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TOM MACK Q and A with the Rams E-Zine and The Original Herd

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:47:00 -0600

TOM MACK Q and A with the Rams E-Zine and The Original Herd ==== by Guard, Hi Tom, Thanks for spending some time with us, and answering some questions. In your 13 year career with the Rams, you had the opportunity to pave the way for a lot of great Running Backs, and a lot of that credit goes to some great Offensive Lines. Can you say who was your favorite Back to block for and why? Thanks Again, Guard --- Tom Mack: Probably the most consistent was Laurence Mc Cucheon. Most people don't realize he had at least 6 and perhaps 7 or 8 yrs of 1000 yds + and he played fullback, not half back. He was a great runner and extremely durable. Dick Bass was one of the most exciting runners I ever blocked for with the Rams. He also was playing at fullback position but he darted and dodged like a scat back, not a bull moose. Jimmy Bertelson was a crafty runner who knew how to set up blocks for lineman leading him- This is extremely important and sort of a lost art! Larry Smith was a strong running back as anyone but tended to run standing high. As a result he took a terrible beating and just didn't last too long in the pros. Tommy Mason was also a really good running back but he was too beaten up by the time he came to the Rams. Finally, Willie Ellison had many great games and at one point held the record for most yds gained in a single game (around 250yds). He was more of a slasher with great acceleration. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Shaky, We had a Q and A with Jack Youngblood not to long ago and he wished that the Rams would do more for the retired Rams players and the Rams tradition. Have the Rams have ever contacted you and what do you think can be done to bring back some of the tradition? All us longtime and most newer Rams fans really wish we could see more of the older Rams helping out coaching and being honored as you all well deserve. --- Tom Mack: If the Rams are serious, they could really activate the Retired Rams Players group by doing a couple of things. 1) reactivate the NFL Alumni Chapter in St Louis and get a golf tournament restarted (it's been dormant for about 6-7 yrs). Actively support and sponsor the event. 2) get players (retired) coming in to St Louis periodically doing autograph sessions before, during and after the games. Also , invite them to mix and mingle with the team so players start to see the tradition and old players. Have some type of reunion every 5-10 yrs and include everyone. Buffalo has an annual reunion where they introduce all old players on the field to fans at half time of league game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Blue and Gold, Tom, In your day there were great tackles you faced like Bob Lilly, Alan Page, Joe Greene, and your teammate Merlin Olsen and then there were other excellent tackles like Mike Reid, Jerry Sherk, Wally Chambers. Today, there are not as many "monster" defensive tackles, is there a reason for that, or did you play in a golden era of defensive tackles. --- Tom Mack: I do believe I played in a different era. Great line play in our day was Defensive tackles and ends who had great speed, agility and quickness. Almost all of them were also very big men (say 265-290lbs). They were very aggressive pass rushers who could get to QB's because of their agility and quickness, not because of their size. You had to block them by literally stopping their first rush move and making them restart their rush. We were not allowed to use our hands except to punch them and knock them off stride or backwards and make them restart their respective rushes. Today offensive linemen let them come to them and then grab and pull them toward the O lineman. If he can keep lineman tied up by holding him inside his shoulders, he will not be called for holding and will successfully beat the rush. The result is most Defensive tackles are now 300-350lbs, not particularly agile and take up space rather than aggressively rush and make athletic plays. Game has changed! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by 21dog, Tom......really appreciate you answering our questions. Really enjoyed watching you from the time you were drafted by George Allen to when you retired. You were the consummate pro. Sorry to dredge up a painful memory, but what happened on the illegal motion penalty against the Vikings on the one yard line in the '74 playoffs? Greg --- Tom Mack: Well, the play called was a QB sneak and we were on the 6 inch line. All lineman were down in very laid out stances and it was impossible to move unless you fired at a defensive lineman's feet. Harris called a long snap count, our back up tight end, Pat Curran moved but at that time his moving from a down stance was legal. Allan Page, gap to my inside, felt the movement, jumped early and literally knocked me over backwards. I didn't move! The line judge on our left side came rushing in and claimed that "someone moved (perhaps Curran legally) on the inside, it must have been the guard". He actually over rode the umpire who said I didn't move and when we checked after the game - he was credited with 2 penalty calls when he was actually involved with at least 5 calls against us. I bet Knox my game check that I didn't move and films showed that I didn't move but the rest is history! I never got paid by Knox but they acknowledged that I still haven't moved and that was almost 40 years ago! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by NewMexicoRam, Thanks for all your years of working hard to make the Rams successful. I miss those days of solid play from the O-line. Speaking of which-- Would you be able to provide any insight into what the Rams need to do to make their O-line near the top of the NFL again? --- Tom Mack: Game has changed a lot since I played. Now you need big, strong kids who can still move their feet but are not runners and trick blockers like we were. 1st issue is pass blocking and that has to be focus so QB stays healthy. 2nd issue is team needs to exude confidence in players so they play together instead of as individuals. Unit cohesion is critical to any good offensive effort. Find and then stay with players and pick a leader and go with him. Too much second guessing last year by coaching staff (remember- most of them never played the game, only coached!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by amazonmike, TV Broadcasts, Dear Tom, The networks failed to preserve NFL game broadcasts for most of your career. The great victories against the Packers and Colts at the end of the 1967 season are apparently lost forever, and so are the classic playoff game against the Vikings in 1969 as well as most other games prior to 1977. Some Monday Night games from the early 1970s were preserved along with a gem from 1976 -- the tie game with the Vikings. Do you know if any of your teammates recorded any games? Please let me know if you would like copies of any of the games that are known to exist. Mike Collins Mandeville, Louisiana Collector of Rams NFL Games --- Tom Mack: I believe Greg Horton may have some and another person to check with is "Blue and Gold" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Sean, Hello Tom, Thank you for your time. You are truly one of the all-time great Rams. Besides players being bigger today and the advancement in both offensive and defensive schemes, in your opinion, what would be the biggest adjustment to today's game for an OG like yourself? Best Regards, Sean --- Tom Mack: Because pass blocking is now 90% grab and pull them to you and then hang on tight and run blocking is almost non-existent except for a few traps, it would be extremely hard for someone with my size and agility vs. massive size and strength to play as a lineman. I played almost all my career at 6'3", 250lbs. Today I would have to weigh a minimum of about 295lbs, be extremely strong in upper body vs. legs and not need to be anywhere near as quick or fast as a runner/puller blocker. Game changed to focus on passer. If you want a good stat- Bart Starr threw 2 or 3 TD passes in his entire career from inside the 5 yd line! Last year, Payton Manning threw approximately 20 TD passes inside the 5 yd line! Game has changed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by ScRAM, Thanks Tom For Visiting The Herd! Life long Ram fan from Illinois since the 60s Who was your toughest match up with? --- Tom Mack: Always the best was Bob Lilly. Great athlete with great agility, quickness and speed. Also, he played with a great team with very few weaknesses in entire defense. Randy White as a very worthy replacement and almost as good as Bob, partly because it was same defense! Alan Page was a load and I always struggled with the 49'ers, best of whom was a guy named Cleveland Elam. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by roman18, Hi Tom, I always thought that the lines you played on were quite possibly the best lines that the RAMS ever had. You had so many guys that you played with for so long. Do you think that a major factor your lines were so good could have been for that reason.....playing so long with the same line up (for the most part). You also played under some of the best head coaches in Allen and Knox......do you see anything with Fisher, that reminds you of them? Finally, do you think that the fundamentals of the game are noticeably lesser now than in your day? Thanks for taking time out to visit us, I started following this team in your hey day, and you were a major part of my following this team......and of course those HORNS on the helmet...... --- Tom Mack: 4 of us played together 9 years and that closeness and familiarity really helped us. We got so we would rather play with one guy hurt and keep him in there since we could cover and work together without feeling weak. Next group with Saul & Harrah ended up very much the same thing with only one player at a time dropping from the group. I am very proud to say that we had at least 1 O lineman (and usually more than 1) in the ProBowl for at least 22 yrs in a row. Pretty damn good. Fisher is a good pick and has been around football for a long time. He always had ex players in some of his key assistant roles and if he continues that, he will really help the Rams! