Rams Approved To Relocate

[RamBill]

Rams required to pay players' relocation expenses for L.A. move
By Dan Graziano

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...y-players-relocation-expenses-for-move-to-l-a

The NFL owners spent a good portion of this week sorting out the matter of the Rams (and likely the Chargers) moving to Los Angeles. But the NFL's players and their union are watching this process closely as well.

"The union expects that all working conditions in Los Angeles for the players will be up to the expected standards," NFLPA spokesman George Atallah said this week.

The NFLPA is curious to see what the league does for a temporary site for the Rams and any other team moving to Los Angeles. The union will ask the league about locker rooms, field conditions (both playing and practice fields), travel arrangements, training camp sites ... anything that could affect the players' day-to-day lives and work.

Also, according to Article 36 of the collective bargaining agreement, a team that moves is required to pay players' relocation expenses. So Rams players will have their moving costs taken care of. The CBA specifically says players who "establish permanent residence" in the new city prior to the first regular-season game are eligible for the paid moving expenses, but Atallah said the standard for that was basically that you need to have U.S. mail delivered to your address in the new town, and the union is not concerned about moving expenses being an issue.

A couple of bigger-picture items related to Los Angeles relocation are on the union's radar, including the issue of stadium credits. The CBA allows owners to take a portion of revenue off the top of the pool (i.e., before they share it with the players) to help cover new stadium construction. But according to the union, the league has used up all of the stadium credits it was allotted by the current CBA and, if it requires them to help build the new stadium in L.A., those would have to be negotiated with the players.

It's also possible that the relocation of the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles could affect the overall revenue pool, especially if there are escalators in the league's TV contracts that trigger in the case of the Los Angeles market being added. If that happens, it could impact the salary cap, which under the new CBA is tied annually to league revenues.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Looks like the Rams have changed over their twitter, facebook and website now.

http://www.therams.com/

 

[RamBill]

A primer on the Rams (and Chargers?) moving to Los Angeles
January 15, 2016 1:43 pm ET

By Jason La Canfora

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...n-the-rams-and-chargers-moving-to-los-angeles

The dust is starting to settle on what was a wild week in the NFL and its long pursuit of relocation to Los Angeles. Three men went to Houston to have an ol'-fashioned shootout in the Wild West, and only one of them truly came home the winner. Stan Kroenke got almost everything he wanted, wit his Inglewood project being constructed and his Rams already out of St. Louis, though his miserly state at the press conference probably has something to do with the fact he has to share it. He wasn't in this to share. I'm not sure he ever is.

Regardless, he has clarity. The Chargers are virtually certain to soon be joining him in Los Angeles, though Chargers owner Dean Spanos was left dazed and dismayed that his Carson project was so quickly discarded, for the most part, in the voting process. Spanos spent thousands of hours putting together a vision and plan for his own complex, went so far as to partner with rival Mark Davis (Raiders owner) and got Carmen Policy and Disney CEO Bob Iger on board to spearhead the movement, all to have it dissolve into the ether in a matter of hours on Tuesday.

And Davis, he is downright angry and petulant being the third wheel in the process all along, someone the league views as easily malleable. He did get $100 million in additional stadium money to build in the Bay Area but still is the biggest loser in the process, with his road to Los Angeles effectively blocked by Spanos and Kroenke now.

Welcome to the NFL, where money is king and your level of power can often be determined by the amount of zeroes attached to your name. That's how it goes, and the backdoor machinations of this latest ownership meeting -- where committee recommendations were disregarded and allegiances quickly shifted under the cloak of secret balloting -- was the greatest indication yet.

My esteemed editor, Eric Kay, came up with a few questions in the aftermath of the Houston showdown, so the least I could do is answer them:

So what was Bob Iger's role in this after all?

