Todd Gurley Blames Los Angeles Traffic for Rams' Low Attendance

[JackStraw]

If the traffic, hassle, and general experience is what I am lead to believe the only people at the game are fans that really want to be there. Optimizing the scene.

I'm imagining a 4th quarter sack/fumble/td vs Philly as the camera pans towards a mostly full section filled with jumping around bodys as strangers hug strangers:yay::yess::yess::neener::yay::shocked::yay::yay:. Lots of us watch games without sound - seeing crowd's passionate reaction that syncs up with excitement 100% adds substance

I hope LA can get creative and create a modern day Terrible Towel(I think a sea of mini flags would be cool). STL attempted to be cool with the pool noodles back during GSOT era play off games. It was kinda hip but must have been a practical hindrance on top of being an aesthetic failure, considering it hasn't been repeated or replicated.

I'm continuing to love Gurley expressing him self with the media. Young people are the worst at expressing themselves vocally hopefully he can influence a generation. I feel like he's not 100% behind some of his statements, he's just having fun and trying to sell himself and this team to the City and nation. I trust if he ever says anything that incriminates his character that he'll have a strong rebuttal. I know i'll always defend him. The same I do with some of the things Marshawn Lynch has said in the past....'sometimes gotta run thru a motherfucker's face'

I guess add that for a reason to love McVay. You can relate to the players and still be a feared/admired presence around camp I feel like half the coaches in the league would have perma-silenced TG30 after his middle school comment last season.

 

[JackStraw]

He says they don't play for the fans to show up but then he says the goal is to fill the stadium....

He's trying to sell tickets and jerseys. Old pro wrestlers cut wacky promos. Todd Gurley publicly challenges his community's loyalty. Traffic in greater LA is not a revelation.

 

[Jacobarch]

I don't like making excuses but LA area traffic is just off the charts horrendous, the Coliseum location, not exactly a decent place unless you're into thugs and crime

What Gurley is saying does factor in, the newer location is much more upscale

I totally agree with Gurley, i went to my first game against the Redskins. It took us 4 miserable hours to get home in which it's usually an hour max. With that said I'll never go to another game at the Coliseum again. Hopefully they get the public transportation done correctly in Inglewood.

 

[DaveFan'51]

By Khadrice Rollins
October 25, 2017
https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/10/25/todd-gurley-los-angeles-traffic-rams-attendance


Rams running back Todd Gurley has an interesting theory behind why attendance has been so bad for Los Angeles football games this year.

"Definitely a basketball town," the third-year back said during an appearance on SI Now. "Hasn't been football over here in 20 years. So you just can't expect someone to just start coming to football games all the time. And I heard the traffic for football games is probably the worst, so I'm pretty sure why people don't come to the games as well."

The Rams are 27th in the league in average attendance this year, and the Chargers are dead last, so there definitely is a trend when it comes to people in Los Angeles coming to NFL games. Last season the Rams were second to last in the league in attendance, with only the Raiders brining in fewer fans each game.

It has become common to see pictures of empty seats at Memorial Coliseum or StubHub Stadium on Sundays, but Gurley said the players have no issue playing in front of so few home fans.

• How Do Los Angeles Fans Really Feel About the Rams' Return to California?

"At the end of the day, it is what it is," Gurley said. "We don't play the game for fans to show up. At the end of the day, we have to go out there and play a game. If they show up, they show up, if they don't they don't. Obviously we would love to have the stadium filled every week for sure, and that's the goal for us: To just keep winning. You have to win in order for fans to show up or want to come to a game. We understand that and want to just keep winning so we can get LA fans to come to the games."

The Rams have already surpassed last season's win total, but if the traffic for Rams games is anything similar to what it was like after Game 1 of the World Series, it makes a lot of sense for people to decide to stay home, no matter how good the team is.


View: https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/923287702287642624

The 5-2 Rams are on the road to take on the Giants this week, but will be back in Los Angeles for a Nov. 12 matchup with the Texans.

This may have something to do with it, BUT It doesn't help when the Team is Playing "Away Games" all the time!

 

[96GS#007]

The only traffic I think that's worse than the 10- I5 exchange is the 405 and the 90-I5 bottleneck in Seattle as a worse traffic scenario. Plus all the traffic around LAX I would imagine he's right to a degree but LA isn't your prototypical cold weather football town like you have up north. No offence it is what it is. There's other things to do in LA like Disney and the beaches. Up here in the rainy-snowy pacific northwest it's get lit and watch some football lol

I agree. That the whole I-90 / I-5 and I-90 / I-405 bottleneck in Seattle sucks. I drove the 90 / 405 gauntlet for 5 years between Everett and Maple Valley. The ~3 mile stretch just north of Bellevue to the I-90 East exit just south of Bellevue could take 90 minutes at rush hour in the evening.

