Flashback to when things were really bad ("Bernie" interviews "Linehan" 2007/08)

[PARAM]

They just didn't have much talent from 2006 on and what they had were shadows of their former selves. Charley Armie was gone after 2005. Ziggie was president of football operations/GM, so Linehan and consequently Spagnuolo weren't exactly given stellar drafts with which to work. The truth of the matter is TGSOT caught lightning in a bottle. A case of right place/right time that didn't last very long. The front office was a clusterfook from 1990 on, except for the 3 years Vermeil and Armey ran things. So, someone can facetiously "say" 'it's amazing he didn't go 0-16' but that's actually closer to the truth than "3 or 4 hall of famers on the roster means Linehan screwed up".

That's all in the past. Now we have a good personnel department, an excellent GM and a phenominal head coach. Two of the top 15 NFL players on defense, an experienced franchise QB and a great WR corp. If they have figured out a way to put 5 quality guys on the O line we're going to do some damage going forward.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

They say the memory is the first thing to go!!!! HOFer Pace played a whopping 8 games in 2006, 1 in 2007. HOFer Ike played 13 in 2006, 12 in 2007 and was in SF by 2008. And that was it for the HOFers on that 2006 squad. Torry's knees were bone on bone and he was in Jax by 2009. Timmerman played 13 games in 2006, his last year in the NFL. Like I said, they were 5 years past their peak as a team, individually, some less than that as a HOF player but they did manage to go 8-8 in 2006, so there's that. The one star who still had something left in the tank was Big Game, but not for long. It's amazing how some fans hold onto memories instead of realizing reality. They just didn't have much talent in 2006 on.

And Steven Jackson only had over 2300 total yards and 16 TDs. What a bum.

Way to cherry pick your stats.

 

[PARAM]

And Steven Jackson only had over 2300 total yards and 16 TDs. What a bum.

Way to cherry pick your stats.

Of course he did. And 16 TDs. But you were talking about Hall of Famers, weren't you? Guys like Ike and Big O. Even Torry, cause we know he'll be in soon enough. I'm not cherry picking anything. They had SJ, Holt and very little else. Those two had 26 TDs (13 receiving; 13 rushing) and the rest of the team had 11 total. Wow!!!! That's a team full of stars, eh? Contributions from all over the roster, eh? Like I said....and I'll stand by it....they (TGSOT: Ike, Torry, Big Game, Pace) were past their prime. And they still managed 8-8, a 2 game improvement from the previous year and the last time before 2017 the Rams didn't have a losing record.

Selective memory? The last really good team the Rams had was 2003, 3 years before the new regime. Hell the 2004 team wasn't much better (8-8) than the 2006 team, except for the fact they gained a playoff berth and beat Seattle 3 times. Against the rest of the NFL they were 6-9. And that was a roster with Faulk, Ike, Holt, SJ and Bulger. I have to laugh when some fans say 'they took over a good team in 2006 and 'only' went 8-8'.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

Of course he did. And 16 TDs. But you were talking about Hall of Famers, weren't you? Guys like Ike and Big O. Even Torry, cause we know he'll be in soon enough. I'm not cherry picking anything. They had SJ, Holt and very little else. Those two had 26 TDs (13 receiving; 13 rushing) and the rest of the team had 11 total. Wow!!!! That's a team full of stars, eh? Contributions from all over the roster, eh? Like I said....and I'll stand by it....they (TGSOT: Ike, Torry, Big Game, Pace) were past their prime. And they still managed 8-8, a 2 game improvement from the previous year and the last time before 2017 the Rams didn't have a losing record.

Selective memory? The last really good team the Rams had was 2003, 3 years before the new regime. Hell the 2004 team wasn't much better (8-8) than the 2006 team, except for the fact they gained a playoff berth and beat Seattle 3 times. Against the rest of the NFL they were 6-9. And that was a roster with Faulk, Ike, Holt, SJ and Bulger. I have to laugh when some fans say 'they took over a good team in 2006 and 'only' went 8-8'.

If Jackson had played on another team with a winning record, he would be a shoe in for the HOF. Imagine if he played on the stealers or the cowgirls? All that talent, and poor linny only ran the team into the ground.