Had the Carson project received the 24 votes needed to get of the ground, he would have been hiring staff around him and leading the design, constructing, marketing and selling of that stadium. It would have been his baby, and his Disney fingerprints would have been all over it from a game-day experience standpoint to every nuance in the food courts and corridors. His ability to purchase a nice chunk of the Chargers or Raiders, at his discretion, was tied to those teams building this stadium. So that's out the window now, though I could still see one of these owners perhaps trying to have him come aboard when his Disney contract expires in a few years. Davis badly needs his money and acumen, while Spanos has entrée into the L.A. market, which is where Iger lives and what attracted him to this Carson proposal in the first place.

Where do you think the Chargers end up? And if it's Los Angeles, is that really viable long term as the Rams' tenant?

Some would say Spanos has some options; what I and the owners and high-ranking officials I spoke to would say is that he has one choice: Get to L.A. ASAP. And his lawyers and bankers began working on that move very soon after the verdict came in. Every indication is that his move to Inglewood will be made official in the coming days. No reason to delay the inevitable, and might as well start catering to that market and selling tickets up there now. If Spanos were to pass on his option for L.A., Davis would clearly jump; so the Chargers would still have to find a permanent home in San Diego and compete with two other teams in Kroenke's football cathedral up the road. Good luck with that. He didn't come this far and this close to L.A. to turn and run back to San Diego without what he deems to be a viable stadium option there on the table, and time is literally running out for the city to put something on the table that might somehow change his mind.

Now, is any of this viable? Who the hell knows. Many owners have told me privately for quite some time they would prefer one team first with another maybe several years down the road. Selling PSLs and all of that for two teams will be tough. Could one of these teams end up moving again? Hey, it's the NFL. Never say never. Just look at the Colts and Browns and, well, Chargers and Raiders and Rams, all of whom have bounced around quite a bit the last 40 years or so.

Where do these teams play in 2016?

USC agreed to alter its stance and allow both teams to play in the L.A. Coliseum in 2016 -- man, better install Field Turf -- which would be a lot of football. With Kroenke's stadium not ready until 2019, maybe the Rose Bowl changes its stance in 2016 and allows one of these teams as as tenant for 2017 and 2018. We'll see. Otherwise there aren't too many other options in the area.

Is this the new home for events like the Pro Bowl and combine down the road?

You know it. And an eventual World Cup Final and huge international soccer matches and, while Indy is nearing an extension on the combine, that would hardly shock me down the road. And swanky new digs for NFL Media and NFL Network as well.

Where do you place the odds of the Raiders landing? And how long is this Mark Davis' team?

Don't make me laugh. Where the hell is he going? Kroenke, for all of his means and wealth and for having shovels in the ground already in a prime location where the NFL league office wanted to build a stadium, had to sweat it out through a challenging process that was clearly controlled by the league. Davis has none of that, and the NFL won't let him in San Diego to try to undermine their LA project, and Jerry Jones -- who made the proposal to get the Rams and Chargers together in the first place -- doesn't want him anywhere near San Antonio. No way Davis gets the votes to go anywhere the league doesn't want him -- and every indication I get is that the league wants two teams in the Bay Area. Beyond that, the league could set the relocation fee easily out of his reach as well. He can huff and puff, but he ain't blowing anything down, and his best bet is to work really hard securing additional owners and putting that $100 million to work in the Oakland area, or the league will eventually find a big-time owner who will.

Was this all just a charade and it was always Kroenke and the Rams who were going to come out on top?

Money talks, and he had the preferred location and always had great leverage. His problem was lack of political capital with his peers, but at the end of the day that quickly fell by the wayside. The Carson project ended up forcing the issue to a head -- three teams with two competing projects looking to leave at the same time -- which ultimately motivated the rest of the owners to put this issue on the front burner to a point where they were willing (mostly) to put playoff prep and coach and GM searches aside to hash this out in Houston once and for all.

Does St. Louis ever get a football team again?

