How is being the favorite a bad thing?

[PARAM]

The Rams are prohibitive favorites since the Garrett trade. Some fans don't like that. They'd prefer an under the radar approach. I'm sure management and the players know the reality......it doesn't mean a thing and you have to "roll that boulder up the hill all over again", no matter what is expected of you. But also, management knows when you acquire one of the best cornerbacks in the league and his partner in crime, then trade for the reigning DPOY and his recent sack record, acknowledge your all time great defensive player of a lifetime wants to join in, you don't expect the talking heads to ignore that!!!

There's a cycle to that and we should simply relax and wait for that to take effect. Some have already started.....
"wtf were the Rams thinking taking Ty Simpson at #13? You'd think they would have taken somebody who could contribute this year to the "all in" strategy"
"Anything short of a SB title should be considered a failure"
"there are some concerns at LT and WR3, not to mention Stafford's back issues from last year"
"their schedule is brutal"

You can bet your ass the first hiccup......and there are sure to be one or two.....the media will be all over the Rams. The great predictions and premature coronations will slow down, if not cease altogether. Will those 'media shy' fans who don't want all this positive talk be happy about that?

I like being the favorite. I enjoy that bright red bullseye in the middle of our backs. I want our team to welcome the opportunity to take everybody's best shot and come out on top. I welcome the naysayers who see these great predictions for what they are and make other predictions like "Seattle is totally under the radar and that can only be a good thing for them". Truth is whether you're the favorite or under the radar, it doesn't matter.....you still have to play (and win) the games. Being one or the other doesn't help in any way. Unless you're weak-minded and need inspiration any way you can get it. Truth is, the Rams were very close last year and did everything in their power to get better.

So those who think the Rams are the best, keep talking about the Rams being the favorites.
Those who love to see somebody's legs being taken out from beneath them, keep laughing under your breath, waiting for things to fall apart.

Sit back (or not) and watch. Let's see if this team can go wire to wire. It should be great entertainment.

 

[snackdaddy]

I really don't care. Offseason accolades mean nothing. Preseason favorites win the Superbowl less than 15 percent of the time. Once the games start they aren't thinking anything but beating that opponent. Its a long tough road to the Superbowl for any team. We got a shot. I'm good with that.

 

[majrleaged]

I love where we are. Most of us have not forgotten being on the outside looking in wishing our team was even talked about.
What I don't want is to hear our players getting full of themselves. What the media says only matters if our players start to drink the koolaid.

The easiest season to watch the Rams was 99. Where will this one rank. GO RAMS!

 

[Allen2McVay]

The Rams are prohibitive favorites since the Garrett trade.

Not trying to hijack your thread (you have been posting some good ones for discussion) but I have been curious about something.

Like most ROD members, I think the Rams are loaded (depth concerns at WR and LT ... and, of course QB).
And, I think they have as good a chance as any team to win the Lombardi.

My question is What Percentage would ROD members put on the Rams winning the Super Bowl this year?

100% is absolute certainty ... so it ain't that!
0% is not-a-chance ... literally impossible ... so it's more than that.
There are 32 teams ... if you add-up all their percentages (to win the Lombardi), it must total 100%.

 

[Jacobarch]

We were the favorites in 21 and last year. We won the SB in 21, and almost made to the SB last year. I'm not worried one bit about Mcvay having his guys focused on what's important. One game at a time.

 

[Tano]

One thing you can consider are the Dodgers - loaded Baseball team and they have won two world series back to back and possibly on their way to a 3rd world series.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

The Rams are prohibitive favorites since the Garrett trade. Some fans don't like that. They'd prefer an under the radar approach. I'm sure management and the players know the reality......it doesn't mean a thing and you have to "roll that boulder up the hill all over again", no matter what is expected of you. But also, management knows when you acquire one of the best cornerbacks in the league and his partner in crime, then trade for the reigning DPOY and his recent sack record, acknowledge your all time great defensive player of a lifetime wants to join in, you don't expect the talking heads to ignore that!!!

There's a cycle to that and we should simply relax and wait for that to take effect. Some have already started.....
"wtf were the Rams thinking taking Ty Simpson at #13? You'd think they would have taken somebody who could contribute this year to the "all in" strategy"
"Anything short of a SB title should be considered a failure"
"there are some concerns at LT and WR3, not to mention Stafford's back issues from last year"
"their schedule is brutal"

You can bet your ass the first hiccup......and there are sure to be one or two.....the media will be all over the Rams. The great predictions and premature coronations will slow down, if not cease altogether. Will those 'media shy' fans who don't want all this positive talk be happy about that?

I like being the favorite. I enjoy that bright red bullseye in the middle of our backs. I want our team to welcome the opportunity to take everybody's best shot and come out on top. I welcome the naysayers who see these great predictions for what they are and make other predictions like "Seattle is totally under the radar and that can only be a good thing for them". Truth is whether you're the favorite or under the radar, it doesn't matter.....you still have to play (and win) the games. Being one or the other doesn't help in any way. Unless you're weak-minded and need inspiration any way you can get it. Truth is, the Rams were very close last year and did everything in their power to get better.

So those who think the Rams are the best, keep talking about the Rams being the favorites.
Those who love to see somebody's legs being taken out from beneath them, keep laughing under your breath, waiting for things to fall apart.

Sit back (or not) and watch. Let's see if this team can go wire to wire. It should be great entertainment.

The good part is McVay & co. are equipped to navigate being front runners better than anyone. They're as ahead in that dept. as they are everything else.

 

[Coliseum Ram]

One thing you can consider are the Dodgers - loaded Baseball team and they have won two world series back to back and possibly on their way to a 3rd world series.

Invalid comparison. Baseball has no salary cap like football, so teams van load up as much as they want, while spending way more money than your counterparts, basically rendering the Dodgers championships borderline illegitimate.

