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- Jun 20, 2010
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- The Dude
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.ksdk.com/sports/pro_football/article/295979/30/The-Rams-Blog-Why-listening-to-mom-could-save-the-NFL-in-St-Louis" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.ksdk.com/sports/pro_football ... n-St-Louis</a>
(The Rams Tailgate Show) -- For a 2-14 team the St. Louis Rams sure do know how to stay in the headlines. Their search for a new head coach and the drama that has followed as Rams fans patiently wait for Coach Jeff Fisher to make his decision has held the attention of local and national media for over a week.
Meanwhile the Rams are making headlines off the field as well. First, in today's St. Louis Post Dispatch, Matthew Hathaway writes that "local civic and political leaders are trying to craft a plan for revamping the Edward Jones Dome, with just three weeks left before they must send the team a proposal."
This is happening because The Rams' lease gives the team an escape clause if the Dome isn't a "first tier" football stadium by 2015. All the conversation as far as I can tell is focused on making improvements to the Edward Jones Dome. I can understand this. I mean it is built. It has allowed the city to be apart of the conversation in regards to hosting other major sporting events such as the NCAA Tournament, college football games etc, and maybe someday, after the improvements, we may even see the Super Bowl come to town.
Now, while that all sounds great, and probably brings beaucoup money to the city, what I think will really save professional football in this city is an outdoor stadium. I'm not one of those folks who argue that football is an outdoor game, and should be played outdoors. No, my argument is much simpler. Outdoor stadiums provide a much more festive atmosphere for fans, both before and after the game.
Producing the Rams Tailgate Show, has given me a great glimpse into the world of the tailgater. This world is important because in lots of ways this is the world of the avid NFL fan. These are your season ticket holders who enjoy the atmosphere of the NFL experience as much as the game itself. They believe that Sunday really is a holy day, and that their church, (during the NFL season) is outside, rain or shine and smells an awful lot like burning bratwurst.
The Rams fans around the dome do a good job of creating that college-esque atmosphere that accompanies any good Saturday at a major campus during a home game. But the atmosphere is muted as they exodus to get inside the dome. Visit Philadelphia, Green Bay, even Nashville or Seattle on a home Sunday, and you'll get a completely different feeling. In fact, in those cities, fans come down to the outdoor stadium and party without tickets. I feel they do that because with the outdoor stadium, they still feel apart the experience. And it's that experience that I wish we could have here in St. Louis.
Now, I'm not a city or county planner and I certainly don't know the economics of the situation better then the players involved. But something in my gut says saving St. Louis' NFL experience is going to take more than creating a $Billion dome like they have in Dallas. To me the answer is exactly what my mom used to say to me, "Just go outside and play please."
(The Rams Tailgate Show) -- For a 2-14 team the St. Louis Rams sure do know how to stay in the headlines. Their search for a new head coach and the drama that has followed as Rams fans patiently wait for Coach Jeff Fisher to make his decision has held the attention of local and national media for over a week.
Meanwhile the Rams are making headlines off the field as well. First, in today's St. Louis Post Dispatch, Matthew Hathaway writes that "local civic and political leaders are trying to craft a plan for revamping the Edward Jones Dome, with just three weeks left before they must send the team a proposal."
This is happening because The Rams' lease gives the team an escape clause if the Dome isn't a "first tier" football stadium by 2015. All the conversation as far as I can tell is focused on making improvements to the Edward Jones Dome. I can understand this. I mean it is built. It has allowed the city to be apart of the conversation in regards to hosting other major sporting events such as the NCAA Tournament, college football games etc, and maybe someday, after the improvements, we may even see the Super Bowl come to town.
Now, while that all sounds great, and probably brings beaucoup money to the city, what I think will really save professional football in this city is an outdoor stadium. I'm not one of those folks who argue that football is an outdoor game, and should be played outdoors. No, my argument is much simpler. Outdoor stadiums provide a much more festive atmosphere for fans, both before and after the game.
Producing the Rams Tailgate Show, has given me a great glimpse into the world of the tailgater. This world is important because in lots of ways this is the world of the avid NFL fan. These are your season ticket holders who enjoy the atmosphere of the NFL experience as much as the game itself. They believe that Sunday really is a holy day, and that their church, (during the NFL season) is outside, rain or shine and smells an awful lot like burning bratwurst.
The Rams fans around the dome do a good job of creating that college-esque atmosphere that accompanies any good Saturday at a major campus during a home game. But the atmosphere is muted as they exodus to get inside the dome. Visit Philadelphia, Green Bay, even Nashville or Seattle on a home Sunday, and you'll get a completely different feeling. In fact, in those cities, fans come down to the outdoor stadium and party without tickets. I feel they do that because with the outdoor stadium, they still feel apart the experience. And it's that experience that I wish we could have here in St. Louis.
Now, I'm not a city or county planner and I certainly don't know the economics of the situation better then the players involved. But something in my gut says saving St. Louis' NFL experience is going to take more than creating a $Billion dome like they have in Dallas. To me the answer is exactly what my mom used to say to me, "Just go outside and play please."
