they wouldn't travel that far to watch them play and they adopted other teams to cheer for. This loyalty to other teams has now been passed down to the next generation and beyond. At my place of employment there were a couple of us who still cheered for the Rams even they appeared in two Super Bowls as the St. Louis Rams. In fact many former fans openly rooted against them. They simply passed down their hatred of Georgia Frontiere to the players. Maybe a couple of Super Bowl appearances and/or victories will change all that.

I was there. When the rams went for it in fourth and 1. The stadium was extremely loud. 60-40 sounds about right. At time it felt like there were more cowboys fans.

It’s not letting me post any video.

 

[NoCoNite]

I’m grew up in STL as Ram fan. First year I played football was in 1999. I fell in love with the team. Besides that, kronky and the rams left on bad terms. I doubt any of the already medium sized fan based carried over. Not to mention kronkly tried building section 8 housing in Alton. Which is good in thought, but it’s a community killer in St.Louis.

 

[rams1fan]

Soooooo frustrating!!!

My family have been loyal Rams fans for our entire lives. But I can definitely confirm that the fan base isn't the most loyal. My brother and I used to fly to STL to watch them once a year, and I admit I'm a loud fan that stands and cheers and screams (especially when our defense is on the field), and we'd get neighboring fans around us telling us to sit down or be quiet like it was a spectator sport. I still remember watching them on Monday Night Football against the Bears and similar to LA today, nearly half the fans were visitors and they were much louder than the home crowd.

I'm not sure if there's many more franchises that have weaker home field advantages. I'm not sure what we can do to get this fan base grow strong other than hook some fair weather fans by being super good, a new stadium (maybe make tickets more affordable?), and stop moving

The answer to building fan base is winning a lot. Some of the most watched Super Bowls involved small market cities that enjoyed a wide national fan base. Steelers, Cowboys, Packers, 49ers fit that mold.

 

[Rabid Ram]

I’m grew up in STL as Ram fan. First year I played football was in 1999. I fell in love with the team. Besides that, kronky and the rams left on bad terms. I doubt any of the already medium sized fan based carried over. Not to mention kronkly tried building section 8 housing in Alton. Which is good in thought, but it’s a community killer in St.Louis.

Well considering I'm part of that medium sized fan base your already wrong cause my Rams Fandom follweed them to LA and isn't going anywhere so say you doubt ANY is a large assumption

 

[NoCoNite]

Well considering I'm part of that medium sized fan base your already wrong cause my Rams Fandom follweed them to LA and isn't going anywhere so say you doubt ANY is a large assumption

I’m your on your side bud.
The stadium was dead towards the end. We were even listed as one of the worst fan bases. No body my aged really watched them.
Don’t get butt hurt bc I’m stating facts.
Mayor Slay was sueing the organization. Kronky was also hated throughout the community. Some fans carried but you me and your buddies are a small number.

 

[Rabid Ram]

Look the don't get butthurt cause your stating fact garbage can sprout wings and fly. All I was doing was pointing out that your"facts" that not any st louis rams fans followed the team was wrong. As what I tire of hearing is how all of us St louis rams fans hate the Rams I mean hell there are stories a plenty on how we are rooting for the pats to win. It's time the st louis narrative just died and let everyone just be rams fans no matter where we are from.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Two most important factors in having a strong, loyal fanbase. Stay put, and have long sustained periods of success, i.e. winning records, good coach, playoff appearances.

 

[TSFH Fan]

lol, it's LZ and he's a he.

Other than that, whatever . . . stuff more for the out-of-towners to care about more than the locals.
Win . . . a lot. It'll solve a lot as long as they're real games, not just pre-championship games.

 

[Karate61]

I call bullshit on all this fan base talk. First of all, I was a season ticket holder (through my dad) beginning with the first "preseason" game in Anaheim in 1989 until the last Redskins game in 1994. I was 13 yrs. old in 1980. I attended at least 95% of the home games.

The Rams always had the huge majority of fans at those games. There was always a section of the visiting team fans grouped together somewhere. But, it was mostly 85% -15% Rams fans at the games then. I think the few Raider games drew a lot of their fans, but that's understandable.

Like the day Jim Everett strolled on the field the 1st time. The whole stadium was in a chant, "Everett, Everett, Everett." And, they went nutz when he came in the game.

Now, as a kid, I latched onto the Rams since they were the team around town. You always heard about them. I became a fan around age 9. And I'm still as big a fan today.

Now, if I was born just before the Rams left to St. Louis, I may never of become a Rams fan. They're across the country, and no team is in LA. I'd have 31 other teams to fall in love with. Well, that's what's gone on in LA for the 21 years the Rams were gone. Many young kids have grown up fans of one of the other 31 teams. And what else would one expect to happen?

It takes a while to build a fan base. Kids that are becoming fans today will be the season ticket holders of tomorrow.

All this fake news talk that LA fans don't support the Rams is bullshit! Bullshit!

With the way the organization is absolutely cranking right now, 10 years from now the fan base will be back 100%! It needs a little time to cultivate.

 

[jjab360]

A large fanbase comes with being a good team and we have been baad for a very long time. Maintain this winning atmosphere and the fan culture will follow.

And just imagine we can be the few, the proud to say we've been there all along through thick and thin. Not that it'll matter much. I've met a few Patriots fans that have been there since before BB and Brady and to hear their side it's pretty annoying being automatically labeled as a casual bandwagoner because that's the kind of fan that makes up the majority of your fanbase.