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Rosey Grier, other ex-players sound off on NFL's return to LA
By KYLE GLASER / STAFF WRITER
http://www.pe.com/articles/rams-792776-return-players.html
The former Los Angeles Rams players in attendance for Sunday's "Welcome Home Rams" party certainly had a lot to say, both about the Rams return to LA and the other potential for the Chargers and Raiders to join them.
Here is a sampling of what the ex-Rams had to say, both about the current state of the NFL in LA and what the future may hold.
Joe Sweet, WR
Rams 1972-73, Chargers 1975
I just left our church before coming here. Our church is in Inglewood, and we’re all very excited about the possibilities and what we can do.
The city needed a team to come back, and what better team to come back than the Rams. They had so much history here. When I was drafted in 1971 we played in the Coliseum, it already had so much history. This is the Rams city, and I’m glad they’re back."
Personally, I would like to see the Chargers stay in San Diego and see the Raiders stay in Oakland.
As a former player as I would attend the various events that we’d do and I knew of some (Chargers) fans from the LA area, but I never thought it was enough to make that move. It wasn’t ideal for a new franchise to come here. At least just from my observation, I just don’t think they’d have that many fans even if they’d move up here alone.
Now with the Rams up here, to try and share that market - I think the market is large enough in terms of population - but there certainly would be some lean years for the Chargers before their fan base picks up.
Rosey Grier, DT
Rams 1963-66
I think it’s great in general for the NFL to be back in LA. Just athletes in general, what we have to do is try to encourage younger players to conduct themselves better on the field. I don’t like the things they do to deliberately hurt one another and these are guys that are working for their families. When you’re not playing the game by the rules, then you’re hurting the game, you’re ruining the game. And the young children that watch it, they’re going to do the same thing on the field themselves. So you have to be a role model, and having role models in the local community will help.
Children will listen to what an athlete says, but you’ve got to know who that athlete is. They’ve got to be aware of the character of the athlete themselves. They are people that are looked up to. Each one has a responsibility. As a minister and former actor and athlete, I would expect this is a great thing for LA.
I also like the fact they’re giving 30 percent of the jobs to the community. That makes the community really appreciate it, because the community needs that support.
Reggie Doss, DE
Rams 1978-87
It’s exciting the Rams are coming back. It’s going to add I think a total new excitement to the southern California area. We’re seeing a lot of people around letting us know how excited they are.
I kind of knew about the Rams being the team that would come back, just with the background of owner. I thought he was going to be the guy who would really nail it down. The fans have been dying to get a team back here for so many years, and I’m glad he did.
I think it does help the community more than just the fact of having games being played here. So much positive things happen through the NFL as far as the players are concerned, alongside some of the negative things too, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. I think it will be a great opportunity for a lot of the players to be impactful in the community, which is needed.
My 10 years playing here it was pretty incredible. Just the atmosphere and the fans and the fanbase that we have. From my first two years when we played in the Coliseum and played in the Super Bowl and then moved to Anaheim, you got to see the entire spectrum of the fans. You saw a ton of fans in Los Angeles and all around. I think that part of it makes it exciting for some of the older guys and what will be exciting for the younger guys.
Greg Bell, RB
Rams 1988-89, Raiders 1990
That’s a given how much the news has energized everybody. Look at all the Rams jerseys and Rams paraphernalia around. This is without a doubt en exciting time, for southern California as a whole.
The fact that we’ve got the home-based team coming home, and so many of us still live here. It’s going to be a fun time.
I went to a Rams reunion that Georgia (Frontiere) put on for us in the Coliseum about 15 years ago and it was something so special about that I can’t tell you. I was sitting at a table with five guys who played for the Cleveland Rams, and they all lived in Gardena and all lived on one street. That history, that’s something that’s going to make this special for the new guys who come in and see the following they have here. It’s probably three times what they had in St. Louis. To see when that stadium is filled, to see when the Coliseum is filled, that’s something special.
As a Rams player the only time I got to play in the Coliseum was against the Raiders, and of course I had a great game, but you felt from that stadium what the LA Rams are really about, because that was our home. I think they’re going to enjoy it for a couple of years until they go to Inglewood.
I think Inglewood is going to turn into the old “City of Champions” that it was. If there is one thing I really don’t enjoy, I don’t enjoy going to Staples Center. Back when Dr. Buss had the Forum and it was the Fabulous Forum, I remember sitting with him and him telling me his desire to be the Rams owner. It’s something about being the city of champions, something about being in Los Angeles, that the Rams are just going to love.
I tell you what, I spend time up in Oakland with Mark Davis, and the Raiders history is there. The Oakland Raiders rolls smoothly off the tongue. The Los Angeles Raiders never rolled smooth. It’s just something about the mystique of playing the Raiders. Oakland is really the home of the Raiders, just like San Diego is really the home of the Chargers
I think part of Los Angeles’ lore, like any city, is you want to have one team that is yours, and the Rams have always belonged to Los Angeles.
LeRoy Irvin, CB
Rams 1980-89
You can see the fans are more excited. I’ve been working with the Rams booster club for years, and now they’re more energized. You see all the people who were Rams fans who became fans of other teams are starting to jump back on the bandwagon. It’s good for us as players because we’re starting to do things in the community and it also gives us a boost.
It’s just amazing the Rams are here. I’m ecstatic about it. It’s good for us as older players. It’s good for the community because we’ve been in the community for so long without the support of the Rams, and now as they move back and it’s even better for the community.
For 10, 20, years we’ve been doing things in the community without the support of the Rams once they left. Now they’re back, it makes what we’re doing a lot better.
