Andrew Whitworth: I want to 'finish what I signed up to do' https://t.co/PYolm6ClqD

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) June 13, 2019

"We didn't tackle today, but we made up for it by not blocking." – John McKay pic.twitter.com/hZ7nhhEEx3

— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) June 12, 2019

InvaderRam wrote:

someone tell me who the fuck is brett kollmann?

According to twitter, he is the Draft and Film analyst for SB Nation’s Battle Red Blog. The “Battle Red Blog” is a Texans site, which doesn’t explain his opinion of Rams v. 9ers.

Fwiw, he also makes youtube vids. Tons of em, apparently. This is him:

Let's go position by position in SF vs LAR, shall we?

HC: push
QB: push
OL: LAR
RB: SF (Gurley's health a big concern)
TE: SF
WR: LAR

DL: SF
LB: SF
CB: LAR
S: LAR

So in total that's 4 for LAR, 4 for SF, and 2 pushes. Sounds like an even fight for the division to me…

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) June 12, 2019

Todd Gurley did not participate in the Rams' offseason program or one-day minicamp, but he's expected to return to football activities in training camp. pic.twitter.com/D7P0Sp0b18

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) June 12, 2019

The league is 9-32 in playoff history when throwing 50+ pass attempts:

Tom Brady is 6-2

The rest of the league is 3-30

A big reason why is the philosophy of Scarnecchia. He gets his line engaged to physically wear out the pass rush when the game plan dictates a ton of passing.

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 12, 2019

#Rams Jared Goff had a breakout season in his 3rd year that resulted in making a run to the Super Bowl

He looks to further improve in his 4th year, and bring a championship to Los Angeles in 2019 pic.twitter.com/PZ8OBMnBYE

— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) June 12, 2019

Conservative groups spend up to $1bn a year to fight action on climate change

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/20/conservative-groups-1bn-against-climate-change

Conservative groups may have spent up to $1bn a year on the effort to deny science and oppose action on climate change, according to the first extensive study into the anatomy of the anti-climate effort.

The anti-climate effort has been largely underwritten by conservative billionaires, often working through secretive funding networks. They have displaced corporations as the prime supporters of 91 think tanks, advocacy groups and industry associations which have worked to block action on climate change. Such financial support has hardened conservative opposition to climate policy, ultimately dooming any chances of action from Congress to cut greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, the study found.

“I call it the climate-change counter movement,” said the author of the study, Drexel University sociologist Robert Brulle. “It is not just a couple of rogue individuals doing this. This is a large-scale political effort.”

Brulle’s study, published on Friday in the journal Climatic Change, offers the most definitive exposure to date of the political and financial forces blocking American action on climate change. Still, there are big gaps.

It was not always possible to separate funds designated strictly for climate-change work from overall budgets, Brulle said. “Since the majority of the organizations are multiple focus organizations, not all of this income was devoted to climate change activities.”

Some of the think tanks on Brulle’s list – such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) – said they had no institutional position on climate change and did not control the output of their scholars. In addition, Brulle acknowledged that he was unable to uncover the full extent of funding sources to the effort to oppose action on climate change. About three-quarters of the funds were routed through trusts or other mechanisms that assure anonymity to donors – a trend Brulle described as disturbing and a threat to democracy.

“This is how wealthy individuals or corporations translate their economic power into political and cultural power,” he said. “They have their profits and they hire people to write books that say climate change is not real. They hire people to go on TV and say climate change is not real. It ends up that people without economic power don’t have the same size voice as the people who have economic power, and so it ends up distorting democracy.

“That is the bottom line here. These are unaccountable organisations deciding what our politics should be. They put their thumbs on the scale … It is more one dollar one vote than one person one vote.”

Top-tier conservative think tanks

The vast majority of the 91 groups on Brulle’s list – 79% – were registered as charitable organisations and enjoyed considerable tax breaks. Those 91 groups included trade organisations, think tanks and campaign groups. The groups collectively received more than $7bn over the eight years of Brulle’s study – or about $900m a year from 2003 to 2010. Conservative think tanks and advocacy groups occupied the core of that effort.

