Todd Gurley Blames Los Angeles Traffic for Rams' Low Attendance

[RamFan503]

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.

Safeco is a really cool place to watch a game. It feels like a minor league stadium in size. I don't know what the seating capacity is with that place but they did a great job with the game day feel. Century Link, Qworst, whatever they want to call it is a good stadium for crowd noise and you do have good angles - but all around, I'm not a fan. Even on a warm day it feels cold - like the concrete is sucking the life out of you.

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.

From my experience in driving on game day, USC game traffic is much more mild and takes about half the time of when I went to see a Raiduh game there.

I think you are wrong about the allegiances Les. Lots of fans turned their backs on the Rams when they left just like Cardinals fans did and probably the vast majority of Rams fans in St Louis. Certainly the Rams won't get all of the LA Rams fans back but I suspect they will get a big chunk. The fans of other teams that have long term allegiances will likely stick with their team - unless the Rams start winning consistently. Never underestimate the power of the bandwagon.

It's true that winning cures a lot of this and without a doubt, the Rams will need to win in LA to fill that stadium. But we went through a lot of good and bad when the Rams were in LA before, and until Georgia and Shaw systematically destroyed the team, attendance was very solid - at times, near or at the top of the league. The move to Anaheim was Carroll's blunder. Not only was it a terrible venue for football, it opened the door for the Raiduhs to carpet bag their stadium. Then the Raiduhs win the SB right out of the gate and that just sealed it for a bunch of the younger crowd.

The Rams will be big dogs in LA again but you ARE right that it will take winning and consistently being in the hunt to do that.

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.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you have a huge transient population in FL. A great number of your population winters there and summers up north. Maybe not the lion's share by any means but quite a few - right? LA is not that way. Most people live there year 'round. You don't really find a lot of people wintering in LA and summering in Seattle for example. You also have what... 6 "West Coast" teams if you count Denver (which I wouldn't)? And only one north of the CA border? That's a huge difference.

The similarity is that there is a shit ton of stuff to do in FL just like in LA. Maybe if I lived in FL, I'd see it different but you could probably also say that about people who live in Southern CA.

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.

I think they will have that problem in the Coliseum unless they keep winning consistently and make the playoffs this year along with a good start next season. While I loved going to games at the old place, too many of today's fans need a comfy seat, cover from the heat or rain, and non-football creature features.

I think the new stadium will be more of an event. It appears that the way it is being built is as a destination where you can also go to a game. It may not be so great for the hard core fan, but it will make the $300 ticket seem like just something you do as part of your experience. And I think they are counting on more people coming out on vacations to watch their team. The new stadium may not be full of Rams fans - though most will be. But I think it will be full or at the top of attendance figures most of the time.

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.

Yep. They had a great opportunity and they messed it up. But the fans will show up - as we saw. We just need a team that is fun to watch. I think we will see attendance increase as the team merits it.

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?

As my son in the AF says, "A little column A, a little column B". There really isn't a good way to channel traffic in that area. They try IIRR, but it ain't happening. The closest the train gets is about a mile away. The bus system from what I recall, is not a good one and is just as hampered by the short throw of narrow streets.

I really think it will be a lot different in Inglewood.

All that said, I would just plan on making a day of it and put your don't give a shit hat on.

 

[LesBaker]

I think you are wrong about the allegiances Les. Lots of fans turned their backs on the Rams when they left just like Cardinals fans did and probably the vast majority of Rams fans in St Louis. Certainly the Rams won't get all of the LA Rams fans back but I suspect they will get a big chunk. The fans of other teams that have long term allegiances will likely stick with their team - unless the Rams start winning consistently. Never underestimate the power of the bandwagon.

It's been a long time and a lot of people that were under 20 that are now over or near 40 may have picked another team, and may not have any real memories. They will get fans though because you are right about the bandwagon.