By KYLE GLASER / STAFF WRITER
http://www.pe.com/articles/rams-792776-return-players.html
The former Los Angeles Rams players in attendance for Sunday's "Welcome Home Rams" party certainly had a lot to say, both about the Rams return to LA and the other potential for the Chargers and Raiders to join them.
Here is a sampling of what the ex-Rams had to say, both about the current state of the NFL in LA and what the future may hold.
Joe Sweet, WR
Rams 1972-73, Chargers 1975
I just left our church before coming here. Our church is in Inglewood, and we’re all very excited about the possibilities and what we can do.
The city needed a team to come back, and what better team to come back than the Rams. They had so much history here. When I was drafted in 1971 we played in the Coliseum, it already had so much history. This is the Rams city, and I’m glad they’re back."
Personally, I would like to see the Chargers stay in San Diego and see the Raiders stay in Oakland.
As a former player as I would attend the various events that we’d do and I knew of some (Chargers) fans from the LA area, but I never thought it was enough to make that move. It wasn’t ideal for a new franchise to come here. At least just from my observation, I just don’t think they’d have that many fans even if they’d move up here alone.
Now with the Rams up here, to try and share that market - I think the market is large enough in terms of population - but there certainly would be some lean years for the Chargers before their fan base picks up.
Rosey Grier, DT
Rams 1963-66
I think it’s great in general for the NFL to be back in LA. Just athletes in general, what we have to do is try to encourage younger players to conduct themselves better on the field. I don’t like the things they do to deliberately hurt one another and these are guys that are working for their families. When you’re not playing the game by the rules, then you’re hurting the game, you’re ruining the game. And the young children that watch it, they’re going to do the same thing on the field themselves. So you have to be a role model, and having role models in the local community will help.
Children will listen to what an athlete says, but you’ve got to know who that athlete is. They’ve got to be aware of the character of the athlete themselves. They are people that are looked up to. Each one has a responsibility. As a minister and former actor and athlete, I would expect this is a great thing for LA.
I also like the fact they’re giving 30 percent of the jobs to the community. That makes the community really appreciate it, because the community needs that support.
Reggie Doss, DE
Rams 1978-87
It’s exciting the Rams are coming back. It’s going to add I think a total new excitement to the southern California area. We’re seeing a lot of people around letting us know how excited they are.
I kind of knew about the Rams being the team that would come back, just with the background of owner. I thought he was going to be the guy who would really nail it down. The fans have been dying to get a team back here for so many years, and I’m glad he did.
I think it does help the community more than just the fact of having games being played here. So much positive things happen through the NFL as far as the players are concerned, alongside some of the negative things too, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. I think it will be a great opportunity for a lot of the players to be impactful in the community, which is needed.
My 10 years playing here it was pretty incredible. Just the atmosphere and the fans and the fanbase that we have. From my first two years when we played in the Coliseum and played in the Super Bowl and then moved to Anaheim, you got to see the entire spectrum of the fans. You saw a ton of fans in Los Angeles and all around. I think that part of it makes it exciting for some of the older guys and what will be exciting for the younger guys.
Greg Bell, RB
Rams 1988-89, Raiders 1990
That’s a given how much the news has energized everybody. Look at all the Rams jerseys and Rams paraphernalia around. This is without a doubt en exciting time, for southern California as a whole.
The fact that we’ve got the home-based team coming home, and so many of us still live here. It’s going to be a fun time.
I went to a Rams reunion that Georgia (Frontiere) put on for us in the Coliseum about 15 years ago and it was something so special about that I can’t tell you. I was sitting at a table with five guys who played for the Cleveland Rams, and they all lived in Gardena and all lived on one street. That history, that’s something that’s going to make this special for the new guys who come in and see the following they have here. It’s probably three times what they had in St. Louis. To see when that stadium is filled, to see when the Coliseum is filled, that’s something special.
As a Rams player the only time I got to play in the Coliseum was against the Raiders, and of course I had a great game, but you felt from that stadium what the LA Rams are really about, because that was our home. I think they’re going to enjoy it for a couple of years until they go to Inglewood.
I think Inglewood is going to turn into the old “City of Champions” that it was. If there is one thing I really don’t enjoy, I don’t enjoy going to Staples Center. Back when Dr. Buss had the Forum and it was the Fabulous Forum, I remember sitting with him and him telling me his desire to be the Rams owner. It’s something about being the city of champions, something about being in Los Angeles, that the Rams are just going to love.
I tell you what, I spend time up in Oakland with Mark Davis, and the Raiders history is there. The Oakland Raiders rolls smoothly off the tongue. The Los Angeles Raiders never rolled smooth. It’s just something about the mystique of playing the Raiders. Oakland is really the home of the Raiders, just like San Diego is really the home of the Chargers
I think part of Los Angeles’ lore, like any city, is you want to have one team that is yours, and the Rams have always belonged to Los Angeles.
LeRoy Irvin, CB
Rams 1980-89
You can see the fans are more excited. I’ve been working with the Rams booster club for years, and now they’re more energized. You see all the people who were Rams fans who became fans of other teams are starting to jump back on the bandwagon. It’s good for us as players because we’re starting to do things in the community and it also gives us a boost.
It’s just amazing the Rams are here. I’m ecstatic about it. It’s good for us as older players. It’s good for the community because we’ve been in the community for so long without the support of the Rams, and now as they move back and it’s even better for the community.
For 10, 20, years we’ve been doing things in the community without the support of the Rams once they left. Now they’re back, it makes what we’re doing a lot better.
