The St. Louis Rams have had a pretty extensive history, spanning as far back as 1936 when they were first established and started playing in the AFL. The Rams currently play their home games in the Edward Jones Dome located in St. Louis Missouri and have been playing there since 1995; after a short time playing at the Busch Memorial Stadium. They train at the Russell Athletic Training Center in Earth City, Missouri, where they also have their headquarters. They currently play in the NFC West. The team colors are Millennium Blue, New Century Gold, and White, and their mascot is Rampage, a large ram with huge muscles and a wears a Rams jersey. The Rams are the only team in the NFL to win championships in three different cities; as they played in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and currently in St. Louis.
Rams Brief Team History
The Rams were first established in Cleveland, Ohio in 1936, where they became known as the Cleveland Rams. They started playing for the AFL, but later on that same year they joined the NFL. They continued to play in Cleveland until 1945, where the then owner Dan Reeves urged the NFL to allow them to relocate to Los Angeles. There the Los Angeles Rams continued to play for more than 50 years, from 1946 until 1994. They had several successful seasons, as well as several that left their fans disappointed. From there they relocated once again to St. Louis, Missouri, where they finally settled down.
The now St. Louis Rams, starting again in a different city, started out poorly, but they quickly gained a great team, along with the fame a fortune that come with winning. The Rams had several amazing season from 1999 until 2005, where head coach Mike Martz led the Rams to a Super Bowl win in 1999, along with QB Kurt Warner and a long list of other amazing players. When Martz retired, and several other key players left the team, the Rams were left trying to rebuild the great team they once had. During the 2012 season, we can already see the Rams improving.
Notable Rams Figures
The Rams have played for three different cities, and have had a very long franchise career, so it is obvious that some of their players and coaches have influenced the great successes that the Rams have obtained.
Past Rams Figures
“Fearsome Foursome” was a title given to the Rams when Rosey Grier, Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen, and Deacon Jones and were the Rams starting defensive line at the time. They got this title thanks to their incredible defensive skills, which brought about a huge surge in fans. This gave the Rams a huge boost, getting them winning seasons and showing the fans what a good defense was capable of.
Mike Martz was the Rams head coach from 1999 until 2005. He helped Dick Vermeil when the Rams won the 1999 Super Bowl. It was during his coaching time that the Rams and the way they played were regarded to as “The Greatest Show on Turf”, bringing his record with the Rams to 56 – 36. With his expertise in offensive coordination, he was responsible for creating an attack oriented strategy for the Rams.
“The Greatest Show on Turf” was a combination of excellent players the Rams had, including QB Kurt Warner, RB Marshall Faulk, and WR’s Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. They had amazing synchronicity when playing on the field every week. Being able to pass consistently, rush the ball with ease, and be able to outmatch the opponent’s defense. This could be regarded as the best offense from 1999 until 2001.
Present Rams Figures
Steven Jackson is a very impressive Running Back and has been playing with the Rams since 2004, where other than his rookie year, has been able to rush for over 1,000 yards each season. Not only is he able to run the ball effectively, but he is also a great help when no receivers are open or for short passes.
Wide Receivers Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson are a crucial part of the offensive line. There two receivers have a great ability to not only catch the ball, but create opportunities for their quarterback to pass to them. They consistently achieve great yardage, and are even able to score with great ease. The 2012 NFL season would be the season that they show most of their skill, as they have not played as much in the past.
Middle Line Backer James Laurinaitis and Corner Back Cortland Finnegan are two great advocates for an efficient defensive line for the Rams. Laurinaitis does very well in the middle, stopping the rushing plays and even getting a few sacks in at the same time. Finnegan does a great job at covering the pass and tackling any receivers; he also is reading the offense much better and getting more interceptions than before.
The Rams certainly have the potential and the players to accomplish great things, just like in the past. All they need is to have better synchronicity between the offensive line and keep improving the defensive line.
Present Team Personnel
The current owner of the St. Louis Rams is Stan Kroenke, a very diverse businessman that certainly knows a good investment when he sees one. The current head coach of the Rams is Jeff Fisher, and started with the team in 2012. He was hired to start revamping and getting the Rams back into the same shape they were during the Martz era. He has been working mostly with the offense, trying to get them to work better as a team, since the defense seems to be doing pretty well. The Rams may just get back into great shape.