It wouldn't shock me, if the city can maintain momentum and funding options for the riverfront stadium project. A lot of smart people are involved in that process. Keeping the ball rolling might be tough for a while with the Rams move stinging, but this was always being built for the city and not for Kroenke, and St. Louis is now in the pole position for any franchise move down the line (there won't be expansion; there are 32 pieces in this pie and that's all the owners want cut). Assuming they can keep moving forward and maintain close ties with the NFL office, they are available to be used by other owners seeking more money from their current locales, if nothing else. Which I think brings me to your next question ...

Should any teams in small markets be worried moving forward?

With the NFL having exhausted L.A. as a leverage piece and most of the league securing new stadiums and/or major stadium upgrades in recent history, there aren't too many more trouble spots now. Buffalo's owned by the Pegulas, who are married to Western New York, and have never been in play in L.A. If anything, the worse-case scenario for Buffalo is Toronto, but I'd be very surprised if Pegula doesn't get something built where they are. The Jaguars are always the first team mentioned by other owners and execs in terms of the league's fixation with London, and that situation will come to a head around 2020, when TV contracts are up and after the league will have time to keep ramping up how many games it plays over there. Jags owner Shad Khan has deep ties to Missouri and was about to buy the Rams -- and likely keep them in St. Louis -- before Kroenke got around to executing his right to do so.

Cue the part where Jaguars fans go bonkers at me on Twitter and show me all the pretty pictures of the drawings of a practice facility that doesn't exist and show me that pretty scoreboard and swimming pool in the outdated stadium there. Save it. I'm not the guy you have to worry about. This is big, big business. Money talks, market-size matters and revenue is king. If you haven't been paying attention to this process with L.A. and how things work in the NFL, just ask some people in Baltimore or Cleveland or St. Louis. I'm not your problem. The economics of the NFL is.

Has a precedent been set for privately-funded stadiums with Kroenke spending his own money on this?

That's cute. And quaint. But surely you jest. Where have you been the last 20 years?

 

[kurtfaulk]

Looks like the Rams have changed over their twitter, facebook and website now.

http://www.therams.com/

and i had to physically change over my bookmark from st louis rams to los angeles rams.

.

 

[tonyl711]

I'm pretty sure you're never going to see the Rams move back to STL. (there's no way I'm alone with such a statement) I'm pretty sure you're also going to see the Rams do very well in the LA market, for a long long time. Even though it's heart breaking for fans in St Louis, the facts are it was a GREAT business decision and will help the Los Angeles Rams become a better team on the field, and worth so much more $$$.

if that true, why werent they selling out in LA before? they were having winning teams and having attendance problems, look it up, every season in St Louis they had a winning team they sold out every game. the worst 5 year stretch in NFL history and still drawing 45000, how many other teams can lose that historically and draw 45000?

 

[RamBill]

While Dean Spanos mulls options, Chargers falling behind in L.A.
By Eric Williams

http://espn.go.com/blog/san-diego-c...ls-his-options-chargers-falling-behind-in-l-a

LOS ANGELES -- Four days after his Carson project was rejected by NFL owners, San Diego Chargers chairman Dean Spanos is still in the process of reviewing his options.

And while Spanos contemplates his best course of action, Rams owner Stan Kroenke is already hitting the ground running and marketing his team in Los Angeles.

The plan for the Rams is to implement a grassroots, community effort to re-energize the team’s fan base in Los Angeles and have a practice facility to hold offseason workouts here beginning in April.

That puts the Chargers at a disadvantage as the second team in Los Angeles, should they choose to partner with the Rams in Inglewood.

The Chargers already have committed to holding offseason workouts at Chargers Park, which means the earliest they could be in Los Angeles is the beginning of training camp at the end of July.

NFL owners who talked to reporters in Houston indicated that they preferred the Chargers play in San Diego for the 2016 season.

Spanos returned San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s call on Thursday to let him know that he’s in the process of considering how he will move forward on securing a stadium deal for his franchise.