 

[PARAM]

If Jackson had played on another team with a winning record, he would be a shoe in for the HOF. Imagine if he played on the stealers or the cowgirls? All that talent, and poor linny only ran the team into the ground.

It wasn't Linehan, though Linehan wasn't very good. It was Ziggie, who caused the team to degrade because of his incompetence running the football operations. Then he fired Martz! Come on man, you remember it differently? Take a look at the stupid assed drafts from 2002 - 2006. What'd they have 2, maybe 3 decent picks out of 47 if you count a 7th round long snapper and a 7th round QB from Harvard, who would become Fitzmagic eight teams and 14 years later? Come on, tell me all the great draft picks Ziggie made while they were losing Proehl, Hakim, Fletcher and as Ike, Faulk and Pace were getting old!!!! Your vitriol is aimed at the wrong football guy. Or I should say, at A football guy and not the pencil pusher who ruined the Rams!!!

 

[JRobinson]

Good Lord. 2007-2011…. Don’t know how I survived.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

It wasn't Linehan, though Linehan wasn't very good. It was Ziggie, who caused the team to degrade because of his incompetence running the football operations. Then he fired Martz! Come on man, you remember it differently? Take a look at the stupid assed drafts from 2002 - 2006. What'd they have 2, maybe 3 decent picks out of 47 if you count a 7th round long snapper and a 7th round QB from Harvard, who would become Fitzmagic eight teams and 14 years later? Come on, tell me all the great draft picks Ziggie made while they were losing Proehl, Hakim, Fletcher and as Ike, Faulk and Pace were getting old!!!! Your vitriol is aimed at the wrong football guy. Or I should say, at A football guy and not the pencil pusher who ruined the Rams!!!

I was the biggest Martz fan there was, but yeah I will agree, those picks were terrible. But even with good picks, Linny couldn't have done anything, he was not a good coach.

 

[Tano]

Maybe not the promised land but it was definite progress and a first step towards more. And he accomplished it in-spades with that first year. And it was the necessary first step...sadly he couldn't take the next one.

He was such a good defensive coach who could pick very good defensive players but couldn't pick a WR for the life of him

 

[den-the-coach]

He was such a good defensive coach who could pick very good defensive players but couldn't pick a WR for the life of him

Fisher's issue with the Rams was not getting a good Offensive Coordinator, he started out by not going with Hue Jackson over Brian Schottenheimer then because he was too involved with the offense, had to hire in house with Frank Cignetti, then Rob Boras. Fisher should have looked outside and given an OC total autonomy, but he was unable to do that and because of that, is now permanently fishing in Montana.

 

[Tano]

Fisher's issue with the Rams was not getting a good Offensive Coordinator, he started out by not going with Hue Jackson over Brian Schottenheimer then because he was too involved with the offense, had to hire in house with Frank Cignetti, then Rob Boras. Fisher should have looked outside and given an OC total autonomy, but he was unable to do that and because of that, is now permanently fishing in Montana.

Yeah but his WR choices were pure hell

Quick Givens Dumb (from Dumb and Dumber) Tavon etc

 

[den-the-coach]

Yeah but his WR choices were pure hell

Quick Givens Dumb (from Dumb and Dumber) Tavon etc

Agreed, but having a quality OC IMO, would have been able to shed some insight as to his selections. In the end, when the Rams hired Fisher, I felt like when they brought back Chuck Knox in 1992, well, the Rams will at least be decent, that did not happen, but Fisher did add some talent on the defensive side, however, I'm glad the Rams moved on.

 

[1maGoh]

Wait.....Spagnuolo vs Linehan?

"Which one was worse?" ?

10 - 38 vs 13 - 35?

"Which one was worse?" ?

That's like deciding which is the worse way to die. Burn to death or fall 1,200 feet to your death? Death is death. Sucky is sucky. To say either one was "better" than the other is like saying getting your balls crushed is better than getting your Johnson cut off. Really?

I never meant to open this thread, I hit it on accident, but I have to disagree here. Falling is my preferred method of death. If I get to choose, that's absolutely it. So much so that I've promised my wife I'll never go parachuting solo.

