Los Angeles Rams
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| St. Louis Rams | |||||
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 Current season | |||||
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| Established 1936 Play in Edward Jones Dome St. Louis, Missouri Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri | |||||
| League / conference affiliations | |||||
| American Football League (1936) National Football League (1937–present)
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| Uniforms | |||||
| Team colors | Millennium blue, new century gold, white | ||||
| Personnel | |||||
| Owner(s) | Chip Rosenbloom, Lucia Rodriguez and Stan Kroenke | ||||
| General manager | Billy Devaney | ||||
| Head coach | Steve Spagnuolo | ||||
| Team history | |||||
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| Championships | |||||
League championships (3)
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Conference championships (6)
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Division championships (15)
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| Playoff appearances (27) | |||||
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| Home fields | |||||
In Cleveland
In Los Angeles
In St. Louis
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The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team has won three NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl.
The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League. Although the NFL granted membership to the same owner, the NFL considers it a separate entity since only four of the players (William "Bud" Cooper, Harry "The Horse" Mattos, Stan Pincura, and Mike Sebastian) and none of the team's management joined the new NFL team.[1]
The team then became known as the Los Angeles Rams after the club moved to Los Angeles, California in 1946, opting not to compete with Paul Brown's Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference. Following the 1979 season, the Rams moved south to the suburbs in nearby Orange County, playing their home games at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim for fifteen seasons (1980–94), keeping the Los Angeles name. The club moved east to St. Louis prior to the 1995 season. In 2010 it was announced that the Rams owners agreed to sell teams to Illinois businessman Shahid Khan.
Franchise history
Cleveland Rams (1936–1945)
The Cleveland Rams were founded by attorney Homer Marshman in 1936. Their name, the Rams, comes from the nickname of Fordham University. Rams was selected to honor the hard work of the football players that came out of that university. They were part of the newly formed American Football League and finished the 1936 regular season in second place with a 5–2–2 record, trailing only the 8–3 record of league champion Boston Shamrocks.
The following year the Rams joined the National Football League and were assigned to the Western division to replace the St. Louis Gunners, who had left the league after a three-game stint in the 1934 season. From the beginning, they were a team marked by frequent moves playing in three stadiums over several losing seasons.
In June 1941, the Rams were bought by Dan Reeves and Fred Levy, Jr.; Reeves, the principal owner, was an heir to his family's grocery-chain business; when the company was purchased by A&P, he used some of his inheritance to buy the team. in April 1943, Reeves bought out Levy (who later rejoined Reeves in the ownership of the Rams).[2] The franchise suspended operations and sat out the 1943 season because of a shortage of players during World War II and resumed playing in 1944[2] (coincidentally, the only other active NFL team to completely suspend operations without merging with another team would be the current NFL team in Cleveland, the Browns, doing so from 1996-98 as part of the agreement for Art Modell to relocate his franchise to Baltimore). The team finally achieved success in 1945, which proved to be their last season in Ohio. Quarterback Bob Waterfield, a rookie from UCLA, passed, ran, and place-kicked his way to the league's Most Valuable Player award and helped the Rams achieve a 9–1 record and winning their first NFL Championship, a 15–14 home field victory over the Washington Redskins on December 16. The margin of victory was a safety; Redskins great Sammy Baugh's pass caromed off the goal post and bounded through his own end zone. The next year rules were changed that made this a mere incomplete pass.[3]
Los Angeles Rams (1946–1994)
Los Angeles Rams: Los Angeles Era (1946-1979)
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1946-1948: Starting over in Los Angeles
On January 11, 1946, Reeves pressured the NFL to allow his team to relocate to Los Angeles and its 92,000 seat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1946,[citation needed] despite the fact that the closest NFL city was over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) away in Chicago. At the time, the NFL did not allow African-Americans to play in the league. The commissioners of the Los Angeles Coliseum stipulated as part of the agreement that the team be integrated, and the team signed UCLA players Kenny Washington and Woody Strode, who became the first two blacks to play in the NFL, post World War II.[4]
The Rams were the second NFL team to represent Los Angeles but the first to actually play there; the Los Angeles Buccaneers, a traveling team stocked with Southern California natives, played in 1926. The Rams played their first pre-season game against the Washington Redskins in front of a crowd of 95,000 fans. The team finished their first season in LA with a 6-4-1 record, second place behind the Chicago Bears. At the end of the season Walsh was fired as head coach.