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by joram, Tom thanks for stopping by. I've wanted to ask you this question since I watched you play your last game in a Rams uniform. How would you rate your performance against Randy White in the "78 Playoffs? Personally I'd like to thank you for holding your own. --- Tom Mack: I talked about Randy and Bob Lilly above. Randy was different that Lilly in one major way---He was much stronger and liked to use his strength in a manor Lilly never tried. The Flex defense that Dallas used was good but the Rams ran on it very successfully, both at Dallas and with the 49'ers when Dick Noland was their coach. Problem you have with running the ball is you have to maintain control and not get behind. Once we got behind, pass rush becomes the game and Randy and the Cowboys put a lot of pressure on us once we got behind. I remember parts of the game and the disappointment of getting behind. I know I was fine early in the game but I do not recall how I played late, when we got behind. My guess is that Randy put a lot of pressure on us (me) but I do not remember him sacking Haden- I do think Pat hit is thumb on Randy's helmet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Ram23, watched and enjoyed your HOF play and character for parts of the 25 years I was a season ticket holder in LA and Anaheim. Without a doubt you're a class act that will always be remembered by RAMS fans. My question: What was it like to be part of such great teams playing with the likes of Youngblood, Deacon, Olsen and all of those totally awesome RAMS players. Not so much in regard to who you played next to or around but more in regard to as a family of characters. --- Tom Mack: It was fascinating and a great place to grow up in the world. Biggest lesson - Get yourself prepared for whatever comes next in life, whether it's coaching , teaching or walking totally away from sports (like I did) and have focus to your new life. Great players always seem to have great focus on what they are doing now! Problems lessen is to keep focus on the next thing in life and work just as hard to make that a success. The advantage of playing in LA was that it was such a big and diverse community that "playing professional sports" was just another thing. In the East, people are consumed by sports and player can find some way to make a living as a sports figure once they leave the game. Not true in LA, so you need to find and focus on your next adventure. Merlin and Freddie Dryer went to acting, I went to engineering , Youngblood went to announcing and outdoor reporting. Only Deacon, who is well known nationally stayed as a football celebrity. We were lucky to have played and lucky to have had to grow up once football was over. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Ramgator, Hey Tom! Though you retired not long after I became a Rams fan (14 to 12 win at Dallas in 76 playoffs), I still remember you and several memories of the late 70's. My question is.. What was your most satisfying win as a Ram and most heartbreaking loss? --- Tom Mack: Heartbreaking loss is easy--- The one that got away in Minnesota with the BS call that I moved on the 6 inch line. James Harris should have been the MVP of that game and the Super Bowl. We just never got there! Wins were always satisfying but never remembered like the losses. Beating both Dallas and Minnesota following last year losses were always great. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by tony sopRAMo, Tom,it's an honor.Best pulling Guard I ever watched.The OL has never been the same since you left.You played 184 consecutive games.Not a single game missed due to injury.Now we can't keep the same 5 guys together for 3 weeks.Do you think you ever played with or through a concussion back in the day.Also,if the Rams draft an OT #2 overall (like you were) this year and put him at Guard right away (like you) they'd get hammered.When did you first find out you weren't going to play the same position that you did at Michigan?Thanks,Tony --- Tom Mack: Always knew I was not big enough to play tackle in the NFL. Even back then, you had to either weigh 270+ or be 6'5" to play tackle. Guard was a better fit for me as I could utilize my speed and agility and I worked out great. Rams need to get a line coach who understands line play and then pick and stick with the same guys week after week and make them a UNIT! Jeff Fisher is smart enough to know that and has had O line coaches who played. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by CraigMatson, Hello Tom its great to have your time with a great group of fans on this message board. I started watching the Rams in 72 as a kid and followed them as a teen and young adult season ticket holder in the Coliseum and in Anaheim it was a great span of NFC West dominance you enjoyed and you had a great group of teammates of course. I want your opinions on some of the players you played with and against , some front office folks and I have one semi loaded question just for kicks at the end . 1- First off give me your opinion of Willie Ellison who isn't talked about very much anymore but held the Ram single game rushing record for many years at plus 200yds , tell us how he compared to any of the great RB's you blocked for ? Tell us what made McCutcheon such a productive runner in your opinion. 2-A great LB went into the hall of fame's 2011 class in Chris Hanburger ,tell us about him and our own Hacksaw Reynolds as to how they excelled at MLB , and add who was your teams biggest nemesis at that position in the 70's? You were a great player for many years and made the most of your playing size at about 6-3 , 250-260 which was an average sized guard in the 70's 'some DT's were about the same as I recall' :-) . 3-Did you ever imagine guards like you and Bob Young of the old Cards who was about what,, 6-1,275 lbs and strong as a bull would be considered as unable to play any OL position at your size in the future ? 4-Who was the best player(s) during the Chuck Knox years that couldn't catch a break because he was 2nd string behind a great player? I'd ask you to give us some insight on the old GM's or Scouting directors during those days such as Klosterman or Dick Steinberg and go for that if you will but I'd also settle for knowing,,,,, 5-If free agency existed like today would you do the money grab and go to a perennial loser like New England was in the 70's? 6-Would you have by passed the big bucks even if a team like the Cowboys or Steelers had offered you a great deal of money and the chance at hoisting the Lombardi and instead just stay at home with your Rams ? --- Tom Mack: 1. I talked about Willie above in one of the other responses. I think he may have gotten short changed when Knox became the coach as I do not remember whether we traded him or he just disappeared. He was a quality running back and I do not remember him getting hurt either. 2. Hacksaw was a good middle linebacker. He was smaller than average but was tough and loved to fill the middle. I could fool him on a run-pass option but I saw very few others fool him. Best we played against consistently was Lee Roy Jordan. That was partly because of how well Dallas as a whole team played the Flex defense. It was very hard to get to him. In 60's Nitchke and GB was like that and Butkus was great. 3. Interestingly Young could probably play easier than I could. Strength, leverage and holding are 3 key ingredients today. If I wanted to play today, I would simply have to adapt and lift weights for a living! 4. No one! Worst example was kid from SC, Charles Young. He was an All Pro who came to our team and sat on the bench because Terry Nelson tried harder and cared more even though he had a lot less talent. I told Charles he was cheating us (the team) and he laughed and said the rest would give him another year in the league- Guess he was right as he ended up in SF and went to the SB! 5. I had the chance (almost) to go in 77 as a free agent and then Garvey & Upshaw cut a deal with the owners making it 2-1st round draft choices for me because I made over $100k. Key was to force owners to pony up and they did and still would if you have leverage. I told Carol in 74 as a free agent that if I had my choice of unhappies, I would take the one with the money! 6. For the same (or close) money my heart was and is with the Rams. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Bucky, Tom, Before you joined the Rams they were a bad team winning just 25 games in the previous 7 seasons. What was it like to be part of the turn around? There were a lot of good players on those losing teams. They must have just loved going from the bottom to near the top. I'm hoping Jeff Fisher can do what George Allen did. What happened with Tommy Prothro? He seemed to be a very bright guy and somebody was picking good players then. Yet he only lasted a couple of years. --- Tom Mack: Turn around was fun but George really only kept a few of the old players (mostly the linemen) and brought in many new players. His focus on defense helped the older player have immediate success so more of them stayed than left. His 'no tomorrow" mantra helped focus us on today! Prothro was too smart for his own good. Rosenbloom took over ownership and Prothro didn't like having to report to Klosterman and CR every week. He also outsmarted himself by not understanding player mentality. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by George Allen, Tom Mack I think you are the greatest guard I have ever seen and I have 2 questions for you. 1. Does you still keep up with the Rams? 2. As great a lineman as you were, why did you never get into coaching OL in the pros? 3. You played for 2 of the most successful coaches in Rams history, George Allen and Chuck Knox. Which coach did you prefer playing for the most and how were their styles of coaching different? --- Tom Mack: 1. Indirectly- Not actively but pay attention to what they are doing. 2. Grew up with parents telling me that sports was a short term career and I needed to plan a real career for the rest of my life. Never really thought about coaching as I was and am an Engineer. 3. Knox was best as he took the time to try and make sure everyone on team was individually motivated (that means he tried to get to know each player). George was more of a 'carpet bomber" . His focus was 90% defense and offense was an afterthought. Players (on offense) read that and eventually distanced themselves. Both were great to be around because you know they worried about the little stuff and the team would usually be ready on Sunday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by larams 74, I agree you are the greatest. Where do you rank the '74 team in the context of the great teams for which he played. Also who did you prefer at qb Hadl or Harris? --- Tom Mack: 74 team was one of 2 or 3 which could have easily won it all. Unfortunately we had an amazing ability to shoot ourselves in the foot, over and over. l had a great year in 73 but lost to Dallas made Klosterman and Rosenbloom think they could trade him away (and get good draft choices- which they did) and not miss a beat. They expected Jawarski to be QB in 74 but Shack just beat him out and had a great year. I would play with Shack anytime, anywhere. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Coach King, What are you doing for a living and enjoyment now, hobby's? --- Tom Mack: Retired after spending 40 yrs in the Engineering/construction business. Wife and I travel, occasionally play golf, live in Montana during the summer and enjoy life, fishing and hiking. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin Demoff Q & A with The Original Herd, Transcript

