No hot seat for Fisher, Snead

Hochman: No hot seat for Fisher, Snead

By Benjamin Hochman

Benjamin Hochman, a St. Louis native and graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, has been hired as a sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hochman returns home from Denver, where he held the same position for The Denver Post.

In the past six years, Hochman, 35, has received six national honors from the Associated Press Sports Editors, the “APSEs,” considered the Oscars of sportswriting. Hochman covered the Denver Nuggets prior to his promotion as full-time sports columnist, and in his first full year on the job, 2014, he placed fifth-best in the country.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/benjamin-hochman/hochman-no-hot-seat-for-fisher-snead/article_f6c27754-a2c6-5e3f-85d2-e82717ec534e.html

They asked me to write my thoughts about the Rams coach and GM — if the team doesn’t make the playoffs, should they be fired? – and to be honest, my first thought was: Does it even matter?

I am disheartened. From the important people I’ve talked to privately, it sounds very possible that the Rams are playing their last season in St. Louis. In a way, this is an assignment for my columnist counterparts in Los Angeles.

I remain steadfast — St. Louis is an NFL market. Shoot, Albuquerque is an NFL market — we’re talking about the NFL, the most popular thing in popular history. Any city that has either a good team or a sparkling new stadium (let alone both) could pull off the NFL. Though commish Roger Goodell is infuriatingly flawed, I believe he will see that St. Louis gets a team in the coming years, be it by expansion or via Jacksonville or Oakland.

Now, some St. Louisans disagree with me on the stadium issue. But I feel we need that thing — for our psyche and to make downtown a destination. It’s easy to say that the stadium didn’t work the last time — it had a historically abysmal leasing agreement and, as Joe Strauss recently wrote, it was “obsolete when it opened.” But just because the stadium didn’t work, and didn’t revitalize downtown, does that mean St. Louis should never try it again? If you and your spouse get divorced, does that mean you’re just not cut out for ever having another spouse?

I’ve written to you all before that my previous home was Denver. This isn’t apples-and-apples (well maybe it is, but more Washington to Granny Smith), but a publicly funded baseball stadium downtown changed the culture, attitude, fortitude and financial stability of that one-time “cow town.” In 1990, downtown Denver was a lot like downtown St. Louis. In 2015, Denver is one of America’s fastest growing cities, a modern metropolis that makes St. Louis look like the Edwards Jones Dome of cities.

OK, with that off my chest, let’s talk some football because:

1. Many of you are invested emotionally in the Rams.

2. Who knows, maybe something bonkers will happen and the Rams will stay, so let’s analyze the leadership.

I think it’s simple for anyone to say — if they don’t make the playoffs, why keep coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead? Playoffs are the goal, and the Rams haven’t played in the postseason since the Coolidge administration. But here’s the reality – as long as St. Louis wins six or more games, I say stay the course with St. Louis’ best facial hair and head of hair. I know, I know, you’re thinking:

1. If they don’t make the playoffs, something’s got to change, right?

2. Snead’s hair is stylish, but it’s no Joe Mama Mason.

The previous seasons have been infuriating, but the reality is, the 2014 team (6-10) lost two games by three points and another two by six. And one of its wins, against Denver, was so impactful, it forced the Broncos coaches to actually change the way they approached the offense with Peyton Manning at quarterback. I think the 2015 Rams can get to eight or nine wins, but again, the question posed, and a fair one at that, is what if St. Louis misses the playoffs?

I just truly think an NFL team is only as good as its quarterback, and the Rams have not had a quarterback. Now, they do (or might?). Yes, it’s possible a couple of these young offensive linemen will be matadors. But Fisher and Snead should be judged on how they do with Nicholas Edward Foles — not how well or not they survived with Sam Bradford backups.

And the Rams execs were told to build for the splash that will be the 2016 season. St. Louis, as such, drafted Todd Gurley, knowing that the galloping Georgian probably wouldn’t be available until October 2015. If they were drafting for their jobs, Snead and Fisher would’ve nabbed a safe starter, not a potential game-changer who won’t play in the first four to six games.

And of course, Fisher has something on his résumé that other NFL coaches just don’t have — Fisher coached a team that relocated. So not only is he a likable, veteran coach, but he’s done this before — he’s seen a move through. Hard to get rid of a guy like that if he, say, just wins six or seven games.

And really, it comes down to this, in regard to possibly firing the coach and GM — it’s my understanding they have no intention to do so.

And so, we’re about to enter the weirdest season in Rams history. This essentially irrelevant season is disheartening just to think about.

And with our luck, this is finally the season the Rams are good.

Could you imagine if the Los Angeles Rams went to the Super Bowl next season?