Earlier this week, the league’s 32 owners voted 30-2 to send the St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers back to Los Angeles to play in Kroenke’s proposed $1.86 billion stadium in Inglewood.

The Chargers have the option to stay in San Diego and move to Los Angeles for the 2017 season. However, the Rams will move in time for the 2016 NFL season.

During an introductory news conference in Los Angeles, Kroenke was asked about the status of talks between the Rams and Chargers. Kroenke said those negotiations are ongoing, but did not give an indication of how close the two sides were to coming to an agreement on a framework of a deal.

“That was part of the approval, and we’re immediately engaged with them, talking about what some kind of deal might look like,” Kroenke said. “We’ve offered several iterations of that. So we’ll see where that goes.”

The Chargers have the option of being a partner or tenant in the Inglewood stadium. However, Spanos must decide if he wants to move forward on the Inglewood deal by March for the Chargers to play their games in Los Angeles for the 2016 season.

Faulconer and San Diego County supervisor Ron Roberts have indicated they are interested in getting back to the negotiation table on a $1.1 billion proposal to replace Qualcomm Stadium that includes $350 million in public money.

Roberts said the duo would be willing to enhance the offer.

 

[jrry32]

if that true, why werent they selling out in LA before? they were having winning teams and having attendance problems, look it up, every season in St Louis they had a winning team they sold out every game. the worst 5 year stretch in NFL history and still drawing 45000, how many other teams can lose that historically and draw 45000?

The Rams aren't going to have any problems making money in LA.

 

[BriansRams]

if that true, why werent they selling out in LA before? they were having winning teams and having attendance problems, look it up, every season in St Louis they had a winning team they sold out every game. the worst 5 year stretch in NFL history and still drawing 45000, how many other teams can lose that historically and draw 45000?

Hi tonyl711. You lost me. Which of my statements below are you arguing against?

I'm pretty sure you're never going to see the Rams move back to STL. (there's no way I'm alone with such a statement) I'm pretty sure you're also going to see the Rams do very well in the LA market, for a long long time. Even though it's heart breaking for fans in St Louis, the facts are it was a GREAT business decision and will help the Los Angeles Rams become a better team on the field, and worth so much more $$$.

 

[Username]

Come on man. Did you read the article? St louis teams as a whole have the highest average winning percentage. That's all it really says.

The point of the article is that St. Louis sports fans will survive without the Rams and the NFL. If they want to fuck this city over again and again then they will miss out on having one of the most storied and passionate sports cities as part of their league. A league which is so devoid of character and integrity itself, that it's probably a good thing.

No, they're completely different.

If anything the WSJ article supports Kroenke's argument.

That's the irony, if you ask me...

How in sam fuck would that article support any "argument" he is presenting? He bought full possession of literately the worst team in the history of the league, and instantly began working on moving the team to Los Angeles. With that product and endorsement it's surprising the dome wasn't sold out every Sunday you're right. There's no "irony" to be had here bub.

That's part of his job though, per orders of the NFL, it doesn't speak to his character as a person. Unless you have never lied in your life about anything for any reason, I don't see how you can judge a man for doing his job.

And lawyers that get people off for murdering someone while drunk driving are also good at their job.

Lying to an entire city. Having multiple press conferences and meetings with thousands of fans countless times a year reassuring them that they're doing everything in their power to keep the team here.

In reality he probably had no fucking clue exactly what Kroenke was doing with the team. He probably kept him in the dark on purpose. Kroenke just slipped Kevin in at the end to do the end of his dirty work which would speak to his silence the last year.

 

[bluecoconuts]

And lawyers that get people off for murdering someone while drunk driving are also good at their job.

Lying to an entire city. Having multiple press conferences and meetings with thousands of fans countless times a year reassuring them that they're doing everything in their power to keep the team here.

In reality he probably had no freaking clue exactly what Kroenke was doing with the team. He probably kept him in the dark on purpose. Kroenke just slipped Kevin in at the end to do the end of his dirty work which would speak to his silence the last year.