I live in LA now and not only do we have gridlock in many areas, it's the duration of the gridlock. Some interchanges and/or freeways will be at a crawl or a dead stop for 12-14 hours each day.

There is a LOT to do here and a lot of nice amenities. Not many casual (or even fairly energetic) fans want to go sit in a dilapidated stadium with crappy seats, lousy parking, and horrible access...just to then cook under the sun while watching the game (although winning cures many things).

If the parking is decent at the new stadium and they have multiple routes to get to I-405, it'll be a much more enjoyable drive to/from the game. Obviously the stadium itself will be awesome.

I've been to a couple games at Century Link as well as SafeCo Field and I will admit both are fun stadiums to be at.

 

[LesBaker]

IMO the best crowds in the game are in KC, Denver, Oakland, Pitt, Philly, Green Bay and Seattle. Rams will never compare but who cares - the sweeter the home the easier it is to let down on the road. Right now we're 4-0 outside of LA and I don't have any immediate plans to visit CA so it's all good. All I can ask for is that the city supports embraces them and within 5-10 years there will be a demand for a TV channel 100% dedicated to the Rams like the YES network(Yankees)

CLE fans are in any discussion for most loyal, they have to be on your list.


Now about the traffic you guys......

The college team fills the stadium every Saturday, and more people means worse traffic. So it's not the traffic. They will have to "earn" those extra fans because a large part of the population that can actually afford $500 for a game were not born and raised there, they are from outside the state and have an allegiance already. Let's face it, a lifelong Steelers fan isn't going to become a Dolphins fan because he moved to Miami. And isn't going to be a Rams fan because he now lives in LA and the Rams moved back.

It's much like the area I live in. I literally see gear, car flags and bumper stickers for almost every NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL team here in SWFL. Even if this market was large enough to support a team it would be a tough sell because everyone is from somewhere else. IMO it's why FL teams have a little bit of a struggle. Only the Dolphins have a long history. Yes the Bucs, Marlins, Heat and Jags sold out when they were winning, and that's kind of the point. Casual fans will show up but not for $500 and a 5-11 team.

They will have to adjust their pricing to get more fans in the seats. Winning will go a long way too but cost is a huge reason people stay home. Asking someone to spend that kind of money, then that kind of time on the road, could be hurting the numbers, but I have to think it's way more the money than traffic.

 

[12intheBox]

I blame last year. The Rams had LAs attention last year and they squandered it with that turd of a season.

The buzz is building for this team now - by the end of this year we will see much better numbers.

 

[JackStraw]

NCAA football will always be easier to draw than NFL.
1. It's far more passionate and intimate(alum/students coming together). NCAA football is tribal bordering on religious and USC has rich history and currently riding a wave of success
2. A big chunk(the students) can commute much smoothly
3. NCAA crowds are far more family friendly
4. I'm going to assume in LA's case that Sunday evening is the worst traffic of the week.

and last I checked Stub Hub tickets were going for less than 30 dollars for the Texans game compared to +$80 for a Rams @ NYG ticket

 

[ramfan46]

Can't compare college to the pro game attendance. The prices are double and triple what a USC game costs. The value plain isn't there IMO. Around 150 a game including food and drink is steep for someone making under 40k in this city. Not gonna jeopardize my finances to say I was there.

 

[Big Game]

Every time we travel out West to catch the game we park the car at the Metro and take the Silver line. And coming from St. Louis we have never had a problem. But yes LA traffic is a mess. One time after the game we went to Santa Monica beach chilled there for a couple hours. Got on the freeway at about 9 pm to go out to Rancho Cucamonga where my cousin lives and it was till traffic lol

 

[RamFan503]

The only traffic I think that's worse than the 10- I5 exchange is the 405 and the 90-I5 bottleneck in Seattle as a worse traffic scenario. Plus all the traffic around LAX I would imagine he's right to a degree but LA isn't your prototypical cold weather football town like you have up north. No offence it is what it is. There's other things to do in LA like Disney and the beaches. Up here in the rainy-snowy pacific northwest it's get lit and watch some football lol

Partly true but I've been to many games up in Seattle and your traffic getting to and from the games is child play compared to LA on any average day.