The Coliseum, built in 1922 and used in the 1932 Summer Olympics, was the home of the Rams for more than thirty years. In 1948, halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. [5]
1949-1955: Three-end formation
Between 1949 and 1955, the Rams played in the NFL championship game (not yet called the Super Bowl) four times, winning once in 1951. During this period, they had the best offense in the NFL, led by quarterbacks Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin (from 1951). Wide receiver Elroy Hirsch, teamed with fellow Hall-of-Famer Tom Fears, helped create the style of Rams football as one of the first big play receivers. During the 1951 Championship season, Hirsch posted 1,495 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns. The popularity of this wide-open offense enabled the Los Angeles Rams to become the first pro football team to have all its games televised in 1950.[citation needed]
1956-1962: Tanking out
The Rams posted losing records in every season from 1956 until 1966. Led by business executive Pete Rozelle and his use of television, the Rams remained a business success despite the team's poor record. In a 1957 game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams set the all-time record for attendance for a regular season NFL game with 102,368.[citation needed] The Rams drew over 100,000 fans twice the following year.
1963-1969: The Fearsome Foursome
The 1960s were defined by the Rams great defensive line of Rosey Grier, Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones, and Lamar Lundy, dubbed the "Fearsome Foursome". This group was put together by then head coach Harland Svare. It was this group of players who restored the on-field luster of the franchise in 1967 when the Rams reached (but lost) the conference championship under legendary coach George Allen. That 1967 squad would become the first NFL team to surpass one million spectators in a season, a feat the Rams would repeat the following year. In each of those two years, the L.A. Rams drew roughly double the number of fans that could be accommodated by their current stadium for a full season.
George Allen led the Rams from 1966-70 and introduced many innovations. These included hiring a young Dick Vermeil as one of the first special teams coaches. Though Allen would enjoy five straight winning seasons and win two divisional titles in his time with the Rams he never won a playoff game with the team, losing in 1967 to Green Bay 28-7 and in 1969 23-20 to Minnesota. Allen would leave after the 1970 season to take the head coaching job for the Washington Redskins.
1970-1972: Changes
Quarterback Roman Gabriel played eleven seasons for the Rams dating from 1962-72. From 1967-71, Gabriel led the Rams to either a first- or second-place finish in their division every year. He was voted the MVP of the entire NFL in 1969, for a season in which he threw for 2,549 yards and 24 TDs while leading the Rams to the playoffs. During the 1970 season, Gabriel combined with his primary receiver Jack Snow for 51 receptions totaling 859 yards. This would prove to be the best season of their eight seasons as teammates.
In 1972 Chicago industrialist Robert Irsay purchased the Rams for $19 million and then traded the franchise to Carroll Rosenbloom for his Baltimore Colts and cash. The Rams remained solid contenders in the 1970s, winning seven straight NFC West championships between 1973-79. Though they clearly were the class of the NFC in the 1970s along with the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings, they lost the first 4 conference championship games they played in that decade, losing twice each to Minnesota (1974, 1976) and Dallas (1975, 1978).
1973-1979: NFC West Champs
The Rams' coach for this run was Chuck Knox, who led the team through the 1977 season. The Chuck Knox coached Rams featured an unremarkable offense carried into the playoffs annually by an elite defensive unit. The defining player of the 1970s L.A. Rams was Jack Youngblood. Youngblood was called the 'Perfect Defensive End' by fellow Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen. His toughness was legendary, notably playing on a broken leg during the Rams' run to the 1980 Super Bowl. His blue-collar ethic stood in opposition to the perception that the Rams were a soft 'Hollywood' team. However, several Rams players from this period took advantage of their proximity to Hollywood and crossed over into acting after their playing careers ended. Most notable of these was Fred Dryer, who starred in the TV series Hunter from 1984-1991.