The funding was dispersed to top-tier conservative think tanks in Washington, such as the AEI and Heritage Foundation, which focus on a range of issues, as well as more obscure organisations such as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation and the John Locke Foundation.

Funding also went to groups that took on climate change denial as a core mission – such as the Heartland Institute, which held regular conclaves dedicated to undermining the United Nations climate panel’s reports, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which tried and failed to prosecute a climate scientist, Michael Mann, for academic fraud.

AEI was by far the top recipient of such funds, receiving 16% of total funding over the eight years, or $86.7m. Heartland Institute, in contrast, received just 3% of the total, $16.7m. There was also generous support to Americans for Prosperity, the advocacy group affiliated with the conservative Koch billionaires, which received $22.7m.

‘It won’t be going to liberals’

Brulle admits, however, that he was far less successful in uncovering the sources of funding for the counter-climate movement. About 75% of such funding sources remain shrouded in secrecy, with wealthy conservatives routing their donations through a system of trusts which guarantee anonymity.

The leading venue for those underground donations was the Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, which alone accounted for 25% of funding of the groups opposed to climate action. An investigation by the Guardian last February found that the Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund had distributed nearly $120m to more than 100 anti-climate groups from 2002-2010. The Donors group has now displaced such previous prominent supporters of the climate denial movement as the Koch-affiliated foundations and corporations like Exxon Mobil, Brulle said.

Other conservative foundations funding climate denial efforts include: the Searle Freedom Trust, the John William Pope Foundation, the Howard Charitable Foundation and the Sarah Scaife Foundation, which also promote a free-market approach on other issues.

A number of the groups on Brulle’s list – both as funders and recipients – refused to comment on his findings or disputed his contention that they were part of a movement to block action on climate change.

Whitney Ball, the president of the Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, said the organisation had no say in deciding which projects would receive funding. However, Ball told the Guardian last February that Donors offered funders the assurance their money would never go to Greenpeace. “It won’t be going to liberals,” she said at that time.

“We do not otherwise drive the selection of grantees, nor do we conduct in-depth analyses of projects or grantees unless an account holder specifically requests that service,” Ball said in an email. “Neither Donors Trust nor Donors Capital Fund as institutions take positions with respect to any issue advocated by its grantees.”

Recipients of the funds also disputed the assertion they were part of a larger effort to undermine climate science or block action on climate change.

“Each of the scholars that work on any particular issue speaks for his or hers own work,” said Judy Mayka Stecker, director of media relations at AEI, in an email. She went on to write, however, that most of the AEI scholars who have worked on energy and climate change have moved on and would be unavailable to comment.

David Kreutzer, an energy and climate change fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said Brulle was unfairly conflating climate denial with opposition to policies that would require industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We do believe that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that man-made emissions will lead to some warming,” said David Kreutzer, an energy and climate-change fellow at the Heritage Foundation. “We are opposed to mandatory greenhouse gas emissions cuts.”

He said many conservatives saw a carbon tax, cap-and-trade and other climate policies as a government takeover by stealth.

“What we are not interested in doing is a huge shift of power to the government under the guise of preventing some climate problem,” he said.

The Hoover Institution, which received about $45m, claimed to produce no work on climate change – while displaying on its website an article by a Hoover research fellow on an August 2013 Hoover poll on economic, energy and environmental issues.

“Hoover has no institutional initiatives on climate change,” a spokeswoman, Eryn Witcher, wrote in an email. “Individual Hoover fellows research and write on a wide variety of topics of their own choosing, but we’re not aware of any who are working in that field at this time, nor are we aware of any gifts or grants that have been received for that purpose.”

In the article, the Hoover fellow, Jeremy Carl, who works extensively on energy and climate issues, discussed climate change and fracking, concluding: “Many Democrats and liberals are in denial when it comes to reality on energy and climate policy, endorsing both science and political fiction.”

