St. Louis Football, Part 1: Rams, Cardinals & Nfl Playoffs In Perspective

[STL-Rams]

Shane Gray provides special Rams commentaries on 101sports.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ShaneGmoSTLRams.

In the end, an NFL franchise – like a franchise of any professional sport – is primarily judged by its historical performance related to postseason play.

For example, the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers are widely revered as the crown-jewel organizations of Major League Baseball due in large part to their extensive resumes of postseason success.

In terms of fueling the fan base, punching tickets to the playoff party gives supporters a chance to take pride in the team they love. Oftentimes, it is a team that represents the city and/or state that one calls home. Consistently qualifying for postseason action helps organizations build loyal, multi-generational fan bases. Furthermore, it gives fans a chance to revel in legitimate title dreams.

If qualifying for the playoffs is where the chase for a championship really kicks into go mode, then those failing to secure postseason berths were never truly in the race to begin with.

Sure, they took part in the regular-season festivities, but not one regular-season win – no matter how spectacular or meaningful it may have been – has ever advanced anyone through a single postseason round.

As one can see below, playoff appearance records would suggest that the only city that has endured worse football than St. Louis fans have since the NFL’s inception in 1920 is Phoenix. Ironically, it hosts the franchise that spent 28 years in St. Louis: the current Arizona Cardinals.

With St. Louis’ NFL tenure beginning in 1960, postseason qualifications from 1960 and beyond are listed for each city whose pro football affiliation goes back prior to that year for easier comparisons to St. Louis’ playoff resume.

Atlanta (1966-2013): 12

Arizona (1987-2013): 3

Baltimore

(1953-1983, Colts): 10

(1996-2013, Ravens): 9

(1960-2013): 17

(Total): 19

Buffalo (1960-2013): 17

(I hope each of you will enjoy the full column via link below with several observations on St. Louis thereafter. And happy new year to each of you! Thanks for all the support):

http://www.101sports.com/2014/01/13/st-louis-football-part-one-rams-cardinals-nfl-playoff-history/

 

[Alan]

Oh yeah, I'm one of many long suffering fans. A couple of SB appearances and one win made up for it though. At least for me. Let's hope it doesn't take another almost 30 years to win one again.

 

[STL-Rams]

Oh yeah, I'm one of many long suffering fans. A couple of SB appearances and one win made for it though. At least for me. Let's hope it doesn't take another almost 30 years to win one again.

Yes, let's hope brighter days and more consistently brighter days are just around the curve.

 

[STL-Rams]

Please forgive me for one busy day bump in case anyone missed it earlier today..

 

[Alan]

While we have you here Shane, why did they call the trade of Josh Gordy conditional? I understand we're only getting a 7th rounder for him so what were the conditions that weren't met?

 

[Thordaddy]

As a Cardinal season ticket holder I have always said the first step to getting a Lombardi for the city of St. Lou was the day the Cards LEFT. Yeah I was a AT ALL those home playoff games that didn't happen.
IMO there's no way if the Kroenke family had owned one franchise in this city all those years we wouldn't compare favorably,so those past frustrations are now meaningless for me ,it's a new day.

 

[STL-Rams]

As a Cardinal season ticket holder I have always said the first step to getting a Lombardi for the city of St. Lou was the day the Cards LEFT. Yeah I was a AT ALL those home playoff games that didn't happen.
IMO there's no way if the Kroenke family had owned one franchise in this city all those years we wouldn't compare favorably,so those past frustrations are now meaningless for me ,it's a new day.

Thanks for sharing that perspective, and I believe the arrow is pointing up under the ownership of Stan K on the field. Once the stadium issues get worked out, it will be looking up off the field, too.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Divisional last place records this season
7-9*
6-10
5-10-1
4-12
4-12
4-12
4-12
3-13
2-14

*Rams fared pretty well i'd say.

 

[BigRamFan]

I was not (overly) disappointed by our record last year but the above just makes us the best of the worst. I want more!

 

[Mojo Ram]

I was not (overly) disappointed by our record last year but the above just makes us the best of the worst. I want more!

I hear ya,but this division is clearly the best in football right now,which makes us the worst of the best :bigup:

 

[BigRamFan]

Okay, that does have a better sound to it.

 

[STL-Rams]

You know a fan base is searching hard for positives when they begin pointing out how we were the best last place team