Lame duck year

This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 4 months ago by zn.

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January 10, 2015 at 3:01 pm #16133

rfl
Participant

I don’t have anything to say about the Ram relocation issue. I don’t live in either town and follow from afar. And other folks are exploring the matter in depth on the other thread.

For me, what matters is the team playing competitive games. And looked at from that angle, next year could be a real disaster.

The string of losing seasons has ALREADY eroded the fan base. I don’t mean to critique StL fans, who have hung in there pretty well. But, the Dome has become known as a destination for fans who want to see their team out of town. I believe I have seen reports that indicates eroding support atmosphere at the Dome.

Well, imagine next year. After ANOTHER bad year AND Kroenke making his play, what will the StL fan attitude be? Not for loyalists on a message board, but the average fan? I cannot imagine that there won’t be a steep drop off in support next year for a team that, fans will assume, is half way out the door.

(Note: from this perspective, it doesn’t matter whether the team actually IS half out the door. Fans will assume that it is until and unless a decisive event changes things.)

How will this affect the team and its performance? This is tricky. Sports history has examples of teams circling the wagon, adopting an “us-against-the-world” attitude and thriving against the odds.

But this team? It has yet to learn how to play competitively. Will it lean in this context of uncertainty?

Then there’s the issue of FAs. Will the uncertainty of the location, added to the uncertainty of the QB and coaching situation (Fisher does not get a free pass next year) scare FAs off? Will the prospect of relocation to glamorous So Cal enhance Snead’s ability to attract FAs?

This is essentially a lame duck year. That’s rarely a position of strength in any field of endeavor. I can’t help but imagine that next year will AGAIN be a lost year as a team in transition fails to take that difficult step up into competitiveness.

Ugly.

By virtue of the absurd ...

January 10, 2015 at 3:04 pm #16134

wv
Participant

So you are saying they will be
8 and 8 next year. Aren’t ya.
Thats what yer say’in.

Well…its all about
YEAR FIVE then isnt it 🙂

w
v

January 10, 2015 at 3:09 pm #16135

rfl
Participant

LOL!

8-8 would be a freaking IMPROVEMENT! We haven’t had a non-losing situation in over a decade.

I don’t see an improvement coming.

Also, it won’t be Year 5. Whatever happens, if Fisher loses 9 or more in Year 4, it will be Year 1 of the next guy. Fisher can’t survive another bad year with an expired contract.

By virtue of the absurd ...

January 10, 2015 at 3:11 pm #16136

PA Ram
Participant

If they are going to do it.

If Stan has made up his mind and that’s that, I’d rather they just packed the buses and played at the Rose Bowl for a couple of years.

There is no point in putting the fans of St. Louis through a false hope, lame duck year. It’s not good for the fans, the players, the organization, the league, anyone.

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. " Philip K. Dick

January 10, 2015 at 3:11 pm #16137

wv
Participant

rfl wrote:

LOL!

8-8 would be a freaking IMPROVEMENT! We haven’t had a non-losing situation in over a decade.

I don’t see an improvement coming.

Also, it won’t be Year 5. Whatever happens, if Fisher loses 9 or more in Year 4, it will be Year 1 of the next guy. Fisher can’t survive another bad year with an expired contract.

Well if they move to Hollywood
and Fire Fisher they’ll have to hire
a Glamorous and Smooth coach.

Maybe Pat Riley.

w
v

January 10, 2015 at 3:48 pm #16146

rfl
Participant

PA Ram wrote:

If they are going to do it.

If Stan has made up his mind and that’s that, I’d rather they just packed the buses and played at the Rose Bowl for a couple of years.

There is no point in putting the fans of St. Louis through a false hope, lame duck year. It’s not good for the fans, the players, the organization, the league, anyone.

I figure that’s what StL fans will think. And, they’ll be as resentful as hell.

It’s gonna be a bad year next year around the Ed.

They really should just go and play in the Rose Bowl or Colosseum.

By virtue of the absurd ...

January 10, 2015 at 3:51 pm #16147

rfl
Participant

By the way, I am wondering how much precedent there has been for a team playing a last season with fans KNOWING it would end.

I think the Browns made a deal wo CLE fans knew the name and team would be back.

The Colts snuck out at night.

I don’t remember whether the Rams played games in LA with the issue decided. The Raiders?

I just figure it would be disastrous, especially with a bad team.

By virtue of the absurd ...

January 10, 2015 at 5:08 pm #16158

bnw
Blocked

rfl wrote:

By the way, I am wondering how much precedent there has been for a team playing a last season with fans KNOWING it would end.

I think the Browns made a deal wo CLE fans knew the name and team would be back.

The Colts snuck out at night.

I don’t remember whether the Rams played games in LA with the issue decided. The Raiders?

I just figure it would be disastrous, especially with a bad team.

Already lived through it with Bidwill. It was ugly. Overshadowed everything on the season. Players couldn’t get away from the issue during interviews and the front office types were AWOL when not repeating the company line about lack of fan support necessitating the move.

The upside to being a Rams fan is heartbreak.

Sprinkles are for winners.

January 10, 2015 at 5:36 pm #16170

Agamemnon
Moderator

Bradford is healthy. STL wins another Superbowl. 😉

Agamemnon

January 10, 2015 at 5:41 pm #16173

wv
Participant

Agamemnon wrote:

Bradford is healthy. STL wins another Superbowl.

O, now ‘that’ would be
funny.

Especially if they played the
NFC championship game in St.Louis
and no-one showed up.

w
v

January 10, 2015 at 5:57 pm #16182

21Dog
Participant

rfl wrote:

By the way, I am wondering how much precedent there has been for a team playing a last season with fans KNOWING it would end.

I think the Browns made a deal wo CLE fans knew the name and team would be back.

The Colts snuck out at night.

I don’t remember whether the Rams played games in LA with the issue decided. The Raiders?

I just figure it would be disastrous, especially with a bad team.

The issue wasn’t decided officially but the writing was on the wall.

Or should I say……..the fix was in thanks to Georgia and Shaw.

January 10, 2015 at 6:00 pm #16184

Agamemnon
Moderator

It is a conspiracy. I blame, grits.

Agamemnon

January 10, 2015 at 8:49 pm #16188

zn
Moderator

rfl wrote:

But this team? It has yet to learn how to play competitively.

Explore. Explain. Develop.

That is, you use that word “competitively” a lot, and I think you and I mean different things by it. Or there are nuance-level differences. But that’s neither here nor there, that I might differ in how I use it…it just leads me to ask what you mean by it.

I am not debating or disagreeing. Just expressing basic curiosity.

Others can chime in too…what do people mean when they say a team knows how to play competitively? What does that look like, what does it consist of?
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