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:00:00 -0600

Kevin Demoff Q & A with The Original Herd, Transcript ======================================= by Kevin Demoff Herd, Thanks for Having Me! Rams Fans, Just another quiet day at the office right? Sorry to be delayed in getting this chat started, but hopefully you are like me and have put your kids to bed and are ready to settle in for some, gasp, football talk! Let's get started. Also, so that our fans know exactly where we stand on today's news, we are releasing the following statement tonight: "We think that playing in London is great for the Rams and great for St. Louis. We are in talks with the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, which is also the region's chief marketing group, about how to make the most of this opportunity. As the CVC said today, this will �elevate an awareness of St. Louis on the global stage.� We look forward to having amicable and meaningful dialogue with the CVC on many issues and believe those conversations should remain between the parties." I know our fans our apprehensive about the upcoming negotiations but I don't want them to overshadow what an exciting off-season this is with our football team. We are looking forward to working with the city through this process. Fans hate talking about the business of sports, and we get that. Kevin =================================================== by Andy, negotiating contracts Which do you find more challenging, negotiating a player contract with a player's agent, or negotiating Coach Fisher's contract with your father as his agent? Any interesting stories you care to share? Kevin Demoff, I always find the most challenging contracts to negotiate are the ones on the first day of free agency. Clubs don't always have the best information, you are trying to get a read on the market and things are moving fast. As a team, you have to stick to your plan stick to your parameters, but when you've talked about landing a guy for so long and its right there in front of you, it takes great discipline to not chase after top free agents. As for negotiating with my dad, it was a joy given that it meant Coach Fisher was going to be a Ram. We all knew what the deal would look like going in, so aside from a few tense moments, it was fairly easy. Every time I wanted to get exasperated I just thought of how excited the fans were to have him and how great it was for our franchise. ==================================================== by Guard, Salary & Cap Space Kevin, Thanks for coming and spending time with us. You're the keeper of the salaries and cap space. Could you explain the process on how you work with the other decision makers (GM, Head Coach) on how you target our FA's, negotiate salaries, and ensure that you fit it inside of the cap space? Kevin Demoff, Guard, Thanks for the question and thanks for your service to our country. In salary negotiations and any player discussions, I view my job is to support the vision of our head coach and general manager and help them acquire the players they believe are needed to make us a championship football team. We try to go over all possible combinations and permutations of our roster and I work with them to ensure they get what they want. We get together on a regular basis, especially in the offseason, to discuss a total acquisition plan. I might explain that signing this DT means we might have to sign Plan B at Safety. Once they here the options, they make the decisions on which path we want to follow and then we all try to work together to make sure it gets done. ==================================================== by Shaky, Training Camp Thanks for giving us this opportunity to chat with you. Who makes the call on where training camp is held? I always assumed it was head coach & some coaches "like to get away" for training camp. Where do you think training camp will be held in the future, at the Rams facility or at a remote college town like they did at Macomb for several years? Shaky aka Andy Kevin Demoff, Shaky, the head coach makes the final call on where training camp will be held with input from the organization. I'm 99% sure we will hold training camp in St. Louis this year as we know that is what our fans prefer. We are also hoping to add a few practices at the Edward Jones Dome throughout the offseason in order to let more fans come see our new team. ===================================================== by sdakotaram, Spags Thank you for your time Mr. Demoff When was the decision made to go in a different direction with the entire coaching staff and was it solely based on the end results? Kevin Demoff, To be honest, it was all about results. Coach Spagnuolo was a terrific leader and was exactly what our franchise needed in 2009, and our future success will be the direct result of his and Billy Devaney's hard work. The organization they inherited was a mess and they gave us direction and vision. Our players played hard for the coaching staff and this past year had many difficulties, including numerous injuries and the toughest schedule in the NFL. The decision was made after our final game. When you have a great people like Steve Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney, you want to give them every opportunity to succeed. ====================================================== by 4thandJuan, Extending contracts Mr. Demoff, My question is about Chris Long and James James Laurinaitis, who I understand are in the final years of their contracts. Any thoughts about extending their contracts before they become free agents? Any other players you're thinking of locking up long term? Thanks a million for spending time with the Herd. I've been a Rams fan since they played in LA, so I root for afar. There are still some Ram fans out here, including my neighbor, a former LA Rams cheerleader. Kevin Demoff, Thanks for the question, I love spending time with the Herd and all of our fan message boards. The crazier the better because it shows the passion of our fan base. We are certainly looking to extend the contracts of James and Chris this year as they enter the final year of their contracts. They both continue to grow on the field and they are the leaders in the clubhouse you would like from your younger players. We have a long offseason ahead to get this done but I would expect negotiations with both players to begin sometime this spring. We've always talked about keeping our core together and this would be a good first step. ======================================================== by whowadat, Arbitration Hello Mr. D, I have been so impressed with your efforts both to market the team here in St.Louis and the PR you've personally put forth....I can't help but think your efforts will be the keystone that supports the "Arch" between a business and the community. That type of hands on marketing has made the Cardinals "family" for almost 100 years now and I look forward to an equally successful history with the Rams here in St.Louis. That being said....it would appear there is only two outcomes in the Stadium negotiations, one things get worked out and the Rams play in the ED for X number of years, or two things don't and it goes to arbitration. I assume you're fully expecting the former, but should it be the latter and the Rams win, where do we go from there ? Assuming he's able to get out of the lease, does one of the options considered include Mr. Kroenke removing the team from the ED altogether and building his own stadium in the St. Louis area ala Jerry Jones in Dallas ? I would really like to see a full spectrum family event center that the new Stan Kroenke Sports and Entertainment Complex could provide on game day/weekend. Don't let a good life keep you from a better one, isn't that what the London endeavor is all about..... :-) Thank you for your time. Mike Kevin Demoff, Mike, thanks for the thoughtful question and the nice comments on our efforts to date. I relish the challenge of helping to find a solution that works for the Rams, our fans and the City of St. Louis. All of our fans know that we've spent the last three years trying to be more fan-friendly, community-oriented and accessible. I hate the fact that the lease situation seems to be the focal point rather than our efforts off the field. We strive to build an emotional connection with our fans and I hope the upcoming process doesn't discourage our fan base. Our position on the lease process has always been the same -- let's find a solution that works for St. Louis year-round, not just a Rams-specific solution. I know I may sound like a broken record, but the better the building is for all of St. Louis, the better is for the Rams. We are looking forward to ongoing dialogue with the city but should that not reach a solution there is a process in place through arbitration that we will work through. Those discussions should be in private and not in the media. I know our fans want as much information as possible, but just like player contracts, negotiating in the media can only make things more difficult. Fans don't want to hear rhetoric, they want results. ========================================================= by RamsFanSinceLA, Commitment to Winning Kevin, First of all, thank you so much for doing this Q&A with us die-hard Rams fan. I, for one, have been a fan since I was a kid and my dad took me to the Coliseum back in the Roman Gabriel, Fearsome Foursome days. Now, I realize that ownership in the team over the past decade or so has been "sketchy" in terms of dedication to putting a consistent competitive team on the field. At least that's how it looked to us fans on the outside. Now that we have Stan as the sole owner, I sincerely hope this is no longer the case. Stan, as we all know is "silent." Personally, I'm OK with that. I prefer that over a Jerry Jones type. So since he is the "silent type", it's hard to get a read on what and how he thinks. So my question is, is Stan, and for that matter, the entire organization fully committed to putting a consistent competitive team on the field? Nobody expects Super Bowl wins every year, but it's fair to expect a team that competes every week, is not an embarrassment, and in the playoff hunt every year. Hiring Fisher is a good sign. Thanks again Kevin. I think you are the shining star in this organization and hope you stay with the Rams your entire career. Mike Kevin Demoff, Mike, For anybody who wants to know if Mr. Kroenke wants to put a winning organization on the field consistently, spend a day watching a game with him and you will understand just how passionate he is about fielding a winner. Hiring Coach Fisher demonstrates just how fixated by winning Mr. Kroenke is. Our fans deserve better than we've put on the field since 2005, and I take full responsibility for being part of that losing streak over the past three years. While our fans may not expect a Super Bowl appearance each year, they do expect to have competitive teams that are fun to watch from start to finish. The NFL is designed for every team to be competitive, and we need to start holding up our end of the deal. ============================================================= by LesBaker, Two part question As you may know we recently had Jack Youngblood on our board answering questions and he and some other Rams greats have mentioned that the team has never reached out to them. With new ownership is that going to change? If so will it be players from LA and STL? Also.....is anyone planning on hanging a picture of The Tackle in Jeff's office? (OK you don't have to answer this one!) Kevin Demoff, Les, I have to say one of the most disappointing things that happened this past year is reading that Jack Youngblood feels the team hasn't reached out to him or former players. Beginning in 2009, we started honoring former Rams greats during each home game. The first game of 2009 we honored Deacon Jones and retired his number, and the second game of the 2009 season we honored Jack Youngblood on the field. Since 2009, every living member of the Rams who is in the HOF has been honored by the Club on the field, and many members of the GSOT have been honored as well (Pace, Holt, etc...) We created an alumni program in 2009 to re-establish relationships with our former players and remind them of how important they are to us. We plan to continue those efforts until we run out of players and then we will start over again! As for The Tackle, we plan to put it everywhere in the building to motivate Coach Fisher ============================================================== by gatoramos, Kevin Demoff's goals Hello Kevin, Thank you for taking the time to do this. I have been impressed with you since first learning of you coming to the Rams organization. There are many people who say tremendous things about you. I truly believe you to be a major asset. Thank you for being a St. Louis Ram! My question is, what are your long term career goals? And what steps are necessary for you to achieve them? Thanks again, Ryan Kevin Demoff, Ryan, I appreciate the nice words, but the organization itself is the thing people should focus on. We have 125 employees that are dedicated to being a winning organization on and off the field, and I enjoy coming to work with them everyday. We all share the same goal -- to win a Lombardi Trophy for our fans and to be part of an organization that uses the power of football to make St. Louis a better place to live. My career goals are to make those things happen. I love being part of an organization that is growing every day and that our fans believe they have an emotional connection with. =============================================================== by leafnose, Transistions, and Retention Realize how difficult the new coaching staff has it in determining current roster, and evaluating these players so quickly. Is there some level of contact between Ex GM Devaney and Coach Fisher, about some perceptions of the current roster? Also, retaining some of the players that were on one year deals, and the rather sudden "new year" after SuperBowl is over; How do you assess with coach which players to offer new contracts too? And, harder yet, with such a poor showing on the field, and so many injuries, how hard it must be to evaluate which youngsters actually should be kept or released? Best Hopes for better 2012 Season !!! Kevin Demoff, The new coaching staff is getting settled in and watching all of our games from 2011 to get a sense of the roster. They are talking to our pro scouts on a daily basis to get their evaluations, and all of our coaches and scouts from last year submitted year end evaluations of our players. That is plenty of information to get started with making decisions on the roster, and those talks will continue with the new GM once he is in place. The hardest thing will be to evaluate the players coming back from injury and helping our new coaches get a feel for players who really had no film from last year. ================================================================ by Bucky, Organizational Memory Thanks for joining us Kevin, It seems as though you lose a lot of personnel information when you replace your coaching staff and GM. How do you overcome that? Is it important? Will Jeff Fisher be worried about the Rams history with guys like Cudjo, Sims, Murphy and others or will he just start anew with OTA's and the other team workouts? Will you have a role there? Kevin Demoff, Bucky, As we just discussed in the previous answer, we made sure to download all of the information possible