So lawyers who are good at their job are bad people, or should they simply just refuse to give people their rights if accused of murder? I don't follow that logic, sorry. Demoff knew about the project from the start, the first person Stan called when he saw the land (before he bought it) was Demoff. They both knew what they were planning on doing, the city knew what was going on, the NFL did, the media did, etc. Are the St Louis Mayor, Missouri Governor, the task force, media, etc bad people because they kept saying they believed they would stop the Rams from relocating, when they probably knew they didn't have a good shot? For saying, even after the NFL announced it wasn't good enough, that they were confident in the proposal? Are they bad people for keeping the fans in the dark until after elections to announce their project? Are they bad people for trying to circumnavigate a vote and then getting delayed in the end and giving the NFL an excuse to walk away? They lied to the entire city, had press conferences and meetings reassuring them to keep the faith, but that doesn't speak about their character.

 

[Username]

So lawyers who are good at their job are bad people, or should they simply just refuse to give people their rights if accused of murder? I don't follow that logic, sorry. Demoff knew about the project from the start, the first person Stan called when he saw the land (before he bought it) was Demoff. They both knew what they were planning on doing, the city knew what was going on, the NFL did, the media did, etc. Are the St Louis Mayor, Missouri Governor, the task force, media, etc bad people because they kept saying they believed they would stop the Rams from relocating, when they probably knew they didn't have a good shot? For saying, even after the NFL announced it wasn't good enough, that they were confident in the proposal? Are they bad people for keeping the fans in the dark until after elections to announce their project? Are they bad people for trying to circumnavigate a vote and then getting delayed in the end and giving the NFL an excuse to walk away? They lied to the entire city, had press conferences and meetings reassuring them to keep the faith, but that doesn't speak about their character.

You're grasping at fucking straws here. Also, yes, in my opinion someone who is blatantly aware their client committed murder while intoxicated behind the wheel, yet they still take their case because they know getting them off on a loophole will give them good PR with other wealthy murders are bad people. The NFL encouraged Peacock and the committee to continue time and time again. An incredibly wealthy man had his puppet lie to an entire city and more about the teams status in order to extract even more money from them, while enviably fucking them over in the end. Stan planned on moving the team for financial reasons the second he bought them. Without knowing he has even admitted so now. There is no victim here except the football fans in St. Louis. This reclusive DELETED acting like someone forced his hand and that he's been hurt somehow is the most hilarious self absorbing thing I've ever hear a billionaire say, and Trumps running for president.

 

[bluecoconuts]

You're grasping at freaking straws here. Also, yes, in my opinion someone who is blatantly aware their client committed murder while intoxicated behind the wheel, yet they still take their case because they know getting them off on a loophole will give them good PR with other wealthy murders are bad people. The NFL encouraged Peacock and the committee to continue time and time again. An incredibly wealthy man had his puppet lie to an entire city and more about the teams status in order to extract even more money from them, while enviably freaking them over in the end. Stan planned on moving the team for financial reasons the second he bought them. Without knowing he has even admitted so now. There is no victim here except the football fans in St. Louis. This reclusive sociopath acting like someone forced his hand and that he's been hurt somehow is the most hilarious self absorbing thing I've ever hear a billionaire say, and Trumps running for president.

I don't see that grasping at straws, and that's not how our justice system is, everyone deserves their day in court, and everyone deserves to be fairly represented, it's one of the foundations of our nation.

In terms of Stan, it sounds like you should have beef with the NFL and the Task Force as well though. Stan didn't encourage Peacock, he told them not to bother because he wanted to leave. They didn't pass that information on either, FYI, they told you to pack the dome not Stan. There were reports that part of why Stan blasted the city was because he was pissed that Peacock was constantly blasting him to other owners and the NFL. I'm not saying that Stan is a good guy or some victim in all of this either, but just pointing the finger at him and nobody else isn't getting the full picture. There are a lot of parties to blame for what happened, including the city/CVC, but everyone wants to give them a pass and make Kroenke into the devil. For what? Calling their bluff when they decided not to uphold their part of a deal? People don't become successful businessmen by letting others welsh on a contract.