Back on topic, both suck. Spags had the one year of being almost decent-adjacent, but was still hot garbage. I'll admit, I thought this might have been a real interview at first. Maybe 3/4 of the way through the first one I figured out it wasn't. I really wouldn't have put it past him to be such an idiot. Alas, I am the idiot for believing the interview is for so long.

 

[den-the-coach]

 

[Memento]

I never meant to open this thread, I hit it on accident, but I have to disagree here. Falling is my preferred method of death. If I get to choose, that's absolutely it. So much so that I've promised my wife I'll never go parachuting solo.

Back on topic, both suck. Spags had the one year of being almost decent-adjacent, but was still hot garbage. I'll admit, I thought this might have been a real interview at first. Maybe 3/4 of the way through the first one I figured out it wasn't. I really wouldn't have put it past him to be such an idiot. Alas, I am the idiot for believing the interview is for so long.

Honestly would rather die any way other than falling; I'm batshit terrified of heights.

 

[AvengerRam]

The passion displayed over issues from more than a decade ago is simultaneously impressive and frightening.

For those wondering how Linehan was hired, here’s an exclusive transcript of his first meeting with Georgia Frontiere (from my archives):

MS. FRONTIERE Would you mind walking ahead of me into the office. I feel funny about coming into a dark office.

SCOTT But it's light in there now.

MS. FRONTIERE Please.

Scott turns and walks down the hall.

They enter office.

MS. FRONTIERE What do you drink? Bourbon?

SCOTT Look - I need to drive home. I'm glad to be here. But I have some things on my mind. Can you understand that?

She nods.

SCOTT All right then.

MS. FRONTIERE What do you drink?

He looks at her.

MS. FRONTIERE Scott - I'm sorry to be this way, but I don't want to be alone in this office.

SCOTT Why not?

MS. FRONTIERE Please wait till John Shaw gets here.

SCOTT When is he coming back?

MS. FRONTIERE I don't know.

She pours herself a drink.

MS. FRONTIERE Drink?

SCOTT No.

She hands him a drink.

There is a pause.

SCOTT Are you always this much afraid of being alone?

MS. FRONTIERE Yes.

SCOTT Well, why can't you just lock the doors?

MS. FRONTIERE I'm very neurotic. She turns on the phonograph.

SOUND of PHONOGRAPH.

MS. FRONTIERE May I ask you a question?

Scott looks at her.

MS. FRONTIERE What do you think of me?

SCOTT What do you mean?

MS. FRONTIERE You've known of me for a while. You must have formed some opinion.

SCOTT Well - I've always thought that you were a very - nice - person.

MS. FRONTIERE Did you know I was an alcoholic?

SCOTT What?

MS. FRONTIERE Did you know that?

SCOTT Look - I think I should be going -

MS. FRONTIERE Sit down, Scott.

SCOTT Ms. Frontiere - if you don't mind my saying so - this conversation is getting a little strange. Now I'm sure that Mr. Shaw will be here any minute and -

MS. FRONTIERE No.

SCOTT What?

MS. FRONTIERE Mr. Shaw will be back quite late.

They look at each other. Scott is half standing.

MS. FRONTIERE He should be gone for several hours.

She takes a step toward him. He puts his hand up and retreats around the other side of the chair.

SCOTT Oh my God.

MS. FRONTIERE Pardon?

SCOTT Oh no, Ms. Frontiere, oh no.

MS. FRONTIERE What's wrong?

SCOTT Ms. Frontiere, you didn't - I mean you didn't expect -

MS. FRONTIERE What?

SCOTT I mean - you didn't really think that I would do something like that.

MS. FRONTIERE Like what?

SCOTT What do you think?

MS. FRONTIERE Well I don't know.

SCOTT For God's sake, Ms. Frontiere, here we are, you've got me into your office. You give me a drink. You put on music, now you start opening up your personal life to me and tell me Mr. Shaw won't be here for hours.

MS. FRONTIERE So?

SCOTT Ms. Frontiere - you are trying to seduce me.

 

[Mackeyser]

Ewww. Just… gak…