Realignment thread: Rams to the AFC West?

[iced]

You know, one move I could see would be like a 3 way relocation.

Vikes to AFC west, Chargers to NFC West, Rams to NFC North

seems like a logical fit speaking geographically

 

[Rams and Gators]

Question for the LA folks, would you rather keep both the Raiders and Chargers in the AFC West, and maintain the Rams/49ers rivalry or move the Rams to the AFC and have the Rams play in LA once a year?

 

[thirteen28]

I don't live in Missouri, but I really like the idea of a cross-state rivalry with the Chiefs. I can understand the lamenting of the loss of rivalry with the 49ers, but a big part of that rivalry was based on geographic realities that are no longer present. A Rams-Chiefs intra-division (and intra-state) rivalry makes plenty of sense based on the current reality, and I would venture to guess that it's a rivalry that would become very intense almost immediately.

 

[Dodgersrf]

No to the Rams in the AFC
The whiner rivalry is one of the greatest ever.

Seattle BACK to the AFC west.
Raiders to the NFC west.

 

[bwdenverram]

Why?

Because Seattle and San Diego are west coast teams. If the Raiders stayed in CA it makes travel easier.
Denver is kinda in the middle but not too bad of a hop to LA. KC has the only real travel. I'm assuming of course the Rams stay in St. Louis.

 

[rhinobean]

He means the Rams are the only team in the league that plays an hour behind normal time as opposed to 3 hours behind like everyone else in their division.

Don't the Chiefs do that also?

 

[Legatron4]

Don't the Chiefs do that also?

Denver is only 2 hours. I think.

 

[Legatron4]

Don't the Chiefs do that also?

My laziness proceeds me.

 

[bwdenverram]

Denver is only 2 hours. I think.

Right. Denver is Mountain and KC is Central time. An hour difference.

Biggest difference is if I fly from Denver to LA it's about 2 hours. from St. Louis to LA I think it 3+

Not that its a huge deal but when almost all the teams would be or could be based in the pacific timezone it just makes sense to me.

I don't really care how it works out was just sayin'..

 

[Legatron4]

Right. Denver is Mountain and KC is Central time. An hour difference.

Biggest difference is if I fly from Denver to LA it's about 2 hours. from St. Louis to LA I think it 3+

Not that its a huge deal but when almost all the teams would be or could be based in the pacific timezone it just makes sense to me.

I don't really care how it works out was just sayin'..

Thanks that's what I thought. And you're completely right man. People don't realize how much being in a different time zone affects your state of mind. Even an hour can fuck your whole day up.

 

[bwdenverram]

Thanks that's what I thought. And you're completely right man. People don't realize how much being in a different time zone affects your state of mind. Even an hour can freak your whole day up.

Yup, just in my day job changing a couple hours causes a little jet lag. I can't imagine doing it in a couple days trying to play a professional sport at the highest level.

 

[LosAngelesRams]

I'd pump the breaks on a Raider move - they're not gonna allow the Raiders/Niners in the same division....

hell they're not even allowed to play in the pre-season anymore after the last shoot out (in the parking lot)

Seriously man, putting the idiots of the bay area and the idiots of Oakland in the same building is asking for it. (not all fans of those places are idiots but you know)

 

[Legatron4]

Yup, just in my day job changing a couple hours causes a little jet lag. I can't imagine doing it in a couple days trying to play a professional sport at the highest level.

Yeah, its pretty unfair for us to have to travel to Sanfran, Arizona and Seattle every year.

 

[PressureD41]

I don't like the sound of the Rams being an AFC team or being in a different division then the whiners (although a rivalry against Kansas City would be pretty awesome).

Gotta stay in same div as Whiners

 

[PressureD41]

Sigh.

The Rams and Niners have played the 5th or 6th most times of any rivals. Only two games separates us at 65-63-3 in favor of the Niners right now. Only the Bears and Packers have played as many or more games and are as close.

That would put us as the 2nd best rivalry in the NFL. C'mon guys. Embrace the RAMS, not the city they play in. I am 29 years old....so when the Rams moved to St. Louis, I was 9. I didn't really start getting into football until I was 11 or 12, which means my entire life as a football fan has seen them in STL. Maybe it was because my dad has always been a huge fan, but I embrace the team and their history. You simply cannot just get rid of a top 5 NFL rivalry. I'm sure the NFL would rather force the Rams to move to LA and the others to stay put than lose that rivalry, if they had to pick between those two choices.

And the last few years that the Niners have been good? We've gone 2-3-1 against them the last three years....with the one year of nearly 10 full quarters played against one another. The rivalry is alive and kicking. We will not be going to the AFC, and fans of this team should not like the idea of it.

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!

 

[Sum1]

In the scenario that the Chargers/Raiders go to LA and the Rams are in St. Louis I think it makes the most sense to swap with the Chargers.

You've got the natural in state rivalry with the Chiefs, a new budding/resurrected rivalry with the Raiders...and let's say Kroenke sells the Rams and buys the Broncos...another rival right there.

I realize the old time LA guys value that 49er rivalry, but it has really been a forced rivalry from a St. Louis perspective for a long time. I think if those other two teams are in LA whichever team were to go to the NFC West would generate an immediate rivalry with the 49ers.

Personally, I think football rivalries aren't as climactic as in other sports. You only see your rival twice a year...and if your fanbase can't make the trip it really isn't much of a rivalry. In a sport like baseball you see your rivals numerous times a season.

I understand if some of you old LA guys want to disagree...that's just how I see it.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Just a wild idea ... Blow the whole thing up.

What if two expansion teams were added making it 34 total teams.

There are no divisions, just two conferences (AFC/NFC).

You play each team in your conference one time each for 16 regular season games (pre-season is always cross-conference).

Top six teams in each conference make the playoffs with the top two in each conference getting a playoff bye week.

The next four teams in each conference play for first round playoffs.

I suppose you could still keep divisions for rivalry purposes but it wouldn't weight as heavily as now. You would never have a team with a losing record make the playoffs this way and it seems to me a good way to truly prove out who is best. Plus, two new NFL teams/cities.

Good outside the box idea.

 

[bwdenverram]

In the scenario that the Chargers/Raiders go to LA and the Rams are in St. Louis I think it makes the most sense to swap with the Chargers.

You've got the natural in state rivalry with the Chiefs, a new budding/resurrected rivalry with the Raiders...and let's say Kroenke sells the Rams and buys the Broncos...another rival right there.

I realize the old time LA guys value that 49er rivalry, but it has really been a forced rivalry from a St. Louis perspective for a long time. I think if those other two teams are in LA whichever team were to go to the NFC West would generate an immediate rivalry with the 49ers.

Personally, I think football rivalries aren't as climactic as in other sports. You only see your rival twice a year...and if your fanbase can't make the trip it really isn't much of a rivalry. In a sport like baseball you see your rivals numerous times a season.

I understand if some of you old LA guys want to disagree...that's just how I see it.

It would be interesting for sure Sum1. Although don't think Kroenke could even buy the Broncos. If I remember correctly you can't own a hockey, football and basketball team in the same city. He sure would have a Denver monopoly though.

 

[12intheBox]

It would be interesting for sure Sum1. Although don't think Kroenke could even buy the Broncos. If I remember correctly you can't own a hockey, football and basketball team in the same city. He sure would have a Denver monopoly though.

Actually, its the opposite - you can only own multiple teams if they are in the same city. Stan is the exception right now.

 

[den-the-coach]

It would kill me for the Rams to be in the AFC, however, I want the Chargers to change divisions because if the Rams end up in the AFC West I want the Raiders in the division for two wins a year.