from our previous coaching staff and scouts. But obviously the new coaches can't know the roster as well as the old coaches did, so they will have to learn the strengths and weaknesses throughout the offseason during OTAs, minicamps, etc. They will be helped by our pro scouting staff which has evaluations of our players from the past few years. The good news is with an experienced coaching staff they know exactly what they are looking for and will be able to work with our young players to mold them. There may be some trial and error but we should know what we have as we progress through the offseason. My role is to help them gather information and answer any questions they may have, but the new coaches and GM should come to their own conclusions on our players. ================================================================= by PaulButcher59, The Rams GM interview process and candidates? Hi Kevin, Would you please give us some detailed insight into how the Rams will be going about the interviewing process for the GM position? Such as when these interviews will take place, who all your candidates are to date, who will be sitting in on the interviews and who has the final say on who is hired? I believe this is possibly the most important hiring for any NFL organization. Successful drafting is critical for any franchise`s success. Have you asked for permission to speak with the Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross? Ross has run some outstanding drafts for the Giants and has even found some very key undrafted free agent signings as well, such as WR Victor Cruz. He seems to have everything you and coach Fisher are looking for in a new GM. Steve Keim looks like an excellent candidate as well. Good luck on your hiring process and I hope you find the right man for the job no matter how long it takes! We need to put an end to our recent history of less than spectacular drafting, as this will be the future to the Rams success. Kevin Demoff, Paul, as an avid follower of the board, I know how important this topic is to you. The GM process should pick up steam next week as we interview multiple candidates and try to narrow the field to a few finalists. There are many candidates to date, such as the ones that are known -- Steve Keim, Joey Clinkscales, Brian Gaine, Les Snead, Lake Dawson -- and some that aren't known. Coach Fisher and I will be sitting in on the interviews and then Mr. Kroenke will be involved as we get to the finalists. There are a lot of talented evaluators ready to take the next step, and Marc Ross like you mentioned is one of them. For the GM search, we are using the same process we used for the coaching search -- we start with a wide list of candidates and keep filtering it down based on interviews with people who have worked with or for the candidates. All of the candidates have a strong skill set, but we also want somebody who can lead a personnel department, help foster interaction between our coaches and scouts and relishes being a team player. This is a very important hire and the HC/GM relationship is the most important relationship in the building. We have to get this right for our organization and our fans. And I know you have your preferences so keep voicing them! ================================================================== by RAMbeau, Results. . . . First, I want to thank you and your staff for the job you've done reaching out to the St. Louis Rams fan base. In that area, you have an unbeaten record. Also, I think Chip and Lucia have gone somewhat unheralded in this, but appear to be actively involved. So an applaud out to them, too. That said. . . The London games have all the appearances of a test market scenario (and I don't mean in terms of a complete move to London). And like in any test market, there are benchmarks established to determine success or failure. Have these benchmarks been established, yet? So, I guess, without giving away any proprietory information, I'm asking, have you established goals in terms of dollar and cents and PR value. Which leaves an opening that if successful, it will be to the benefit of the St. Louis Rams and the city. On the other hand, could there be an evaluation of the 'project" that might have a negative impact. And are there mechanisms in place to deal with that. Thank you Frank Kevin Demoff, Frank, Our goal with London is to grow our brand regionally, nationally and internationally. Is there a benchmark on how much impact London will have? I'm not sure there is an exact metric. As we all know, the best way to improve our brand is to WIN FOOTBALL GAMES. If we start doing that and we make strides in the UK, there should be an amplification effect that helps expedite our return to relevance. This isn't just about dollars and cents, and its not just about brand building. The goal is to improve our standing in the NFL, to improve our relevance worldwide and hope all of that helps expand our market beyond St. Louis in order to make our ability to win championships in St. Louis easier. Sure it has some risk, all such endeavors do. But we believe playing in London is in both ours and our fans best long term interest, if we didn't, we wouldn't have been part of the process. ===================================================================== by tony sopRAMo, Uniforms Hello Kevin, Thank you for taking the time to chat.I would like to know if there are any discussions taking place about changing the uniform and also if its true we will be seeing blue/white throwbacks in 2012 for us old timers.Thanks again. Kevin Demoff, Tony, There has been limited discussion of changing the uniform, and that process takes a long time in the league so don't expect any changes in 2012 or 2013 for that matter. It is at least a two year process to begin a uniform change and given that we haven't even started the process or considered applying to change our throwbacks or regular uniforms, I think this topic has taken on a life of its own for no reason. I probably started it in October with my musings out loud on the radio, but we aren't in a hurry to change the uniforms. That being said, I do think getting the blue/white throwbacks on our players in the future would be a great tribute to the history of our franchise. ====================================================================== by ycramsfan, possible moves thanks kevin ...i have a question and comments thank u for your time..outstanding job so far..What is your honest opinion on the likely hood the city if st.louis can and will meet requirement or do enough, rather parking,.possible future events in the ed,.or the city giving property to Stan to help build a modern facility for the rams to keep them in st lou. As a long standing rams fan,.i remembered the days of empty stadiums in la/Anaheim. Its been a pleasure to see them so well loved in st louis. Why would Stan or anyone want to move anywhere not knowing what support will be available ..in la,..how long before empty stadiums? How can anyone be sure about the uk and if they really do care and would support american football? Thanks barry nor cal Kevin Demoff, Barry, It's not my place to speculate on what St. Louis can or will do. I agree with you that our fans have been very supportive through some very bad football and we are passionate about getting it right for those who have stuck with us during the down times. I'm not sure where the paranoia has come from in recent weeks, but there is still A LOT OF TIME to figure out the best solution for all parties. My sincere hope is that we can take a step back from the craziness of the past few weeks and realize that there is plenty of time for everyone to take a deep breath and remember what makes the St. Louis Rams great -- our fans and their passion. We will not forget them as this proess goes on and we believe this process is imperative to improve the fan experience -- as is winning games. ================================================================= Kevin Demoff, Herd, I enjoyed answering nearly all of your questions. I'm going to sign off for tonight and leave a couple of good questions for tomorrow. This is a great fan community and everybody at Rams Park is grateful for your passion and support of the Rams. All we ask is that we can get back to talking football soon. We know nobody likes to hear talk about the lease, the business of the NFL and everything in between. What you want to hear is talk about the draft, free agency and how we can make attending Rams games more fun. I promise you we won't take our eye off of what you want. Kevin by Ramsrule, We appreciate you spending some time with us. I think I speak for the majority of the HERD when I say we want nothing else but being able to worry about the product on the field. All the other "stuff" just makes being a fan less fun. But we're all so passionate about the Rams..... we're emotionally vested in the Horns, and end up hanging on every twist and turn spun up by the media. We suffer when times are tough, and we thrive when the team's successful. It's not by choice..... we're fans for life. We're all pulling for you and your staff to get this thing back on track. My new motto these days = "Eye on the prize", applies here. We wish you the best of luck in accomplishing the task, and we're looking forward to the turnaround. Take care, Troy ========================================================================= ======================================================================== ================================================================================= just added =================================================================== by RAM23, Preserving Tradition....... Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule Kevin we all appreciate you spending some time here in our Cyber Pasture known as The Original HERD, we really appreciate it. Promoting RAMS fandom, developing a quality fan based community that supports the RAMS efforts of producing a competitive product while fans deliver factual news for the HERD has always been the purpose and goal of The Original HERD, it has become our Tradition. When I developed The Original HERD fan identity all of those factors were and still are the goals of my intent. My question or combo of questions is: What ideas and efforts will the new owner, you and the entire RAMS organization down to the ticket takers put forth that will help to ensure and enthuse older and younger RAMS fans alike in regard to what they want which is what they've loved and supported all their lives, RAMS tradition. Will some of those traditions once again be pursued be present and be enjoyed by RAMS fans? Tradition at the historic level the RAMS have developed all these years and holding onto as much of it as possible shouldn't be forgotten or heaven forbid changed IMHO. Using some of that tradition as positive PR move by the RAMS to stimulate the fans surely can't be a bad marketing idea, can it? Just for an example, the HORNS on the helmets is what attracted many young RAMS fans in the past, now what use to be bolder bigger HORNS have shrunk and changed in shape causing us to even discuss what never should have changed. To say the least the more traditional looking HORNS on the helmets of the past is still a must for some of us old RAMS fans not to mention the blue and white unis or the eye popping SB blue and yellows unis, is there any hope or chance we could possibly see the owner realize and insist on resetting and returning to some of those great standards for fans to enjoy, they are what they were and still are, the best of traditional NFL looks? Thanks again for your time along with your dedication to providing a winning and quality RAMS team. Oh yeah, please keep em in St.Louis. RAM23 aka Phil -- Kevin Demoff, RAM23/Phil, The tradition question is one we discuss often at Rams Park, as there is no easy solution when it comes to a team like ours. First, we are proud of our tradition dating all the way back to Cleveland, but we also want to embrace the St. Louis Rams and the tradition that started here in 1995 so we walk a fine line. As mentioned in the chat last night, we focus on alumni from both eras -- for example this year we honored Eric Dickerson at the home opener but we also had Marshall Faulk HOF day and honored players like Az Hakim. As for the uniforms which we discussed as well, going back to the uniforms from the 60's and 70's would be a great thril for fans, but our great fans in St. Louis have never seen those uniforms so would they have an emotional connection to them or be excited to see them. Conversely, when we wear the blue and yellow throwbacks, our fans love them because they remind them of the GSOT Super Bowl year. All sports franchises need tradition, it is what brings fans together and is the glue that links players, coaches, employees and fans. When you talk about the "Rams", there should be a spirit and history the name envokes. I also hope all of our fans, from St. Louis to LA to everywhere in between can unite in their support of the team rather than feel the need to compare eras or locations. Uniting our fan base will go a long way to restoring the tradition of the Rams. The best way to unite the fan base is to win games and provide tangible links to the past and connect them to the present. ===================================================================== ========================================================================= by ScRAM, War Room Kevin, We all know how important the upcoming draft is to the future of the St.Louis Rams. In 2001 Bernie Miklasz was allowed in the Draft War Room, this was before he had his own forum at the Post Dispatch & he posted here on the Herd board quite often. As each pick was on it's way to the podium Bernie would post the pick on the board & the Herd would know the pick even before the commissioner would. In this more fan friendly regime would it be possible for the Herd to have a representative sitting in the war room doing the same thing? I've been following the Rams drafts since the Eric Dickerson trade many years ago. I can be available all 3 days if this is possible, I'd sit in the corner & be as quiet as a church mouse. I understand there will be rules & conditions I would have to abide by. Just a thought, Thanks so much for stopping by! Scott aka ScRAM Kevin Demoff, So the draft that produced Milton Wynn and Francis St. Paul is the one where Bernie was making the picks? It all makes perfect sense now. Its hard to imagine even the most fan-friendly regime letting somebody sit in the Draft Room that was a complete stranger, the main reason being we all know that the Rams can screw up any draft and lets face it, its better to screw up in private than to have people know how screwed up we were at the time of the pick! Also, the league frowns upon teams releasing the pick before it gets to the podium, we aren't allowed to tweet or inform any media of the pick as its on its way to the commissioner. If you remember a few years ago, the draft was "boring" because Adam Schefter kept announcing the picks while teams were on the clock. And quite frankly, if we did something like that, it would probably be a winner chosen at random from our season ticket holder list. That being said, we may look into doing a webcam on the website for all of our fans or letting some message board moderators sit in the media room downstairs and follow the draft from there. And there is better food for the media on draft day than for the staff. And just maybe I can leak a pick to the Herd early...