Ironically, it was the Rams' weakest divisional winner (an aging 1979 team that only achieved a 9-7 record) that would achieve the team's greatest success in that period. Led by third-year quarterback Vince Ferragamo, the Rams shocked the heavily-favored and two-time defending NFC champion Dallas Cowboys 21-19 in the Divisional Playoffs, then shut out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0 in the conference championship game to win the NFC and reach their first Super Bowl. Along with Ferragamo, key players for the Rams were halfback Wendell Tyler, offensive lineman Jackie Slater, and Pro Bowl defenders Jack Youngblood and Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds.
The Rams' opponent in their first Super Bowl was the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The game would be a virtual home game for the Rams as it was played in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl. Although some oddsmakers set the Rams as a 10½ point underdog, the Rams played Pittsburgh very tough, leading at halftime 13-10 and at the end of the 3rd quarter 19-17. In the end, however, the Steelers finally asserted themselves, scoring two touchdowns in the 4th quarter and completely shutting down the Rams offense to win their 4th Super Bowl, 31-19.
Los Angeles Rams: Anaheim Era (1980-1994)
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1979-1981: Starting over in Anaheim
Prior to the 1979 Super Bowl season, owner Carroll Rosenbloom died in a drowning accident and his widow, Georgia Frontiere, inherited 70% ownership of the team. Frontiere then fired stepson Steve Rosenbloom and assumed total control of Rams operations. As had been planned prior to Rosenbloom's death, the Rams moved from their longtime home at the Coliseum to Anaheim Stadium in nearby Orange County in 1980. The reason for the move was twofold. First, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was exceedingly difficult to sell out with a capacity of 100,000. Former Rams executive Pete Rozelle had since become NFL commissioner, creating a 'black-out rule' preventing any unsold-out game from being broadcast in its local market. Second, this move was following the population pattern in Southern California, which was causing rapid growth of affluent suburbs in greater Orange County. Anaheim Stadium was originally built in 1965 to be the home of the California Angels. To accommodate the Rams' move, the ballpark was reconfigured with luxury suites and enclosed to accommodate crowds of about 65,000 for football.
In 1982, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was occupied by the erstwhile Oakland Raiders. The combined effect of these two moves was to divide the Rams' traditional fanbase in two. This was coupled with the early 1980s being rebuilding years for the club, while the Raiders were winners of Super Bowl XVIII in 1983. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers won championships in 1980 and 1982 en route to winning five titles in that decade, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 1981 and 1988, and even the Los Angeles Kings made a deep run in the playoffs in 1982.
1983-1991: Robinson takes over the Rams
The hiring of coach John Robinson in 1983 provided a needed boost for pro football in Orange County. The former USC coach led the Rams to the playoffs six times in his nine seasons. They made the NFC Championship Game in 1985, where they would lose to the eventual Champion Chicago Bears. The most notable player for the Rams during that period was running back Eric Dickerson, who was drafted in 1983 out of SMU and won Rookie of the Year. In 1984, Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards, setting a new NFL record. Dickerson would end his five hugely successful years for the Rams in 1987 by being traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a number of players and draft picks after a bitter contract dispute, shortly after the players' strike that year ended. Dickerson remains the Rams career rushing leader with 7,245 yards.
Despite this trade, the Rams remained contenders due to the arrival of the innovative offensive leadership of Ernie Zampese. Zampese used the intricate timing routes he had used in making the San Diego Chargers a state-of-the-art offense. Under Zampese, the Rams rose steadily from 28th rated offense in 1986 to 3rd in 1990. The late 1980s Rams featured a gifted young QB in Jim Everett, a solid rushing attack and a fleet of talented WRs. After an 11-5 record during the 1989 regular season, it was a team that seemed destined for greater things, until a crushing defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1989 NFC Championship game.
1990-1994: The Demise of the LA Rams
The Rams never recovered from the humiliation. The first half of the 1990s featured losing records, no playoff appearances for the Rams and waning fan interest. The return of Chuck Knox as head coach, after Knox's successful stints as head coach of the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks, would not boost the Rams' fortunes. His run-oriented offense marked the end of the Zampese tenure in 1993. The strategy was for the offense to be steady, if unspectacular. Unfortunately for the Rams, Knox's offense was not only aesthetically unpleasing, but dull as well, especially by 1990s standards.
Everett left the team after the 1993 season to become quarterback of the Rams' rivals the New Orleans Saints and while he would post impressive statistics at times there, he would never play for a winning team again. The continued losing and uninspired play of the Rams, along with the loss of familiar players, further reduced the Rams fan base, which by 1994 had withered to the point where they were barely part of the Los Angeles sports landscape.