Ryan Kartje@Ryan_Kartje
Todd Gurley was asked how the expectations surrounding his injury at Georgia compared to his current recovery. “I had bigger problems to worry about coming out of college,” Gurley said. “This is small.”

==

#Rams mini camp is here & I got to talk to 3rd round draft pick, running back Darrell Henderson! Keep your eye on # 27 because this guy is going to be special, especially with this mindset! He averaged 8.9 yards per carry his final year at Memphis😳 #NFL #RamsNation @DarrellH8 pic.twitter.com/8LKPsN9UHB

— Brooke Kromer (@BrookeKromer) June 11, 2019

==

“This is a very humbling game. You think sometimes you have all the answers, but you got to earn it every single day.”

Catch up with Coach McVay as he heads into year 3️⃣ with the #LARams! pic.twitter.com/9TxJ2tffiq

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 12, 2019

10 Observations from Rams minicamp

Myles Simmons

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-rams-minicamp

The Rams held their one and only minicamp practice on Tuesday, completing the 2019 offseason program. Here are 10 observations from the session.

1) Less of an observation, more of a programming note — head coach Sean McVay announced that he decided to hold only one mandatory minicamp practice on Tuesday. It was a shortened, lighter session — particularly for the starters. In his press conference, McVay said he felt the Rams had gotten good work and good attendance throughout the offseason program, which was why there wasn’t necessarily a need for more practices later this week.

2) Defensive tackle Aaron Donald was not at practice, but McVay said the Rams and the star defender had worked that out beforehand. The head coach noted it was “a special exception,” but there was no problem with Donald going back to Pittsburgh for a family situation after the two-time defending AP Defensive Player of the Year took care of all necessarily team obligations on Monday.

3) It was hotter than it had been over the course of the offseason program in Thousand Oaks, with temperatures approaching the mid-90s for the midday practice. The Rams compensated for that by mixing in a few more water breaks throughout the time the club was on the field.

4) Before the session began, quarterbacks and centers were working on their snaps toward the far side of the field. Second-year offensive lineman Jamil Demby was among the snappers. As a sixth-round pick, last year Demby was more cross-trained as a guard and tackle. But as run game coordinator/offensive line coach Aaron Kromer noted on Tuesday, Demby has been taking snaps at all five positions during this offseason program, increasing his versatility.

5) Special teams got both kickoff and punt work during the first period of practice. Punter Johnny Hekker again looked like his leg was as strong as ever, booming a few kicks down the field.

6) Accentuating the nature of Tuesday’s session, L.A. held a 30-minute jog-through period for the first-team offense and defense on one field. The ball moved to different places on the field to work on different situations, but the tempo was not full speed. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was involved on the offense, lining up at different spots to get in some routes.

7) On the other field, reserves went through individual drills for about the first 15 minutes of the period before transitioning into 11-on-11 work for the rest of the session.

8) Running back Darrell Henderson had the first play of those 11-on-11 drills, taking a screen down the sideline, avoiding the path of defenders with his shiftiness. Sure, the Rams don’t have pads on. But that is the kind of play that makes you feel like he can translate that ability to make people miss he displayed at Memphis to the highest level.

9) Wide receiver Mike Thomas made a nice reception from quarterback Brandon Allen. The signal-caller was rolling to his right after being flushed from the pocket, threw a short-to-intermediate pass to Thomas, who leaned out and got the ball in his hands before crossing the right sideline.

10) Finally, defensive back Dont’e Deayon made a couple impressive plays toward the end of practice. The first was an interception on the defense’s left — Deayon cut off a comeback route and took it all the way back for a touchdown, with basically the entire defensive sideline following him to pay dirt. A few plays later, Deayon leapt up and swatted a pass down the defense’s right seam. It was a strong period for him to end the offseason program.

#LARams LIVE: Todd Gurley Minicamp Press Conference https://t.co/IT1ejhwVmv

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 11, 2019

Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
Coach McVay announces today’s practice is the Rams last practice of the offseason. Says he’s pleased where the team is at. Next practice is July 26 in Irvine.