Reply from Demoff

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:03:47 -0600

Shaky/Andy, Thank you for your email and for your passion for the Rams. I know many of our fans, including our most loyal and diehard fans, don�t understand why we committed to play in London. There are a lot of season ticket holders who feel this way, we recognize that. Please know the goal of playing in London was to make it easier for us to stay in St. Louis for the long-term. We are committed to building a great franchise in St. Louis and delivering the on-field results our fans deserve. The hiring of Jeff Fisher and signing a great coaching staff are the first steps in the right direction. All I can ask is that you judge us over the next few months about how serious we are about winning in St. Louis and building a great franchise and not just based on one announcement. I know nobody may believe us when we say we are as committed today as we were earlier this week, but it is the truth. We have no desire to be in London. Feel free to follow up with any questions, and I�m providing a copy of Friday�s chat which has answers to many questions you may have. I hope to hear from you again soon. http://chat.nfl.com/front/index/1656?a_id=2 Kevin

Live Chat with Kevin Demoff: Uniforms, Lease, Lloyd etc.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:39:57 -0600

Live Chat with Kevin Demoff: Uniforms, Lease, Lloyd etc. From RRF: some angry fans out there. Quote: Demoff's opening response: VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com. Rams Fans, it's great to chat with you today. It's been a busy week, and I know many of you have great excitement about the hiring of Jeff Fisher and many of you are here because you have great trepidation about today's announcement. As a franchise, we are excited about both and the chance to become an elite franchise in the NFL. With that, let's chat! Quote: rams2050, Osage Beach, MO3:06 PM CT Hi, Mr. Demoff! I appreciate the time you take with us fans. That being said, did you really believe that fans would be happy with the fact that THREE home games are now scheduled to be played in London, one in each of the next three years? I am so unhappy about this that I cannot believe it. I NEVER thought we would lose THREE home games!! I don't look upon it as an honor, but as a snub. What was Mr. Kroenke thinking? By the way, I loved the hiring of Jeff Fisher. I felt certain that better days were on the horizon. But now I'm not so sure. Please tell me that I'm wrong. VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com To be honest, we knew the news today would provide a mixed bag for our fan base. We view London as a powerful tool to build our fan base regionally, nationally and globally for the long-term. But we also knew that in the short-term, many of our best fans would be upset by the news. To wake up and find out that we are playing a game in 2012-2014 in London and not St. Louis is a shock, and certainly given fan angst over the lease situation, it likely appears more ominous than it actually is. Our thinking is we need to find a way to grow our fan base and this is a way to leverage the power of the NFL to do so. Quote: Rich, St. Louis3:17 PM CT I know you have said that this London thing is good for the Rams. How is it good for ram fans? P of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com I realize people think I'm being disingenuous when I say this is a good thing for St. Louis, but here is why I think that: 1. The league is placing its faith in the St. Louis Rams and now has a vested interest in our success. That means potentially a better schedule, a possible primetime game, things like that. 2. This is a unique opportunity to showcase St. Louis globally and especially in the UK. For multinational businesses like AB, Monsanto, Enterprise, Emerson, Purina, etc, this provides a platform that combines their local roots with international reach. 3. The bigger we can make our brand nationally and globally, the bigger it makes our "effective market size". If you look at Buffalo playing yearly in Toronto, they are applying the same concept to grow their fan base while still being a regional and local team. Quote: Austin, St. Louis3:22 PM CT Tired of the constant F-you's by your organization. You guys have successfully alienated your entire fanbase over and over again. You guys are the laughingstock of the league, congrats. VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Austin, I think today's announcement with the league shows just the opposite. I will admit, at times, given our record on the field and our performance off the field that we have been the laughinstock of the NFL. Today the NFL's venture with us in the UK shows that they have great faith in our organization and that we are anything but a laughingstock in their eyes. Quote: Michael Wolf, St. Louis3:24 PM CT How does "growing the fan base globally for the long-term" for Mr. Kroenke's team, SPECIFICALLY benefit the St. Louis Rams fan? Why should we care if Kroenke can sell Ram's hoodies in Cambridge? VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Michael, Those hoodies in Cambridge could help pay for the next CB we need or might allow us to reduce concession prices for hot dogs. Growing our fan base globally allows for revenue streams beyond St. Louis that reduce the pressure on St. Louis to deliver those revenue streams. Additionally, the larger the global brand, the more the TV networks and advertisers see our Club as one they want to work with and the better that is for our visibility. Quote: Gabe Gore, Algood, TN3:28 PM CT Thanks for taking time to answer our questions. How is the GM search coming along? VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com The GM search is going to pick up steam next week as we interview candidates beginning Thursday or Friday. We have six to eight candidates we are interested in meeting with who are emerging stars in the personnel world. We will also speak with Les Snead and Lake Dawson again now that Coach Fisher is here. We hope to make progress by the Super Bowl but the goal is to find the right voice to lead the personnel department moving forward. The Head Coach/GM relationship is the most important in the building and we need to get it right. Quote: Todd Swope, St. Louis/ PSLholder since 95'3:32 PM CT Why doesn't Stan Kroeke hold a public meeting to discuss his fututre for STL and the Rams? He has been silent for too long and we need something. VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Todd, I think as we get farther into the lease process this is something we would consider. I know our fans want to hear more from ownership, but as Stan said on Tuesday, this isn't necessarily the most appropriate time to discuss the topic before we start talking with the city. Our goal is to build a winning organization on and off the field in St. Louis, and that continues to be the goal for the next year, three years, ten years, twenty years. Quote: Kevin, Downtown3:35 PM CT Why cant you guys just commit to STL so we can all renew our season tix and everyone else can be happy? This is painful for us. VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Kevin, I understand exactly where you are coming from. Believe me, nobody would be happier than me to announce a long-term agreement to keep the team in St. Louis. We want this team to be successful and win for our fan base that has been loyal to us for so long, including some terrible stretches of football. However, we also realize that we can greatly improve the fan experience for all of our fans and season ticket holders and that those changes, in addition to playing better football, can make the experience in the Edward Jones Dome better for all fans. Our goal is to tell our fans positive news once we have positive news, and we all hope that is the outcome. But I think it would be lousy of us to pay lip service to what you want to hear just to score quick PR points. I hope our fans understand that. Quote: Tyler Bishop, O'Fallon, attended every home game3:40 PM CT How does the London business show a commitment to winning. Certainly it does not benefit the players and coaches to travel across the Atlantic to play what is actually an away game. VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Tyler, we actually hope that we can gain a competitive advantage by playing abroad and knowing exactly how to adapt to the conditions versus a team traveling to the UK for the first time. Additionally, with Arsenal's facilities, we should have the opportunity to have a normal practice schedule in the UK should we want it. Finally this will allow us to have a bye in early November for the next few years which is highly important to the overall health of our team down the stretch. And let's face it, we haven't played any better at home the past few years than on the road. Quote: RamFan80, St. Louis3:42 PM CT You mentioned more money from London means less money required from St. Louis. Could we make the leap that a game in London every year and expanding the base there might make it easier for the Rams and STL to reach a deal. VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com That's one of the few leaps I've seen today that actually has some truth in it. We aren't looking at doing this every year but we will continue to look for ways to innovate and increase our fan base. Quote: David, St. Louis, MO3:43 PM CT Kevin, I was contemplating buying season tickets for next season before today. What do you tell me and, more importantly, the current season ticket holders who just lost the most compelling home game for the season? Why would I commit to a PSL and tickets when I can get them cheaper on the secondary market? Finally, what do the rams tell the St. Louis business owners who depend on home games? VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com David, first off, I don't think we have any idea what the most compelling game of the 2012 season will be. We could be making a playoff push in December and be playing the Vikings and that could be the most important game to have at home. Certainly the Patriots are an attractive draw and we might prefer to have the London game be an NFC opponent that plays here more often, but the 2012 games will be compelling in their own right, and the Packers/Jets/49ers and others coming to STL might be just as intriguing when the games arrive. Quote: Mike - original PSL holder, Chesterfield3:46 PM CT I think that there is a perception around the league that St. Louis has not supported the Rams. I don't think that could be further from the truth. Given the team's record over the past six plus years, and there have been only like two blackouts, they get exemplary ratings on television, and interest remains high. Look at all the empty seats in Oakland, Tampa, Carolina, Jacksonville, yet you never hear about those cities not supporting their teams. Where do you think this thought process comes from? VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Mike, I don't think that perception exists around the league at all. In fact, one of the factors in Coach Fisher choosing St. Louis was the passion of our fan base and the reputation of STL as a great sports city. I think in the stretch from 2007-2009 when we had a number of blackouts and declining ticket sales, people may have thought that, but as we move forward as an organization, the past few years have demonstrated the passion of our fan base. Quote: Mike, Affton3:48 PM CT Did the Rams approach the league, or vise versa, on committing 3 straight years for one team's home games to be played in London? Why land on that number of games? Why wouldn't 1 game have showcased St.Louis globally? Any connection between 3 games in London takes the team thru their current STL lease? VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Mike, the league approved an initiative in October allowing teams to apply to play for up to five years. The majority of teams applied for three years because that was enough time for the league to consider the request but also not committing for the long term. There is some connection to the lease timing, but that wasn't the driving force in the years. The driving force was our desire to partner with the league in putting on these games and knowing we had to show a commitment to the league. On the flipside, people want to say that once the games expire we can leave, but what if we also look at it as once the improvements take place we want to return back to a refurbished building for good? Quote: Steve, St. Louis3:52 PM CT Arsenal, whats with the rumors about Arsenal playing here in STL? How good of a chance do we have seeing this materialize? VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Steve, we have broached the subject with Arsenal and hope that they decide to embark upon a tour of the US in the near future. If they did, I think it would make great sense for them to come to STL and play in the Edward Jones Dome as a way to build the STL-London relationship. Quote: Devin Kempker, St. Louis4:00 PM CT I am starting to wonder about the location of the Rams in a few years. Some say that baby-steps are being made back to L.A., and others believe that they could possibly end up in the U.K. The question is will St. Louis be the Rams home for good or will they be moving sometime in the future? As a fan, I would hate to see them leave!! VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Devin, is it possible that we are neither taking baby steps towards LA nor focused on moving to London but rather are just trying to improve our franchise? pat, st.louis4:11 PM CT Kevin, any plans to change up the uniforms? VP of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff, Stlouisrams.com Haven't there been enough changes this week??? We are going to evaluate our uniforms with Nike over the next year or so and may consider changing the throwbacks to the Blue and White, but I know the yellow and blue is nostalgic for many fans. All options will be on the table.