As became increasingly common with sports franchises, Georgia Frontiere, owner of the Rams, blamed poor front office decisions on their stadium situation. With Orange County mired in a deep recession resulting largely from defense sector layoffs, the Rams were unable to secure a new or improved stadium in the Los Angeles area, which ultimately cast their future in Southern California into doubt.
Georgia Frontiere attempted to relocate the Rams to Baltimore, Maryland. That deal was eventually nixed. Mrs. Frontiere then sought to relocate the team to the city of St. Louis. NFL owners initially voted to oppose the move. Owners of the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Giants, the Washington Redskins, the Phoenix Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings opposed the move and argued that Mrs. Frontiere, who pleaded poverty as a basis for relocation, had "horribly mismanaged" the team. Nevertheless, Mrs. Frontiere threatened legal action and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue acquiesced to Mrs. Frontiere's demands. The move left many in the Los Angeles area embittered toward the NFL. That sentiment was best expressed by Fred Dryer, who at the time said "I hate these people [the Rams and their owner, Georgia Frontiere] for what they did, taking the Rams logo with them when they moved to St. Louis. That logo belonged to Southern California."
Due to a number of factors, the NFL has repeatedly failed in its efforts to return NFL football to Los Angeles. Following the 1995 season, the Seattle Seahawks announced that they would move the team to Southern California. However the NFL, which had taken control of the Los Angeles market, did not approve of the move and thus forced the Seahawks to move back to Seattle, after Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen came in with a financial bail out package. On September 24, 2009, after almost two decades of political fighting, approval for a new stadium, currently named Los Angeles Stadium, was made in a 3-to-1 vote, more than likely paving the way for the NFL's return to Los Angeles. Recently, the Rams have been on Majestic Realty's (the developer of the new Los Angeles Stadium) list of potential NFL teams to move back to Los Angeles; making a return to LA possible. Other teams being targeted include the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.
St. Louis Rams (1995–present)
Under the terms of the Rams' deal with Anaheim, they were to receive the rights to develop plots of land near the Stadium. When nothing came of these plans Georgia Frontiere got permission to relocate the team. This permission was only granted after the building of the Arrowhead Pond, a multi-use sports arena for hockey and basketball now known as Honda Center, in close proximity to Anaheim Stadium. The Rams agreed to let the Pond be built within miles of Anaheim Stadium with an 'out clause' to pay the City of Anaheim an amount of money in millions to release them from the lease. After an aborted move to Baltimore, the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in early 1995, initially playing at Busch Memorial Stadium until the (TWA) Trans World Dome (now the Edward Jones Dome) was completed. The NFL owners originally rejected the move—until Frontiere agreed to share some of the permanent seat license revenue she was to receive from St. Louis. That same year the then-Los Angeles Raiders were threatening to relocate as well—and did, back to Oakland.
The 1995 and 1996 seasons the Rams were under the direction of head coach Rich Brooks. Their most prolific player from their first two seasons was the fan-favorite Isaac Bruce. Then in 1997, Dick Vermeil was hired as the head coach. In 1997, the Rams traded up in the draft to select future All-Pro offensive tackle Orlando Pace. The Rams were very well known for their high powered offense in 1999. Prior to the season, the Rams traded a second and a fourth round draft pick for future league MVP, Marshall Faulk. The season started with Trent Green injuring his leg in preseason that would sideline him for the entire season. Vermeil told the public that the Rams would "Rally around Kurt Warner, and play good football." Kurt Warner, a QB that played for the Iowa Barnstormers just a few years prior, synced up with Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce to lead the Rams to one of the most historic Super Bowl offenses in history, posting 526 points for the season.