I agree it's a shitty thing, and I feel for the fans of St Louis, but it's getting to be a little ridiculous. I wasn't in the U.S. when the Rams left for St Louis, but I've read the articles and looked at the pictures gloating about it, but I don't see people in St Louis labeling Georgia as the devil for essentially doing the exact same thing, but probably a bit worse... Given the NFL actually tried to stop her, and she dismantled the team beforehand. Why does she get a pass?

 

[RamFan503]

if that true, why werent they selling out in LA before? they were having winning teams and having attendance problems, look it up, every season in St Louis they had a winning team they sold out every game. the worst 5 year stretch in NFL history and still drawing 45000, how many other teams can lose that historically and draw 45000?

Actually you should probably look that up. First off, attendance numbers were actual fans through the turnstiles back then. And when the Rams were a decent team, they drew quite well in spite of the fact that the NFL was no where near as popular as it is today and honestly, the Big A was one of the worst football venues you could imagine - great for baseball - awful for football.

I was at the opening day game last year and if anyone wants to tell me the attendance figures they gave afterward were true, they are just not being honest. They can say 45,000 but it wasn't even close to that.

 

[IowaRam]

And half of those were probably fans of the visiting team ,

 

[RamFan503]

And half of those were probably fans of the visiting team ,

They traveled well - there's no doubt about that. We shouted them out when they would start their bullshit but they were pretty loud in their own right.

I'm going to guess though that they are going to travel at least as well to the new digs.

 

[Username]

I don't see that grasping at straws, and that's not how our justice system is, everyone deserves their day in court, and everyone deserves to be fairly represented, it's one of the foundations of our nation.

In terms of Stan, it sounds like you should have beef with the NFL and the Task Force as well though. Stan didn't encourage Peacock, he told them not to bother because he wanted to leave. They didn't pass that information on either, FYI, they told you to pack the dome not Stan. There were reports that part of why Stan blasted the city was because he was pissed that Peacock was constantly blasting him to other owners and the NFL. I'm not saying that Stan is a good guy or some victim in all of this either, but just pointing the finger at him and nobody else isn't getting the full picture. There are a lot of parties to blame for what happened, including the city/CVC, but everyone wants to give them a pass and make Kroenke into the devil. For what? Calling their bluff when they decided not to uphold their part of a deal? People don't become successful businessmen by letting others welsh on a contract.

I agree it's a crappy thing, and I feel for the fans of St Louis, but it's getting to be a little ridiculous. I wasn't in the U.S. when the Rams left for St Louis, but I've read the articles and looked at the pictures gloating about it, but I don't see people in St Louis labeling Georgia as the devil for essentially doing the exact same thing, but probably a bit worse... Given the NFL actually tried to stop her, and she dismantled the team beforehand. Why does she get a pass?

Demoff encouraged people to keep the faith about the Rams staying until the beginning of last season. Then he wasn't heard from again. Georgia never got a pass. I read from fans every year on these forums about how she was a "whore who killed her husband and stole the team." While it's true that she moved the team and fucked some things up, I'm pretty sure it was Rosenblooms idea to move them to Anaheim. Also while she may have been hated in L.A. deservedly so or not, she made her presence felt in St. Louis. She made charitable donations constantly, and could be seen on the field or engaging with fans almost every game before she got sick. Many of her charities still live on in St. Louis today. She was also never a snake in the fucking grass about what she was going to do with the team. She said she was getting a sweetheart of a deal so she took it. Kroenke playing this fucking victim card is hilarious.