Head Coach Jeff Fisher on the Rome show (The Jungle), by RustyRay

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:11:35 -0600

About his year off? Best decision he ever made...to recharge and do some things like travel and go to Montana...went to some Auburn Football games. Climbed a mountain with some wounded warriors. He went with Teddy Bruski Sp? Big time grind...no issues...really awesome reaching the summit. Took it easy...slept in when he could. Stayed connected with the league...competition committee non voting member. What did he like about the Rams? Lots of time with the owner and Sam Bradford...commitment is there from them to turn this into a winner. The owner wants to win and win badly and turn it around. Was Miami his first choice? No it wasn't....both clubs got a chance and Miami responded first. The Rams were the choice after going through the process.. Not to do with Ross, lots of respect for him as well. Rams best choice for him. GM in place? Not a big issue, Rams will make the right decisions, address the roster and fill the holes..find the right guy and get it done. Sam Bradford has all the tools and a chance to be great. Believes he can be elite, lockout was an issue as were the injuries. Looked much more at Sam's rookie year when he had better protection and has great potential...your qb is only as good as the people he is surrounded by. Was it right for McDaniel's to go to NE now? Rams were ok with it and so was NE...may be discussed going forward. Has not found his OC yet, he is getting close and in the next 2 or 3 days he will fill OC and DC. This team is very close he says, they have played very hard all the way through the season to week 17. What do the Ravens need to do to beat the Pats? Baltimore has to score points...obvious!! Who wins Niners and Giants? The Niners are very good, personnel standpoint they are excellent. Watched his son play how was it? Ball cap on backwards eat peanuts and watch football!! so much fun!

QB Sam Bradford, James Laurinaitis-Press Conference

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:27:38 -0600

QB Sam Bradford, James Laurinaitis-Press Conference ====== QB Sam Bradford-Press Conference January 17, 2012 (On if he turned into a recruiter and tried to sell Coach Fisher on St. Louis) �No. I really just tried to be myself. I wasn�t going to be anything other than who I am. I didn�t want to give him a false impression of who I was. Like I said earlier, it was just time for us to meet to learn a little bit more about each other. If that helped along the process and helped get him here then I�m very happy that I was able to do that.� (On if he is looking forward to having a normal offseason) �Absolutely. Last year was not something I hope I ever go through again. It wasn�t fun. Especially this year having a new coach, having to learn a new offense, I�m very grateful that we will have a full offseason spent with that offense.� (On if he is excited for an offense that protects the quarterback) �Oh absolutely. That�s something that he made a point of when I talked to him last week. That�s something actually I talked to him in his office this morning. We were just talking about a couple things and he said whoever he brings in here as the offensive coordinator that will be definitely a top priority. So anytime you can hear that and be reassured of that, it makes my job a lot easier.� (On if it is frustrating to have a third new coordinator in as many years as he�s been here) �Yeah. I think we addressed this when I left St. Louis a couple weeks ago. Would I like to be in the same offense that I started in my rookie year going into year three? Yeah, but that�s not the case. I think going through the past two years will make this transition easier. I know what it�s like. I know what it was like to learn an offense as a rookie, then last year having to learn (Josh) McDaniels� offense. I think both those experiences will make this easier and I�m looking forward to it.� (On what his thought was when he learned Fisher was the next coach) �Just very excited. Obviously he�s a tremendous coach. I think all the players have a lot of respect for him. Everyone that I�ve talked to that�s ever played for him said that he�s a great, great person to play for. They really enjoyed the experience so I�m just looking forward to it and I�m very excited.� LB James Laurinaitis-Press Conference January 17, 2012 (On the hiring of Jeff Fisher) �You never want to see a coach and a GM go. I�ll forever be grateful to Coach Spags and Billy Devaney for drafting me and giving me an opportunity. Having said that, the situation you have full trust in Stan Kroenke. He brought in a proven guy, a guy that has a ton of respect. The players that I�ve talked to that played for him absolutely love playing for him. Former player, all that. Knowing he�s a defensive guy definitely makes you excited to be a Mike �backer.� (On what his thoughts were when he heard that Fisher was hired) �Just excited to move forward. Anytime you�ve been coaching in one spot for over, what is it 15 years something like that, that�s pretty impressive. He knows how to handle many personalities. He knows how to really relate to the players because he was a player. I�m excited for that. He�s been through those battles, he�s been through training camps. His training camps were probably a lot more physical than the ones due to our rules are now, but he still knows what it means to be sore. He knows what it means to go through that rigorous process so I think he�s instant respect amongst the locker room.� (On if he is looking forward to the toughness of his teams) �Absolutely I think that�s important. You need to have an identity as a football team and watching his football teams, they always have an identity of being tough, physical teams. Being on the defensive side of the ball, that�s what you look forward to. I�m excited for us to hire a defensive coordinator so as soon as he gets in here I have something to do. I can study a defense and get started. I�m getting bored already.� Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing or update your notification preferences.