Mike Martz's tenure
Following the Rams win in Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans, Dick Vermeil retired and Vermeil's Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz was hired. He managed to take the Rams to the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots. Mike Martz helped the Rams establish a pass-first identity that would post an NFL record amount of points forged over the course of 3 seasons (1999–2001). However, in the first round in the 2004 draft, the Rams chose Oregon State running back Steven Jackson as the 24th pick of the draft. Jackson has been one of the Rams' most successful running backs since the Rams' arrival in St. Louis. Martz was criticized by many as careless with game management and often feuding with several players as well as team president and general manager, Jay Zygmunt. However, most of his players respected him and went on record saying they enjoyed him as a coach. In 2005, Mike Martz was ill and hospitalized for several games, allowing assistant head coach Joe Vitt to coach the remainder of the season, although Martz was cleared later in the season, team president John Shaw would not allow him to come back to coach the team, and he was eventually terminated.
Scott Linehan's tenure
After the Rams fired Mike Martz, Scott Linehan took control of an 8–8 team in 2006. In 2007, Linehan led the Rams to their worst record yet, 3–13. Following the 2007 season, Georgia Frontiere died January 18, 2008 after a 28-year ownership commencing in 1979.[6] Ownership of the team passed to her son Dale "Chip" Rosenbloom and daughter Lucia Rodriguez.[7] Chip Rosenbloom was named the new Rams majority owner.[8] Linehan was already faced with scrutiny from several players in the locker room, including Torry Holt and Steven Jackson. Linehan was then fired on September 29, 2008, after the team started the season 0–4. Jim Haslett, Defensive Coordinator under Linehan, was interim head coach for the rest of the 2008 season.
John Shaw then resigned as president, and personnel chief Billy Devaney was promoted to general manager on December 24, 2008, after the resignation of former president of football operations and general manager Jay Zygmunt on December 22.[9]
Steve Spagnuolo's tenure
On January 17, 2009, Steve Spagnuolo, formerly the Defensive Coordinator of the New York Giants, was named the new head coach of the franchise. Spagnuolo hired Pat Shurmur and Ken Flajole as his offensive and defensive coordinator respectively. In Spagnuolo's first offseason with the Rams, they offered Baltimore Raven center Jason Brown a record contract to come play center for the Rams.
Overall, the Rams' tenure in St. Louis has been marred by its pattern of losing seasons. Since relocating from Los Angeles prior to the 1995 season, the Rams have only posted 4 winning seasons over 15 years. This is, by far, the greatest record of futility in franchise history.
On May 31, 2009, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the majority owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez officially offered their majority share of Rams for sale. They retained the services of Goldman Sachs, a prominent investment banking firm, to help facilitate the sale of the Rams by evaluating bids and soliciting potential buyers.[10] The sale price was unknown, but at the time Forbes magazine's most recent estimate listed the Rams' value at $929 million.[11] In February 2010 it was reported that Shahid Khan, a businessman from Urbana, Illinois, had signed an agreement to acquire the 60% ownership interest of Rosenbloom and Rodriguez, subject to approval by NFL owners.[12]
Season-by-season records
Logo and uniforms
The Rams were the first professional American football team to have a logo on their helmets. Ever since halfback Fred Gehrke, who worked as a commercial artist in off-seasons, painted ram horns on the team's leather helmets in 1948, the logo has been the club's trademark.
When the team debuted in 1937, the Rams' colors were red and black, featuring red helmets and black uniforms with red shoulders and sleeves. One year later they would switch their team colors to yellow and blue, with yellow helmets, white pants and blue uniforms. By the mid-1940s the Rams had adopted yellow-gold jerseys (with blue serif numerals, yellow-gold helmets and white pants. The uniforms were unchanged as the team moved to Los Angeles. The helmets were blue in 1947. When Gehrke introduced the horns, they were painted yellow-gold on blue helmets. In 1949 the team adopted plastic helmets, and the Rams' horns were rendered by the Riddell company of Des Plaines, Illinois, which baked a painted design into the helmet at its factory. Also in 1949 the serif jersey numerals gave way to more standard block numbers. Wider, bolder horns joined at the helmet center front and curving around the earhole appeared in 1950; this design was somewhat tapered in 1954–1955. Also in 1950 a blue-gold-blue tri-stripe appeared on the pants and "Northwestern University-style" blue stripes were added to jersey sleeves. A white border was added to the blue jersey numerals in 1953. So-called "TV numbers" were added on jersey sleeves in 1956. In accordance with a 1957 NFL rule dictating that the home team wear dark, primary-colored jerseys and the road team light shirts, the Rams hurriedly readied for the regular season new royal-blue home jerseys with golden striping and golden front and back numerals with a white border. The white border was removed in 1958. The Rams continued to wear their golden jerseys for 1957 road games, but the following year adopted a white jersey with blue numerals and stripes. In 1962–63 the team's road white jersey featured a UCLA-style blue-gold-blue crescent shoulder tri-stripe.