 

[Ramhusker]

So answer me this about the game day traffic in LA. Is it poor traffic management on game day or is it just a congested area because of humanity pack or road design? Are there not any shuttle buses to remote parking lots? Can any of the roads be made one way for exiting the games like they do at many venues around the country? Just curious why it is so much worse than most places?

 

[LACHAMP46]

the Coliseum location, not exactly a decent place unless you're into thugs and crime

hey, hey....some of my BEST friends are thugs and crime!

What Gurley is saying does factor in, the newer location is much more upscale

I'm gathering you've never been near Century & Prarie? Or anywhere in Inglewood?
They both seem like similar areas.

And the way the stadium will be built...Further from the fwy...with smaller streets...I see this as a nightmare for traffic.

The new stadium is in a better location then the coliseum.

You've never seen Inglewood either?

that Figueroa Street seems very safe.

Figueroa is one of the most dangerous streets in LA....typically during events...the LAPD will have increase patrols to ....like...maintain the peace of the area. I always remember the Olympics of 1984....How the streets seemed empty....and someone told me, they're arresting more people to keep the streets clear.

Traffic will keep the crowd low....but a losing team will keep the coliseum empty....last year killed the crowd for this year....win this year....big crowds may come next year.

 

[bluecoconuts]

The new stadium is in a better location then the coliseum. Lets see if they can expand the 405, 105 and 110 in that area or have better public transportation.

Problem with Stan-adu Stadium is that there won't be a metro line to it.

They're building one, that's part of the development for the park and stadium, taxes generated from the stadium, once they hit a certain threshold (I forget how many millions of dollars) a small percentage will be moved to the developers because they added in new water, sewage, and public transportation on their own cost. When we voted on Measure M last November (passed) that included updates to the Metro to assist with 405 traffic around the LAX/Inglewood area, so it should be a little better. How much is done by the time the stadium is opening is hard to say though.

Also in addition to the traffic, an old stadium in the heat with no shade isn't fun. That's why Arizona built a dome, and that's why we're building one too. Get people out of the heat and they'll watch the game. Too much to do in LA to have a poor stadium experience, that's why Staples Center turned into LA Live and why they designed the Inglewood stadium and surrounding area the way they did.

 

[Rambitious1]

Nice try Todd....

 

[threesox84]

the Coliseum location, not exactly a decent place unless you're into thugs and crime

Well, maybe 25 years ago. It was a well-earned reputation, no doubt (especially when the Raiders were there), but the Expo park area isn't what it used to be in a good way. USC has been slowly expanding down Figuroa and pushing the shady element further south.

 

[SteezyEndo]

You've never seen Inglewood either?

I use to work on the Lennox side, off aviation and manchester. That part of Inglewood is the worse. The stadium location now has changed in the past decade, the coliseum is surrounded by Brims, Hoovers, and NH Crips.

 

[bubbaramfan]

There will be a Metro-Link to the new stadium.

 

[RamFan503]

I'm gathering you've never been near Century & Prarie? Or anywhere in Inglewood?
They both seem like similar areas.

And the way the stadium will be built...Further from the fwy...with smaller streets...I see this as a nightmare for traffic.

Most of the streets are fairly wide. Much wider than around the Coliseum IIRR. And mind you, I'm going by memory which ain't all that great sometimes. But there are a bunch of bottlenecks around the Coliseum. The area around the new stadium has several directions they can channel traffic through to get to either the 110, 105, or 405 or skip the freeway for several miles. It is a longer distance but pretty much straight shots and lots of on ramps. Granted the Forum traffic was (hopefully) child play compared to a football game but they also didn't have game day traffic provisions and I think there was one less lane on a few of those arteries, as well as a couple less onramps.

Also, they are supposedly putting in a Metro line that is capable of adding cars for game day. So.... that ought to be ready sometime in 2080 - give or take.

hey, hey....some of my BEST friends are thugs and crime!

Do tell.

You've never seen Inglewood either?

I think there will be a lot of gentrification going on in that area. I realize that can be a dirty word to some but that is simply what is going to happen.

There will be a Metro-Link to the new stadium.

That's my understanding as well.

 

[LesBaker]

Also in addition to the traffic, an old stadium in the heat with no shade isn't fun. That's why Arizona built a dome, and that's why we're building one too. Get people out of the heat and they'll watch the game. Too much to do in LA to have a poor stadium experience, that's why Staples Center turned into LA Live and why they designed the Inglewood stadium and surrounding area the way they did.

Every fan in AZ and every visitor complained about the heat in the old stadium. And the metal benches are no fun in the sun. Talk about swamp-ass!