Transcripts of Press Conference: Head Coach Jeff Fisher

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:16:12 -0600

Transcripts of Press Conference: Head Coach Jeff Fisher Head Coach Jeff Fisher Press Conference January 17, 2012 (Executive Vice President of Football Operations/Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff Opening Remarks) �Good afternoon. Today�s a tremendously proud day for our organization, our fans, our players, our partners in St. Louis. Two weeks ago, I was standing up here and we were laying out the vision for what we wanted for this franchise. We wanted someone who could energize our fan base, deliver a winning product on the field and help us build an organization on and off the field that St. Louis could be proud of. Today, we have delivered that person who best embodies our vision and it�s Head Coach Jeff Fisher. The third winningest active coach in the NFL. He�s active as of about five minutes ago. His teams play with a passion that is uniquely Jeff Fisher. They�re tough, they�re competitive and you know when you�ve played a Jeff Fisher team and that�s exactly what we were looking for. No matter who we spoke to around the league: players, coaches, league officials. They talked about a charismatic, respective leader who teams were always prepared on Sunday. I think, as I�ve witnessed and we�ve all witnessed over the past weekend with the outpouring of support from St. Louis and our fans, our fans agree with that assessment. The time was now for a bold statement about the future of this organization and to deliver a winner to our fans. Here to talk about that commitment to winning, our owner, Stan Kroenke.� (Owner Stan Kroenke Opening Remarks) �I can�t add a lot to what Kevin said, but I can tell you this, as of five minutes ago Jeff and I both put our names on a contract upstairs that will keep him here for a good while and we�re really excited about it. Jeff and I had some time to talk over the last couple of weeks and I think the more we talked, the more comfortable we got. We have had occasion to be around the sports world quite a bit. It will be next year I have been here in St. Louis working on sports for 20 years. Over that time, we�ve kind of come to some conclusions, some lessons were harder to learn than others, but we developed a model that we have a lot of confidence in. And at its center is an experienced, confident head coach who has been, as we say in a lot of different situations has dealt with and seen most things that the world can throw at him in the world of sports. Jeff was absolutely what we were looking for - I told him that early on. I think, when we first talked, I don�t really wait a lot before I tell people kind of how I feel and I told Jeff early on that, that�s the way we viewed the world of sport and how important it was for us to find that kind of coach. Fortunately, we�ve been able to achieve that.� �As Kevin said, his teams are tough. I�ve sat and watched them. We�ve had occasion to experience them. The only real game we lost in the St. Louis Rams season that we won the Super Bowl was in Nashville. At the end of the season we lost one up at Philadelphia, but we didn�t play everybody and it was our last game of the season. But the only game we lost in the regular season was to Jeff. And that was because those teams were tough and they fought.� �Anyway, I�ll tell you he�s widely known and widely respected as you all know. He�s a great coach, he�s a great leader, he�s a great teacher. Our young players, I just talked to Sam (Bradford), I know they all echo our feelings about him, so without further adieu I would like to introduce the new Head Coach of the St. Louis Rams, Jeff Fisher.� ========== (Head Coach Jeff Fisher Opening Remarks) �Obviously, first and foremost I have to thank you, Stan, for this privilege, the opportunity to be your next head football coach and Kevin and your staff, for your tireless efforts to help speed this process up. �My decision was very, very simple. It was based on the vision, the collective vision shared by Stan and Kevin, as far as the future of the franchise and more specifically, it�s restoring this franchise to a place of significance. Significance, by that I mean, it�s an opportunity to take another trip as champions to the White House where I understand as we speak right now (Former Cardinals Manager) Tony La Russa and the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals are there right now. It was that vision that made my decision very, very easy. �Almost a year ago I made a difficult decision at the time, and that was to get away, to leave the game, to do those things that I had not done before, to rest and recharge and I did so. I do not second guess that decision whatsoever. And then four to six weeks ago I started the process with Marvin Demoff, as you know, and followed the process to near perfection. The process was about identifying some opportunities, looking at the non-economic issues of where you had the best chance to be successful and then the decision, obviously, was made a few days ago. This is a tremendous opportunity for this franchise, for our fan base to get the football team back on the map and once again get back on the winning track. I want to thank you again for the opportunity.� (Fisher on the main factors in choosing St. Louis) �Again, I just mentioned to them, it�s their vision. What their thoughts are for the future and how to go about doing that. An opportunity to work alongside Kevin, it�s going to be a great ride. Obviously, when I set out my�I made the statement I think maybe a month ago, I had two factors. One was a good owner and the other was a quarterback. I�m very excited about the opportunity.� (Fisher on his impressions of QB Sam Bradford) �This year was difficult. I think you have to look back at his success and his production in his first year. Difficult for a lot of reasons, the lockout and lack of time together in the offense, but I think he has the chance to be a top quarterback in the National Football League very, very soon.� (Fisher on how far away he thinks this team is from being successful) �This team�s got a chance to win some games. This team played very, very hard all year for Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) Spags. It played hard every single game. They didn�t win the number of games that they would�ve liked to, but they play hard and it�s a talented team. It�s a team that, obviously, as we discussed has some holes and I�m looking forward to filling those voids and moving forward.� (Fisher on what he thought about this team when he decided to take this job) �That this is a great opportunity to get a team in a short period of time back on the winning track.� (Fisher on what the holes are in the team) �There�s a lot of things that we�ll discuss moving forward. I�m not going to go into specific areas right now. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to do so, obviously through the draft and through free agency.� (Fisher on the process of feeling comfortable with Mr. Kroenke) �We met several weeks ago and spent a day together and talked about a lot of different things. I felt philosophically that we were on the same page as far as moving forward and the type of things that needed to take place in this organization.� (Fisher on if non-economic issues were more important than his contract) �I�d say they were more important. Despite reports, never was there was a situation where one club was leveraged against another. That was not true. It was the non-economic issues that how we�re going to move forward, what we�re going to do with the coaching staffs and front office staffs and those type of things. Then again, it just became, the decision was very clear for me and it was about Stan and Kevin.� (Fisher on if he wanted assurances about future of the Rams in St. Louis) �We talked about a lot of different things beginning with our visit up and until just recently so I have a great understanding of the future and the future of this franchise right now at this moment is here in St. Louis.� (Fisher on reports that Miami was his first choice) �That�s not true. Basically we provided both clubs with the same non-economic issues at the same time and it just happened to be a case where Miami responded first. It was our intention not to talk to both at the same time so we addressed the issues with Miami and then came back and addressed the issues with St. Louis.� (Fisher on if he has his coordinators identified) �I have options. I�m in the process of interviewing. Understand this, this process had to be completed first before you start the next process. But I have some very good options, yes.� (Fisher on what got him back into coaching) �Well I intended on getting back into coaching when I stepped away. I love this game, I love the competitive aspects of this game and I was really looking forward to an opportunity of doing it someplace else and having an opportunity to carry our philosophy forward with a new organization.� (Kroenke on the future of the Rams in St. Louis) �I think this is all out there. The chronology of what occurs with the lease is public knowledge. I don�t think that for me to comment on that process is particularly timely. The city or the authority has within their power, they�re dealing with their side of it and they present a proposal to us by February 1. There�s a team in place that deals with all that, so we�ll see how that process sorts itself out. It�s a thing that takes place over time. As I said earlier, I started in St. Louis, in one year from now, that will be 20 years, so I�ve been around here a long time. Contrary to a lot of reports, I haven�t taken a lot of �jack� out of the market. I think that�s what�s reported. I have put a lot of �jack� into the market.� (Kroenke on if he plans to be here for 20 more years) �We�ll see how that process works out.� (Fisher on if it was hard for him to be out of coaching last year) �No, it wasn�t difficult at all. I honestly got away from the game, initially did some things that I�d been unable to do. The life of a coach, regardless of whether it�s a head coach or assistant, is demanding, and the time is demanding. There were things that I wanted to do, and I did them, but it was not difficult. I was asked to be a consultant at the league office. I declined because I felt I was too young to be a consultant (joking), but I did do some things, assisted with some things as it related to the officiating department and I was honored to stay on as a non-voting member on the competition committee and assist with that and participate in those meetings.� (Fisher on how he managed to stay out of the television business last year) �It was a decision that I made. I didn�t have any interest in doing so because I wanted to separate myself and get away and not have the commitment. There were some S.E.C. ballgames that I wanted to see firsthand, and I got an opportunity to do those.� (Fisher on his title and how the power is designated in the organization) �I�ve accepted the head coaching position here with this organization and we�re working together. This is a collective effort. We�re going to do all of this together.� (Fisher on if he has final say on personnel) �I�m not going to go into who�s got final say. Our philosophy, and mine has been for years, that you have to make decisions together and if you can�t arrive on a decision then move on to the next one.� (Fisher on if he plans to have input on the general manager hiring process) �Kevin and I have talked about that. He�s got a good start already. Again, we got focused on our process now, and now that we�re able to put that behind us, we�ll start on the next.� (Demoff on how soon he�d like to have a general manager in place) �When we started this process two weeks ago, we had two openings. Now we have one opening, and we have a tremendous leader in Jeff Fisher. As we discussed with all the coaching candidates, if we hired a head coach first, we�d sit down with those candidates, identify the qualities we were all looking for in a general manager and start that process together. This is the most important relationship in the building, that between a head coach and a general manager. We�ll make sure we get it right, and we�ll make sure we get it right for our building, for our players, our coaches and our fans.� (Fisher on if he anticipates the Rams hiring another authority figure such as a team president) �I�ll just say this, my efforts right now are to put the best possible coaching staff I can put together as we move forward with this football team. Kevin and I will collectively along with Stan�s approval, work to fill those other areas if need be, so it�s a process that�s probably not going to get done right away. I have over the years found that patience as far as hiring coaches is better than haste. I�ve been able to hire coaches over the years, good coaches, taking my time. There�s no timetable here. What we�ll do together is we�ll keep you informed as we move through the process.� (Fisher on his coaching philosophy) �The philosophy is pretty simple: we want to do whatever it takes to win football games. We�re going to have a disciplined, tough, physical football team that�s going to first and foremost matchup and be able to win games in the division. We�ve got quite a challenge ahead of us to be competitive once again in the division, but it won�t take long. It�s a team that�s going to run the football and protect the quarterback and play good defense and get the ball back.� (Fisher on how he reconciles becoming the head coach of the franchise that beat the Titans in the Super Bowl) �I�m just going to find a way, some way, somehow, to get one more yard I guess.� (Fisher on if he plans to talk to the members of last year�s Rams coaching staff as he puts together his staff) �Yes, that�s part of the process.� (Fisher on if he received any new perspective after watching the game last year while not coaching) �This was a unique year because of the labor issues. I think it would have been different had I stepped out under normal circumstances, but with the labor issues, the whole game changed. We all had our opinions on what was going to happen, but I was able to yes, reflect back on different situations, circumstances. �What would you do different had this come up again?� Yes, it was extremely valuable time for me.� (Fisher on if he was glad that he didn�t have to experience the lockout situation as a head coach) �It would have been a challenge, and I thought the league handled it very well, but it would have been a challenge. When you�re sitting there enjoying your own time trying to determine what would be the best way to put a team together under difficult circumstances, it�s different as compared to sitting at a desk, at the chair making those decisions.� (Fisher on what it was about Stan Kroenke that made him want to come to St. Louis) �It was our visit. We�d met several times before our visit several weeks ago. It�s his philosophy. I think you can see it through the Nuggets. You can see it through the Avalanche. His philosophy is to put a winning product year after year after year out there. That�s obviously very attractive to me. It�s about doing whatever it takes and have a unique interest in everything you do. Even though he�s not here every day, he knows what�s going on on a day-to-day basis and that was very important to me.�

Jeff Fisher news conference scheduled for 1 p.m. today

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:11:37 -0600

Five days after he chose St. Louis over Miami, the big day is finally here for Jeff Fisher and the Rams. He will be formally introduced as the Rams' new head coach with a news conference scheduled for 1 p.m. today.

Fisher Reportedly to Coach Rams

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:18:34 -0600

Fisher Reportedly to Coach Rams According to Adam Schefter of ESPN and Peter King of si.com, Jeff Fisher has decided to coach the Rams. Fisher sat out the 2011 season after coaching the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans for more than 16 seasons. La Canfora on Fisher, video http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center/videos/La-Canfora-on-Fisher/654f49e3-ab74-41d2-8428-ec493d40e570 Moer details to come on 101 ESPN and 101sports.com.