Sean McVay says Jared Goff is “stuck with him” for the long term.

On Todd Gurley, McVay says the Rams continue to follow their offseason plan for the RB. He was not on the field during OTAs and minicamp, but was in facility working. Says Gurley can be expected to be on field in Irvine. “I know he feels good, he looks good.”

McVay said DL Aaron Donald was an excused absence during minicamp. Was back in Pittsburgh this week

J.B. Long@JB_Long
As long as I’m fortunate enough to be in this role… hopefully, he’s stuck with me for a long time.

-Sean McVay on Jared Goff’s future with the #LARams

Three storylines to watch with Rams set for mandatory minicamp

Clarence Dennis

https://www.therams.com/news/three-storylines-to-watch-with-rams-set-for-mandatory-minicamp

1. What’s the latest from Todd Gurley

The football world will hear from running back Todd Gurley when minicamp hits, as the back is scheduled for media availability following Tuesday’s practice.

It remains to be seen how much action Gurley will see on the practice field this week, but the league’s leader in touchdowns a season ago will certainly be in the building for sessions with the Rams strength and conditioning staff and meetings — much like he’s been for the offseason’s voluntary portion.

Head coach Sean McVay said late last month that his staff has a specialized plan for getting Gurley ready to roll for 2019, taking into account the heavy workload No. 30 carried in 2018’s march to Super Bowl LIII.

“[T]hat was really what we felt like, when we sat down at the end of the year, and [developed] a plan that’s best suited for Todd getting ready for the Carolina Panthers — but then also taking into consideration being ready to go when training camp rolls around,” McVay said.

“And I think some of that also had to do with us just playing a lot longer than we had in previous years. So, really, sitting down with [head trainer] Reggie [Scott], sitting down — most importantly — with Todd and talking through those things, that was a plan that we kind of laid out a while back. And that’s what’s been followed so far.”

2. A new-look defense

The Los Angeles Rams defense will look a bit different than it did featuring now-Buccaneer DT Ndamukong Suh, safety LaMarcus Joyner, and linebacker Mark Barron to close 2018.

Going forward, coordinator Wade Phillips’ defense will roll out big-name veterans in safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Clay Matthews. It could also welcome up-and-coming young players to a starting roles, like linebacker Micah Kiser and sophomore defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, who have each received reps with the top defensive unit depending on the package.

This week’s minicamp should provide some clarity as to which personnel will be called upon given the situation. In OTAs’ 11-on-11 drilling so far, it’s been mostly Joseph-Day lining up at the nose spot in Phillips’ base 3-4 defense — despite general manager Les Snead and McVay’s comments about sticking rookie defensive tackle Greg Gaines at nose following the draft.

In the middle of the defense, all indications point Kiser slotting into Barron’s vacated space, while Matthews has been working off the edge. As for Weddle, the veteran has been frequently working in and out of the dime linebacker spot — an offseason addition that safety John Johnson’s encouraged about moving forward.

“He puts everyone at ease and it’s funny because I used to say that’s what I try to do, so it’s kind of like two guys are back there working together to just make everybody comfortable, everyone play faster, and work together even better,” Johnson said last week. “It’s great having him with us, I’m glad. It’s a big difference from last year — no knock on last year’s crew — but we definitely took a step forward.”

3. How much to expect from Kupp

The Rams lost an offensive spark when wide receiver Cooper Kupp went down with a torn ACL in Week 10 of last season. Now past the six-month point in recovery, Kupp has been working with head athletic trainer Reggie Scott on-field throughout OTAs.

“He’s really doing an excellent job staying right on track, making good progress, and we want it this way, where we’ve got to pull him back because he’s so excited to get back out there,” McVay said last week.

The head coach also mentioned that the minicamp period should look like an extension of OTAs ahead of year three leading the Rams. If that is the case, expect Kupp to continue his individual attention on rehab, while steadily increasing the number of ‘jog-thru’ routes he runs as a member of Goff’s 11.