In 1964, concurrent with a major remodeling of the team's Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum home, the colors were changed to a simpler blue and white. The new helmet horns were white, wider, and separated at the helmet center front. The blue jersey had white numerals with two white sleeve stripes. The white jersey featured blue numerals and a wide blue crescent shoulder stripe. A 1964 league rule allowed teams to wear white jerseys for home games and the Rams were among several teams to do so (the Dallas Cowboys, who introduced their new blue-white-silverblue uniform that season, have worn white at home ever since). The pants were white with a thick blue stripe. In 1970, in keeping with the standards of the fully-merged NFL and AFL, names appeared on the jersey backs for the first time. The sleeve "TV numbers," quite large compared to those of other teams, were made smaller in 1965. From 1964 to early 1972 the Rams wore white jerseys for every home league game and exhibition; it was a tradition that continued under coaches Harland Svare, George Allen, and Tommy Prothro. But new owner Carroll Rosenbloom did not particularly like the Rams' uniforms, so in pursuit of a new look the team wore its seldom-used blue jerseys for its last five home games in 1972. During that season Rosenbloom's Rams also announced an intention to revive the old blue-and gold colors for 1973, and even asked fans to send in design ideas.
The colors returned to yellow-gold and blue in 1973. The new uniform design consisted of yellow- gold pants and curling rams horns on the sleeves – yellow gold horns curving from the shoulders to the arms on the blue jerseys, which featured golden numerals (a white border around the numerals, similar to the 1957 style, appeared for two exhibitions and was then removed). Players' names were in contrasting white. The white jersey had similarly-shaped blue horns, blue numerals and names. The white jerseys also had yellow gold sleeves. The gold pants included a blue-white-blue tri-stripe, which was gradually widened through the 1970s and early 1980s. The blue socks initially featured two thin golden stripes, but these were rarely visible. From 1973-1978 the Rams were the only team to wear white cleats on the road and black cleats at home. The new golden helmet horns were of identical shape, but for the first time the horn was not factory-painted but instead a decal applied to the helmet. The decal was cut in sections and affixed to accommodate spaces for face-mask and chin-strap attachments, and so the horn curved farther around the earhole. Jersey numerals were made thicker and blunter in 1975. Standard gray face masks became dark blue in 1981. The Rams primarily wore blue at home with this combination, but would wear white on occasion at home, notably for games against the Dallas Cowboys (who usually do not wear their blue jerseys due to the popular notion that the Cowboys' blue jerseys are jinxed) and selected AFC teams. The team wore its white jerseys for most of its 1978 home dates, including its post-season games with the Minnesota Vikings and Cowboys. The Rams wore white exclusively in the strike-shortened 1982 season, and did so on selected occasions throughout their fifteen seasons in Anaheim.
The team's colors were changed from yellow gold and blue to New Century Gold (metallic gold) and Millennium (navy) blue in 2000 following the Super Bowl win. A new logo of a ram's head was added to the sleeves and gold stripes were added to the sides of the jerseys. The new gold pants no longer featured any stripes. Blue pants and White pants with a small gold stripe (an extension off the jersey stripe that ended in a point) were also an option with the Rams only electing to wear the white set in a pre-season game in San Diego in 2001. The helmet design essentially remains the same as it was in 1948, except for updates to the coloring, navy blue field with gold horns. The 2000 rams'-horn design features a slightly wider separation at the helmet's center. Both home and away jerseys had a gold stripe that ran down each side, but that only lasted for the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
In 2003, the Rams wore blue pants with their white jerseys for a pair of early-season games, but after losses to the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks, the Rams reverted to gold pants with their white jerseys. In 2005, the Rams wore the blue pants again at home against Arizona and on the road against Dallas. In 2007, the Rams wore all possible combinations of their uniforms. They wore the Blue Tops and Gold Pants at home against Carolina, San Francisco, Cleveland, Seattle, and on the road against Dallas. They wore the Blue Tops and Blue Pants at home against Arizona, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh on Marshall Faulk night. They wore the Blue Tops and White Pants on the road in Tampa Bay and at home against Green Bay. They wore White Tops and Gold Pants at New Orleans and San Francisco. They wore White Tops and White Pants at Seattle and Arizona. And they wore White Tops and Blue Pants at Baltimore and Cincinnati. In 2008, the Rams went away with the gold pants. The gold pants were used for only one regular season game at Seattle. The blue jerseys with white pants and white jerseys with blue pants combination were used most of the time. For the 2009 season, the Rams elected to wear the white pants with both jerseys for the majority of the time except the games against the Vikings and Texans (see below) where they wore the throwback jerseys from the 1999 season, week 2 in Washington when they wore gold pants with the blue jersey, and week 12 against Seattle when the wore blue pants with the blue jersey.