Jack Youngblood Q and A with the HERD

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:54:06 -0600

Thanks for stopping by!! by Headslap85 Hey Jack, as a SO Cal child of the 70s I lived and died with the Rams...that era of Ram football was so great and yet heartbreaking for a young boy growing up.I had images of Staubach and Tarkenton in my nightmares back in that day.I was at the dreaded Mud bowl,I remember us crushing Rodger The Dodger in the regular season and having him turn to the Ram bench and say "see you chokers in Dec" and then just getting beat down 28-0 on our home turf. My Question is what was your most rewarding victory and conversely what was your toughest defeat to swallow? My best memory was Feragamo to Waddy v.s Dallas playoff comeback. Worst was either Paul Krause returning blocked Fg or Hollywood Henderson making a house call at the end of afore mentioned Playoff loss!! Thanks for the memories #85 easily one of my favorite all time Rams who played in an era that defined tough-guy football Jack Youngblood: rewarding may have been the -7 game in Seattle 79 and toughest Dallas 37-7 75 and the mud bowl Minn. 77 =========================================================================== Thank You Mr. Youngblood, quest. about the DEs, by Deadpool First off thank you for taking time to answer a few of our questions. A true football and Rams legend in my opinion. You said you had a desire to be the best to ever put your hand on the ground, I have no doubts that you accomplished that. My question is this: What are your thoughts on Robert Quinn and Chris Long? Has Long reached his ceiling or is there more he can add to his game and is Quinn going to be a terror at DE or what do you think his potential is? Again, thanks for taking the time and I wish you well. Jack Youngblood: Chris is on the up side of the curve in his career... we have much more to see from this talented young man...he can be as good as any def. end in the league ...hopefully he can be coached to the level of his talent...he needs to be taught to play on there side of the ball on all plays... Quinn has the same potential that needs to nurtured...those two can be a compliment to one another...reminds me of Freddy and I... ============================================================================ To My ALL-TIME Favorite Ram, by Ram Fan Teacher Mr. Youngblood I started watching the Rams back in the early 70's while growing up in NW Indiana (Chicago Bears country). My dad was a Bears fan but my older brother was a Cowboys fan (we were very competitive). I especially loved when you would defeat the Cowboys or Vikings. Because of you (and the great teams you played on), I became a Ram's fan. My all-time favorite game was when you defeated the Cowboys in the play-offs the year you went to the Super Bowl. My question to you is: If you were starting a football team, and could pick any 5 Rams and 1 Ram coach in history, who would you pick and why? Jack Youngblood: MERLIN, DEACON, KURT WARNER, DICKERSON/FAULK, NOLAN CROMWELL RAY MALAVASI TO BE THE DC MARTZ THE OC CHUCK AN HC...WE WIN 3 MAYBE 4 RINGS... ============================================================================ Hello Mr. Youngblood and Thank you.... by ramsfanatic I have your new book and thanks for signing it....you are one of my top 2 all-time favorite players (Jack Snow was my fav)...so here is my question...I assume you were good friends with some if not most of the defensive players on the team (Olsen, Dryer come to mind) but what about the offensive side?...Were there any offensive players on the team you had a special bond with? Thanks for being the best and being a member of my favorite team...GO RAMS! Fan since 1973... Jack Youngblood: RICHEY SAUL IS LIKE A BROTHER, DENNY HARRAH IS SPECIAL...NOLAN IS STILL A CLOSE FRIEND...WE HAD SPECIAL BONDS WITH OUR TEAMMATES ============================================================================= The most glorious years in Ram's history... by JamesJM Hi Jack. Many of the questions here have begun by thanking you for visiting us and for your contribution to Ram's history. I must do the same. I've been cheering for the Rams since the late 50's. In the 60's I saw the formation of the "Fearsome Foursome". They were incredible, and since then I have always been more of a 'defensive' guy. Although, the 99' Rams came close to changing me. <smile> When the Fearsome Foursome began to come apart I felt as if I was losing part of myself�. and then� those incredible Ram's defenses of the 70's stepped up� I watched you guys shut down team after team, winning games with defensive, and from my chair in Tranquillity, Ca., watching in black and white� I believed, and still believe, the Rams' defenses were the standard by which all others were judged. So my question: Merlin, Isiah Robertson, Jack Reynolds, Mike Fanning, Fred Dryer, Larry Brooks, Rod Perry, Pat Thomas, Jim Youngblood� Yourself, and others� I'd like to think that you guys formed a bond in those days� and that today you hear from one another and sometimes reminisce. Do you have much contact with the players from those years? And if so� I'd love to hear ANY story you might have about the passion you ALL played with during that time and if the glory of that football age is still alive within you, as it is with me? Thanks, Jack� this is truly a thrill for me, and my wife� who still can't believe we managed to got her "hero" onto this message board. <smile> - JamesJM Jack Youngblood: WE HAVE SPECIAL BONDS WITH OUR GUYS...RICHEY SAUL , PHIL OLSEN, MERLIN,FREDDY, JIM BLOOD, BROOKSY...WE HAVE SO MANY LASTING RELATIONSHIPS... SPECIAL STUFF...DON'T GET ME IN TROUBLE WITH THE GIRLS... ==================================================================== Hi Jack, by Shaky Hi Jack, It was really a pleasure speaking with you on Saturday night. Truly an Honor... I live and breathe football, like so many others here at The Original Herd. There's nothing better than Football on Sunday's. But I miss the way football used to be played. I miss all the old open air stadiums. I miss watching games played in all of the elements. God, I miss watching those mud bowl games so much! Jack, Can you tell us one of your fondest memories of a game you played, either in college or the NFL, where weather was a factor? and; I saw an interview with you telling a reporter about how Bill Parcells played a role in your football career. Can you tell the HERD about this? Thanks...Andy AKA ShakyRam Jack Youngblood: THE MUD BOWL MAY BE THE GREATEST FACTOR IN A FOOTBALL GAME... PARCELLS STORY IS IN THE BOOK...HE DID NOT WANT ME WHEN HE WAS RECRUITING... ============================================================================ Jack Youngblood in the house! by sstrams My all-time favorite Ram! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us.. My question: Your toughness on the field is legendary, even though you consider yourself a nut for doing some of the things you did.. What is your opinion of current players and recent rule changes to protect the players in the NFL? Are the players just as tough as ever, and are the new rules to protect players (such as the latest rule to limit kick off returns to reduce injuries or hitting defenseless receivers etc) actually good for the sport, or handcuffing the players and not allowing them to play football the way it was meant to be played.. Thanks Jack and good luck in all you do! Jack Youngblood: TOUGHNESS IS A FACTOR OF CONDITIONING...THE GAME HAS CHANGED FROM THAT RESPECT...SAFETY IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FACTOR OF THE GAME...SOME OF THE RULE CHANGES HAVE BEEN OVER CORRECTED...FUNDAMENTALS OF THE GAME ARE AN ISSUE IN PROTECTING THE GAME AND THE PLAYERS... ============================================================================ Jack : why did you retire when you did? by Bucky You had something like 9 or ten sacks your last season and still seemed like a lot of work for any opponent. FYI: a lot of the fans on this board aren't only from St Louis. I started rooting for the Rams in 62 when they drafted Roman and Merlin. It seemed like it took quite a few years for them to become a winner but by the time you signed up they were ready to compete every year. Jack Youngblood: THE 34 WAS NOT MY CUP OF TEA AND NOT TO MY ADVANTAGE AS A DEF END...YOU NEVER WANT TO GO BEYOND AND TARNISH WHAT AND HOW YOU PLAYED THE GAME FOR 12 YEARS...TUFF DECISION...ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THE PASSION AND THE ABILITY... ============================================================================== If you were HC of the Rams, what coaching style would we see? by NorCalRamsFan No doubt many people were disappointed with Spagnuolo's coaching style of appearing to "play not to lose" and "coaching scared" - If you were to coach the Rams or any other NFL team, what would your coaching philosophy and coaching style look like on the field, and have you ever considered pursuing a HC position? I know you have worked in the FO for the Rams and for a few CFL teams, but have you ever considered a DL coaching position or similar, or are you basically content and satisfied with being a motivational speaker, mentoring youngsters, doing charity work and enjoying where life has taken you? Thanks. Jack Youngblood: I HAVE OFFERED MY INPUT ESPECIALLY WITH THE D LINE... WITH REJECTION...WE WOULD NOT PLAY NOT TO LOSE...WE WOULD PLAY ON THERE SIDE OF THE BALL WITH BOTH UNITS...AND WIN ON THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE...FUNDAMENTALS AND EXECUTION WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS ============================================================================= A comment and a question by ramsrule Jack, First, let me say how much I appreciate what you brought to the table as a Ram each and every Sunday. The player lining up opposite of you knew they were in for a battle that in all likelihood, they were going to lose. As most of the HERD members here know, you're my all-time favorite Rams player. I have an authentic 2001 road jersey customized as a #85 - Youngblood that I wear proudly (see the picture below), and also own a repli-thentic Youngblood blue and yellow jersey that I've been wearing more often as of late. It ALWAYS gets compliments at whatever game I wear it to from the opponent's fans. You are universally respected by not just Rams fans, but ALL football fans. With that being said, I am interested in obtaining a signed copy of your new book (which currently shows as out of print on your website). Once you've reprinted the book, will you be offering signed copies again? Thanks for spending time with the HERD..... we're greatly appreciative. Troy Jack Youngblood: WE ARE INTO THE SECOND PRINTING, I WILL KEEP SIGNING BOOK AND I APPRECIATE YOU BUYING ONE...CAN I COME TO YOUR BOX NEXT TIME WE ARE IN ST L. =================================================================== Hi Jack, by Hazlet Hacksaw My screen name notwithstanding, you are my favorite pro athlete of all time! I am a long time Rams fan ('67 on) from NY/NJ - my question: I remember reading something Freddy Dryer said: I think he blamed Chuck Knox for all those playoff losses in the 70's saying that Chuck would not let the QB play to win - just do enough not to lose it. What so you think about that? And also where does Larry Brook rank with the great DT's? Thanks Jack Youngblood: BROOKS WAS A GOOD AS ANY OF THE GREAT ONES IN THE 70'S RIGHT UP THERE WITH HIS MENTOR MERLIN, LILY, WHITE, GREENE...AND RUSH THE PASSER LIKE PAGE...BROOKSY NEEDS SHOT AT CANTON... ==================================================================== The RAMS legacy, by stlramz Jack - thanks for taking the time to answer the questions from your many admirers. You have been very vocal about the St. Louis Rams distancing themselves from the great Rams legacy . . . "We are their legacy, but they forgot us," Youngblood told ESPNLosAngeles.com this week. "They don't have anything to do with us, really." What would you like to see the Rams do to embrace the rich history of this great franchise? Jack Youngblood: SIMPLY INCLUSION...THE MODEL FOR ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS,,,ASK KC, SF...AND WHEN YOU OFFER YOUR HELP AND ARE IGNORED...????????? ================================================================= Welcome HOF #85, by Guard As a Rams fan since 1969, you are one of the Greatest Rams players of all time and am most grateful that you would take the time to visit with us. You really do embody what Ram Tough is all about. My question for you... thinking back over your career as a Ram, can you relate one of the more humorous instances about you or your teammates during your playing time? If nothing comes to mind, how about what player in the locker room always made it fun to be around? Thanks again for your time, and thanks for the great memories. Guard Jack Youngblood: FREDDY AND I WOULD BE GOING SO FAST WHEN WE WOULD MISS THE QB AND COLLIDE... FREDDY WOULD YELL AT ME TO HONK MY HORN SO WE WOULD NOT KILL EACH OTHER...TOOOOOOOO FUNNY... ==================================================================== frustrated with the offense? , by joram Hi Jack Thank you for this opportunity. As a long time ram fan I often wondered if you or your defensive teammates ever expressed your frustration with the offense especially the QBs? Oh and by the way I enjoyed reading your latest book even more than "Blood" Jack Youngblood: QB IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PLAYER YOU HAVE TO ESTABLISH, WE NEVER ESTABLISHED THAT POSITION...BUT HONESTLY THE QB WAS NOT THE PROBLEM...SPECIAL TEAMS KILLED US TIME AND TIME AGAIN... ============================================================================== Thanks Jack and my question, by Ram23 Thanks for visiting The Original HERD Jack, we appreciate your consideration and effort, you're extreme popularity with young and old RAMS fans alike must be very self satisfying to you. Question: Do you think there is any chance the new owner and organization would consider returning to the unis of the past with either the old Blue and Whites or the SB Blue and Yellow colors along with putting back those wider and more bolder HORNS on the helmets, IMO that would at least help start this team in a new direction and journey of recovering some lost traditions? Thanks again Jack, you Da Man! Jack Youngblood: PERSONALLY I PREFERRED THE 71 72 COLORS...THE TRADITIONS THAT NEED TO BE CORRECTED IS THE HEWITTS, ANDRESONS AND OSWALDS OF THE ORGANIZATION...GUYS THAT HAVE MADE THERE LIFE WITH OUR TEAM SUMMARILY DISMISSED FOR THE WHIM OF SOME NEW HEAD COACH. THOSE CORRECTION AND CONNECTION TO THE ORGANIZATION SHOULD BE CORRECTED!!!!!!!!!!!