 

[Ram65]

I don't think it matters when they start playing games. The top-level teams aren't going to be surprising anyone. Teams will be up for the better teams. You also have division rivalries that have surprises every year. I wouldn't want to be out of the top half of the favorites. Injuries, unexpected young players contributing, and trades can affect how teams play.

 

[Pupped]

I think the only reason to not want to be a favorite is to protect yourself from disappointment.

The Rams are immune to that kind of fear.

 

[Tano]

Invalid comparison. Baseball has no salary cap like football, so teams van load up as much as they want, while spending way more money than your counterparts, basically rendering the Dodgers championships borderline illegitimate.

Doesn't always work. Look at the Mets.

Dodgers have one of the best farm systems too due to their scouting system.

Kind of like how the Rams have decent bench players too.

 

[Coliseum Ram]

Doesn't always work. Look at the Mets.

Dodgers have one of the best farm systems too due to their scouting system.

Kind of like how the Rams have decent bench players too.

Still, the point remains, there is no "buying a championship" in football, while there can be "buying a championship" in baseball. But my main point here is about football, any talk about a team buying a championship is merely sour grapes. The Rams consistently trade high picks for established players, that's a tactic that could backfire but they choose to take the chance.

 

[Tano]

I wasn't making a point about buying championships. I was making a point about how the Dodgers had the strongest team and even with all the pressure still won. Same thing with the Rams - they are stating they have the strongest team and are now under pressure to win. Same thing with the Lakers in the 2000s. If you have the right coach and strong team - you can still win even with everyone gunning for you and playing their best.

 

[PhillyRam]

I wasn't making a point about buying championships. I was making a point about how the Dodgers had the strongest team and even with all the pressure still won. Same thing with the Rams - they are stating they have the strongest team and are now under pressure to win. Same thing with the Lakers in the 2000s. If you have the right coach and strong team - you can still win even with everyone gunning for you and playing their best.

Well, the Dodgers have kind of bought championships since there is no cap and they spend a ridiculous amount compared to other teams when you take into account the deferral loophole they are using.

 

[Classic Rams]

It's not that I don't like being favored to win it all. I first experienced that acclaim in 1975 some of us still remember how that ended. Throw 2002 in there too, ouch. I don't hold any faith in preseason picks, power ratings or mock drafts. Yeah I'm her... that Debbie chick!!

 

[AZRams]

It's not that I don't like being favored to win it all. I first experienced that acclaim in 1975 some of us still remember how that ended. Throw 2002 in there too, ouch. I don't hold any faith in preseason picks, power ratings or mock drafts. Yeah I'm her... that Debbie chick!!

Heck, even 1978...man-handled the Vikings in the divisional round, getting the Cowboys, who they've beaten in the Coliseum earlier in the year, at home for the NFC championship.

When things come crashing down, they come down hard most times.

 

[FrantikRam]

People are focused on the fact that few favorites go onto to win it. However....I think it was something like 4 in the last 30 years have won it all. However....that is around 14% which is actually pretty high.

Non favorites, conversely, have won 26 of the last 30.......but that's out of 800 possibilities. Better to be the favorite than not. History tells us that this season, the Rams have a 14% chance while every other team individually has a 3% chance. Now obviously that's not actually how it works, since the 2nd/3rd/4th/etc. favorite all have higher odds, but even saying how many have won doesn't really make sense for the Rams this year because.....

We've never seen a team like this. Adding Garrett and McDuffie to a team that was already elite is insane. Our offense will probably take a step back, but the OL should be stronger (Avila and McClendon are ascending players), TE room better, RB room better (Corum ascending), WRs still elite, and then Stafford. Tough to repeat what the offense did last year, but this team is completely loaded.

The 2007 Patriots were even heavier favorites than we are, and I think that's a mistake. I think this team is better than that one was. Obviously they lost the Super Bowl, but its as close a comparison as I think you'd be able to find in terms of the off-season additions making that big of an impact.

 

[PARAM]

My question is What Percentage would ROD members put on the Rams winning the Super Bowl this year?

100% is absolute certainty ... so it ain't that!
0% is not-a-chance ... literally impossible ... so it's more than that.
There are 32 teams ... if you add-up all their percentages (to win the Lombardi), it must total 100%.

First off, we seem to have the studs to get it done. As always, it's about how healthy they can remain. We have enough depth to overcome some health issues and if we can manage that, I'd put the percentage between 75 and 85%. As we all know, it takes a lot......talent, health, luck.......to get to the Super Bowl and then even more to win it. The talent we have is from the head coach down. And it's reassuring that we have been there twice so our guys......the HC/QB, etc......not only know it's a grind but know how to grind. Where would you put your percentage?

 

[DzRams]

Not trying to hijack your thread (you have been posting some good ones for discussion) but I have been curious about something.

Like most ROD members, I think the Rams are loaded (depth concerns at WR and LT ... and, of course QB).
And, I think they have as good a chance as any team to win the Lombardi.

My question is What Percentage would ROD members put on the Rams winning the Super Bowl this year?

100% is absolute certainty ... so it ain't that!
0% is not-a-chance ... literally impossible ... so it's more than that.
There are 32 teams ... if you add-up all their percentages (to win the Lombardi), it must total 100%.

Since we can't assume health, I'd say a coin flip. I feel we are far and away the most talented team.

 

[Ramstien]

All I have to say is, "it's a great time to be a Ram fan". One thing is for sure it is going to be hard to top 1999 when the Rams went from worst to first with an unknow QB from the WFL. I will never forget that year and the contributions of Faulk, Bruce, and Holt for as long as I live. I may not remember what I had for diner last night, but I will never forget that Superbowl run in 1999. Love the Rams but have always hated the Dodgers.