Also while the justice system is a part of what makes a free democratic society great, ours is far from perfect. Me creating a hypothetical situation about A MURDER LITERATELY GETTING OFF SCOTCH FREE because of a loop hole in the system, is just that, a hypothetical situation just eluding to the fact that people can still be good at their jobs and be scumbags. If you want me to present a new hypothetical situation illustrating that again I'm sure I can think of 1 or maybe a thousand. You could probably think of some yourself.

 

[bluecoconuts]

They traveled well - there's no doubt about that. We shouted them out when they would start their bullcrap but they were pretty loud in their own right.

I'm going to guess though that they are going to travel at least as well to the new digs.

Ugh, Chicago Blackhawk fans always travel really well in LA, I effing hate it whenever I go to Staples and see all the tickets they got from season ticket guys knowing they can make a quick buck by charging double for Chicago fans.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Demoff encouraged people to keep the faith about the Rams staying until the beginning of last season. Then he wasn't heard from again. Georgia never got a pass. I read from fans every year on these forums about how she was a "whore who killed her husband and stole the team." While it's true that she moved the team and freaked some things up, I'm pretty sure it was Rosenblooms idea to move them to Anaheim. Also while she may have been hated in L.A. deservedly so or not, she made her presence felt in St. Louis. She made charitable donations constantly, and could be seen on the field or engaging with fans almost every game before she got sick. Many of her charities still live on in St. Louis today. She was also never a snake in the freaking grass about what she was going to do with the team. She said she was getting a sweetheart of a deal so she took it. Kroenke playing this freaking victim card is hilarious.

Also while the justice system is a part of what makes a free democratic society great, ours is far from perfect. Me creating a hypothetical situation about A MURDER LITERATELY GETTING OFF SCOTCH FREE because of a loop hole in the system, is just that, a hypothetical situation just eluding to the fact that people can still be good at their jobs and be scumbags. If you want me to present a new hypothetical situation illustrating that again I'm sure I can think of 1 or maybe a thousand. You could probably think of some yourself.

I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I don't see their actions as making them shitty people.. Was it a shitty thing to do? Yeah, it was strictly business, and it was a bit shitty. Does that make them shitty people? Not at all. Everyone has done shitty things, I've done shitty things... Hell you don't want to know some of the shitty things I've done, and I'm sure everyone else has done shitty things as well.. That doesn't mean everyone is shitty, just that sometimes people do shitty things for various reasons.

Don't get me wrong, people are still bastard coated bastards with a bastard center, but the point remains.

 

[RamBill]

Rams' return to the Coliseum will be extra special for Jeff Fisher

By Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-rams-coach-fisher-20160116-story.html

As he emerged from the Coliseum tunnel, the panorama of the hallowed turf unfurled before him.

It was 1967, and 9-year-old Jeff Fisher was attending his first professional football game, the hometown Rams playing the Philadelphia Eagles.

Years later, he enjoyed another moment, striding down the stadium tunnel from the USC locker room to the field as a player for the Trojans.

This fall, Fisher will be 58 when he returns to the place of some of his most indelible football memories, as coach of the re-minted Los Angeles Rams.

"I've been a Rams fan for so long," Fisher said Friday after a news conference at the Forum, "it's an honor to be part of this homecoming."

When the Rams play their first regular-season home game this fall, Fisher will be at the forefront of the Rams return to Southern California after a 21-year absence.

The Rams are building a new Inglewood stadium that is set to open in time for the 2019 season. While it is being constructed, they will probably spend the next three seasons in the Coliseum, where Fisher played receiver and defensive back for USC.

"There's a winning tradition there," Fisher said of the Coliseum. "You win a lot more games than you lose there. Our players are going to get that message."

Fisher has deep local roots. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, where he played football, baseball and ran track at Woodland Hills Taft High.

Ray O'Connor was Taft's baseball coach and also assisted with football.

O'Connor said he moved Fisher from outfield to catcher "because of amazing intellect," and he likes to tell a story that reflects Fisher's ability to strategize on the football field.