Since moving to St. Louis, the Rams have always worn blue at home. Like most other teams playing in a dome, the Rams do not need to wear white to gain an advantage with the heat despite its midwestern geographic location. The Rams wore their white jerseys and blue pants in St. Louis against the Dallas Cowboys, on October 19, 2008, forcing the Cowboys to wear their "unlucky" blue uniforms, and won the game 34-14.[13]
The NFL has approved the use of throwback uniforms for the club during the 2009 season to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 1999 World Championship Team. The Rams wore the throwback uniforms for two home games in 2009 - October 11 against the Minnesota Vikings and December 20 against the Houston Texans. In 1994, the team's last season in Southern California, the Rams wore jerseys and pants replicating those of their 1951 championship season for their September games with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. [14]
Players of note
Current roster
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Former Rams in the Pro Football Hall of Fame include Joe Namath (12), Ollie Matson (33), Andy Robustelli (81), Dick "Night Train" Lane (also 81), coach Earl "Dutch" Clark, and general manager Tex Schramm. GM and later NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and coach Sid Gillman are also members of the Hall of Fame, but were elected on the basis of their performances with other teams or (in the case of Rozelle) NFL administration.
| Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams Hall of Famers | ||||
| No. | Player | Class | Position(s) | Years Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- | George Allen | 2002 | Coach | 1966-1970 |
| 76 | Bob Brown | 2004 | OT | 1969-1970 |
| 29 | Eric Dickerson | 1999 | RB | 1983-1987 |
| 55 | Tom Fears | 1970 | End | 1948-1956 |
| 40 | Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch | 1968 | RB, WR | 1949-1957 |
| 75 | Deacon Jones | 1980 | DE | 1961-1971 |
| 65 | Tom Mack | 1999 | G | 1966-1978 |
| 74 | Merlin Olsen | 1982 | DT | 1962-1976 |
| -- | Dan Reeves | 1967 | Owner | 1941-1971 |
| 78 | Jackie Slater | 2001 | OT | 1976-1995 |
| 25 | Norm Van Brocklin | 1971 | QB, P | 1949-1957 |
| 7 | Bob Waterfield | 1965 | QB, DB, K, P | 1945-1952 |
| 85 | Jack Youngblood | 2001 | DE | 1971-1984 |
St. Louis Football Ring Of Honor (Rams and Cardinals)
Former Rams and Cardinals are included in the Ring Of Honor in the Edward Jones Dome. All players are hall of famers, but there are a few exceptions for team executives and coaches.
Former Cardinals
- 72 Dan Dierdorf 1971-1983
- 8 Larry Wilson 1960-1972
- 81 Jackie Smith 1963-1977
- 22 Roger Wehrli 1969-1982
Former Rams
- 7 Bob Waterfield 1945-1952
- 25 Norm Van Brocklin 1949-1957
- 29 Eric Dickerson 1983-1987
- 55 Tom Fears 1948-1956
- 40 Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch 1949-1957
- 75 David Deacon Jones 1961-1971
- 65 Tom Mack 1966-1978
- 74 Merlin Olsen 1962-1976
- 78 Jackie Slater 1976-1995
- 84 Jack Snow 1964-75; Broadcaster (Not Hall of Famer but honored)
- 85 Jack Youngblood 1971-1984
Former Team Executives and Coaches
- Head Coach Dick Vermeil 1997-1999
- Owner Carroll Rosenbloom 1972-1979
- Owner Dan Reeves 1941-1971
- Owner Georgia Frontiere 1979-2008
Retired numbers
Numbers that have been retired by the Rams.