Before the Cavs drafted LeBron James you could go to the ticket window on gameday and have your choice of 5K-10K seats for most games. I'd been in that arena with 6,000 people when the Cavs were bad. When LeBron came along and they started winning 60 games it was not easy to find tickets LOL.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you have a huge transient population in FL. A great number of your population winters there and summers up north. Maybe not the lion's share by any means but quite a few - right? LA is not that way. Most people live there year 'round. You don't really find a lot of people wintering in LA and summering in Seattle for example. You also have what... 6 "West Coast" teams if you count Denver (which I wouldn't)? And only one north of the CA border? That's a huge difference.

It really depends on what part of Florida you look at. As far as full time residents Tampa/St Pete boasts a metro area of just under 3 million, that's not counting the snowbirds but that area doesn't have them in large numbers. Miami metro is about 6 million and of course has LOADS of snowbirds. Orlando is 2.3 million not many snowbirds.

In my area if you look at Cape Coral down to Marco Island the full time population is at 1 million now, but it's a long "column" of people, houses and businesses that hug the coast. The area is referred to as SWFL and to go from Cape Coral to Marco Island is about 60 miles. It's one of the most seasonal places in the entire country, probably top 3. In fact there is a term used widely here and Nov through March/April is called "season". That's when the snowbirds are here and Jan-March this place is packed, and during Spring Break and Spring Training it can be a zoo!!! Businesses make major money then, but not much if any the rest of the year. It's critical to a lot of the businesses here, most especially restaurants.

You should see the beach that you and Becky and I walked on that is right around the corner from me during season. It's packed. During Spring Break even more because of college kids that hit this area. It's one of the top spring break areas in the country. It used to be limited to just Ft. Myers but I've been told now it's the whole area but Ft Myers still gets the most.

It does seem like everyone in Florida is from somewhere else, even the full time residents. You don't meet many native Floridians over 30 years old.

So you may be right, but we may both be right in fact.

And I think they are counting on more people coming out on vacations to watch their team. The new stadium may not be full of Rams fans - though most will be. But I think it will be full or at the top of attendance figures most of the time.

I'm sure that'll help, and it will be in Vegas too and even more. But there are plenty of people in LA that have allegiances to other teams that locals who are paying to go visit see their team will help with attendance. Nice weather makes a difference.

You have been in Tampa..........there were plenty of Rams jerseys and hats and they flat out sucked. A weekend in the sunshine in December is attractive haha.

 

[RamFan503]

It's been a long time and a lot of people that were under 20 that are now over or near 40 may have picked another team, and may not have any real memories.

The near or over 40 crowd is a big part of their demographic. Not only do a lot of them remember the Rams but even more would like a local team to get behind. I think you will see a very good number of fans who follow another team, switch to the Rams because they went with the other because there wasn't football in LA.

 

[bluecoconuts]

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.

The police have a massive budget increase to handle the additional police they're hiring. The entire area is going to eventually price a lot of the current homeowners out.

 

[RamFan503]

The police have a massive budget increase to handle the additional police they're hiring. The entire area is going to eventually price a lot of the current homeowners out.

Yep. Pretty much follows in with gentrification. The houses will sell for more but value much higher once people with money move in and pump money into their homes and empty properties. It is just how these things work. It is a blighted area but in a very good location for weather and business travel. The new upscale 230 acres will breed more upscale interests.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Yep. Pretty much follows in with gentrification. The houses will sell for more but value much higher once people with money move in and pump money into their homes and empty properties. It is just how these things work. It is a blighted area but in a very good location for weather and business travel. The new upscale 230 acres will breed more upscale interests.

Yup, I mean it sucks for those who live there now, but they'll probably get decent money for their homes/properties if they're smart about it, and in the end it'll be better for the city.

 

[tempests]

Can't come to the games if there aren't any, and the Rams have played at the Coliseum only once since week 2.

The murmur about the Rams in Sept has become a buzz in October and could be a low roar by December. The Rams have four home games in the last eight weeks, we will see if there is a playoff atmosphere. I think there will be.

 

[JackStraw]

Again who cares how many people are in the seats it's all about how the people who did show up behave

Go crazy