In 1975, Fisher set a school single-game record with 12 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns against Chatsworth. Taft had a four-point lead late in the game and was pinned in its own territory preparing to punt. Fisher called time out and ran to the sideline.

"He just came over and demanded that we take a safety," said O'Connor, 86. "We take a safety, we come out, and our guy punts the ball 65 yards and we win the ball game."

At USC, he played receiver for two seasons, catching one pass as a sophomore. He moved to cornerback as a junior in 1979, playing in a secondary that included Joey Browner, Dennis Smith and Ronnie Lott — all first-round NFL draft picks.

"He went over there because of his competitiveness — because he was a nasty guy," former coach John Robinson said this week. "He was the right kind of person to do it."

Lott had worked against Fisher in practice. He was not surprised by his ability to transition quickly.

"Jeff was not only a talented athlete but he was smart guy," Lott said. "His acumen for picking up not only the offense but also the defense led to him being able to play a significant role.

"He didn't miss a beat."

Fisher intercepted two passes as a junior, three as a senior. He holds fond memories of playing for the Trojans in the Coliseum.

"Getting to play with some amazing athletes," he said, "first-round pick after first-round pick."

The Trojans' defensive effort in a 1980 victory over South Carolina and Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers came to mind for Fisher on Friday.

So did a "missed opportunity" in the 1980 game against UCLA, when Fisher had a chance to intercept a pass that Bruins running back Freeman McNeil caught and turned into a long touchdown in a 20-17 UCLA victory.

"It was a learning experience for me that was extremely valuable for my career," Fisher said. "Because you can't make every single play, but you have to bounce back. I learned to bounce back."

The Chicago Bears selected Fisher in the seventh round of the 1981 draft and he played five NFL seasons as a defensive back and punt returner. He was on injured reserve because of an ankle injury in 1985, when the Bears defeated the Rams in the NFC championship game on their way to winning the Super Bowl.

Fisher helped Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan that season and was a member of his Philadelphia Eagles staff from 1986 to 1990, before joining Robinson's Rams' staff as defensive coordinator in 1991. He coached two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and then joined the Houston Oilers staff, taking over as head coach with six games left in the 1994 season.

Fisher was at the helm when the team moved to Tennessee before the 1997 season and eventually became the Titans. He coached the Oilers/Titans for 16 full seasons, leading them to the playoffs six times, including the Super Bowl in 1999.

The Rams hired Fisher in 2012 and he has a record of 27-36-1, including 7-9 this season in the fourth year of a five-year contract that reportedly pays him about $7 million annually.

Fisher's name has surfaced every time there has been a USC coaching change in the last six years.

"I think everyone at some point in their career would like the opportunity to go back to their alma mater," Fisher said, "but from a timing standpoint it's just never worked. I'm going to keep my commitment to those I'm working for."

Some Trojans fans wanted Fisher when Pete Carroll left for the Seattle Seahawks in 2010. USC hired Lane Kiffin.

Fisher's name came up again after Pat Haden fired Kiffin in 2013, and after Steve Sarkisian was fired five games into last season. Haden hired Clay Helton.

"I've been contacted on occasion," Fisher said. "As a matter of fact, I talked to Pat and [senior associate athletic director J.K. [McKay] this time around, but it wasn't about me. It was about who's out there.

"I told both of them: 'You've got the right guy.'"

Fisher said he did not begin to ponder what it would be like to come down the Coliseum tunnel again until he spoke to Rams safety T.J. McDonald, a former USC standout who is recovering from shoulder surgery.

"He was so excited," Fisher said. "He said, 'I can't wait to come out of that tunnel again.' That kind of got the ball rolling for me mentally."

Much of Fisher's family still resides locally, including his parents. Fisher said they were happy when they heard the Rams were moving back to Los Angeles.

"They've been curious and hopeful," he said. "It was a long way to go to watch me wherever I'm coaching.

"It was a really sweet message from Mom and Dad. It said, 'Welcome home.'"