- 7 Bob Waterfield
- 28 Marshall Faulk
- 29 Eric Dickerson
- 74 Merlin Olsen
- 75 Deacon Jones
- 78 Jackie Slater
- 85 Jack Youngblood
Coaches of note
Head coaches
Current staff
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Radio and television
The Rams were the first NFL team to televise their home games; in a sponsorship arrangement with Admiral television, all home games of the 1950 NFL season were shown locally. The Rams also televised games in the early 1950s. The 1951 NFL Championship Game was the first championship game televised coast-to-coast (via the DuMont Network). During the team's years in Los Angeles all games were broadcast on KMPC radio (710 AM); play-by-play announcers were Bob Kelley (who accompanied the team from Cleveland and worked until his death in 1965), Dick Enberg (1966–77), Al Wisk (1978–79), Bob Starr (1980–89), Eddie Doucette (1990), Paul Olden (1991–93), and Steve Physioc (1994). Analysts included Gil Stratton, Steve Bailey, Dave Niehaus (1968–72), Don Drysdale (1973–76), Dick Bass (1977–86), Jack Youngblood (1987–91), Jack Snow (1992–94), and Deacon Jones (1994).
Starting in 2009, the Rams' new flagship radio station is 101.1 FM WXOS, a new sports station in St. Louis with ESPN Radio Affiliation. Steve Savard, will remain the play-by-play man with D'Marco Farr replacing Jim Hanifan in the color spot. From 2000–08 KLOU FM 103.3 was the Rams' flagship station with Steve Savard as the play-by-play announcer. Until October 2005, Jack Snow had been the color analyst since 1993, dating back to the team's days in the Los Angeles area. Snow left the booth after suffering an illness and died in January 2006. Former Rams offensive line coach and former St. Louis Cardinals head coach Jim Hanifan joined the KLOU as the color analyst the year after Jack Snow's departure. Previously before the Rams moved to KLOU, from 1995–99 the Rams games were broadcast on KSD 93.7 FM. On Television, games are either broadcast on Fox,CBS,ESPN,or NFL Network. Preseason games not shown on a national broadcast network are seen on KTVI, Channel 2, and are also seen in L.A. on KCOP, "MyNetworkTV channel 13."
See also
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References
- ^ Braunwart, Bob. "ALL THOSE A.F.L.'S: N.F.L. COMPETITORS, 1935-41". Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
In 1937 the N.F.L. admitted the Cleveland Rams. Four of the players (according to Treat) were the same.
- ^ "St. Louis Rams History: Chronology". Retrieved 2006-09-13.
- ^ NFL History, 1945. Official Site of the NFL. Retrieved 13 September 2006
- ^ Rams Fun Facts: Rams Famous Firsts. Official Website of the St. Louis Rams. Retrieved 13 September 2006
- ^ Rams Fun Facts: The Rams Horns. Official Website of the St. Louis Rams. Retrieved 13 September 2006
- ^ MSNBC.com Sports "Former Rams owner Frontiere dies." Retrieved on 20 January 2008.
- ^ [1] "Future ownership of Rams in doubt." Retrieved 20 January 2008.
- ^ Gordon, Jeff (2008-03-25). "Core must carry Rams through season of change". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Coats, Bill (2008-12-24). "Shaw steps down, Devaney is promoted by St. Louis Rams". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- ^ Miklasz, Bernie (May 31, 2009). "St. Louis Rams soon will be put up for sale". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "NFL Team Valuations: #23 St Louis Rams". Forbes. September 10, 2008.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Report: Rams sale agreement in place". ESPN.com. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Romo-less Cowboys lose to Rams
- ^ Rams will wear 1999 'throwbacks' in '09
External links
- Articles needing cleanup from September 2009
- Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from September 2009
- Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from September 2009
- Articles needing additional references from September 2006
- National Football League teams
- American Football League (1936) teams
- National Football League teams in Los Angeles
- St. Louis Rams
- Sports clubs established in 1936
- Sports clubs established in 1937
- Sports in Cleveland, Ohio
- Sports in St. Louis, Missouri