Last dance at the Dome with Rams 'Legends' game

Last dance at the Dome with Rams 'Legends' game
By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

[www.stltoday.com]


Mike Martz said there was a certain scent, a smell to the stadium. Nothing bad, mind you, but Martz always knew when he walked into the dome.

He remembers the buzz of anticipation when the fans started filing in and the Rams went through warmups.

“And the place was always full,” Martz said. “I think the biggest thing, the fans just wanted the team to be competitive. ... For a time there it was the loudest stadium in the league, wasn’t it?”

It was. What’s now called the Dome at America’s Center won’t even be close to full Saturday. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 8,000 tickets had been sold for the Legends of the Dome game, and its 2 p.m. kickoff. A sizeable walk-up crowd is expected, and organizers for the charity flag football game are hoping for 15,000.

That’s a far cry from the 65,000, 66,000 who used to pack the place back in the day. But those who do attend Saturday will have a chance to say thank you, to say goodbye, and to mingle with more than three dozen former Rams players and coaches.

Owner Stan Kroenke and the Rams’ front office never said thank you, much less goodbye, on their way to greener pastures in Los Angeles. So Saturday’s event, the brainchild of wide receiver Isaac Bruce, will serve as one last curtain call.

“It’ll give us a chance to properly close down the dome, where we had so many great memories,” left tackle Orlando Pace said. “And say goodbye to some fans that really supported us. Isaac did a great job of planning, he and his foundation. I’m just excited to be a part of it and to see the guys and share in this last moment.”

Proceeds of the event will benefit the Isaac Bruce Foundation, which remains active in the St. Louis area. The foundation focuses on health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and education of youth. It awards college scholarships, provides transportation to college for those in need, and in partnership with Ready Readers provides books for pre-schoolers.

It’s not cheap to open the dome for business, and Bruce put himself and the financial viability of the foundation out there to host the event, with expenses well over six figures.

For most of the coaches and players, it’s probably their last time in the dome. For some, it might be their last time in St. Louis, period.

“Yeah, I would believe that,” Dick Vermeil said. “It could be the last time. You know what? I know they’ll share a great experience, and they’ll have a lot of great memories.

“I think the real, true Rams fans — NFL football fans — will enjoy meeting the guys at the one-on-one sessions on Saturday and that kind of thing. And at the same time, I think we’ll raise money for Isaac’s foundation which does so much good. It’s nice of Isaac to put it together.”

Those who purchased $100 premium tickets will have an opportunity to mingle with the players on the field from 11 a.m. till noon. Only 1,000 of those tickets were available, and they went quickly — within two hours of availability.

Gates open at 12:30 p.m. for those purchasing $15 and $20 general admission tickets, but those spectators will also have a chance to meet and mingle with players on the stadium concourse from 12:30 to 1:30.

Pace will be honored at halftime for his pending Hall of Fame induction.

The game will feature four quarters with a 20-minute running clock. The format is nine-on-nine, with no blitzing and only a three-man rush allowed. The players will wear reversible jerseys, so look for some “trades” throughout the game.

Martz, for one, would like to see Bruce, Holt, Ricky Proehl, and Az-Zahir Hakim — the wide receiver mainstays of the Greatest Show on Turf — all line up at least one more time together for old time’s sake.

Ever the offensive strategist, Martz asked tournament organizers if there were any limitations on the kind of formations he could use. That got Holt, Bruce and Dane Looker wondering if they should get back in their playbooks.

“It’s so ingrained in my head,” said quarterback Marc Bulger, who estimated he still knows 70 percent of the book.

As much as he would like to call plays Saturday, Martz said, “My understanding is I don’t really do anything. But I don’t know. If they ask me, absolutely. When in doubt, go deep.”

Martz’s daughter Emily and son David still live in St. Louis. Even so, he’s leaving a family reunion of sorts this weekend in Idaho — he splits time between there and San Diego — to make the Legends game.

Vermeil has a distant relative from France staying at his ranch outside Philadelphia but is breaking away for Saturday’s event. Holt had to finesse his way around a European trip.

But not everyone will make it. Various commitments prevented running back Marshall Faulk and linebacker London Fletcher from making the game. Running back Steven Jackson, defensive end Chris Long and linebacker James Laurinaitis were invited but couldn’t attend.

But there will be plenty of past mainstays on hand, including Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams, and the “Donut Bros.” — offensive linemen Adam Timmerman and Andy McCollum.

“They’ll probably be five boxes of Krispy Kremes in the locker room just for the two of them,” Martz chuckled.

Which would be fitting.

Some players will arrive in town early enough to take part in a charity golf tournament put on Friday by Mike “The Tackle” Jones at Union Hills Golf Course in Pevely.

There’s also a dinner for Legends players scheduled Friday night downtown.

And don’t be surprised if at some point over the weekend, Vermeil addresses the troops. As only he can.

“I hope so,” he said. “I hope I get the opportunity. You know I never can shut up. I enjoy ’em, I respect ’em, and admire ’em. I know what they went through to do what they did.”

LEGENDS ROSTER

Coaches • Dick Vermeil, Mike Martz, Jim Hanifan, Al Saunders

Quarterbacks • Kurt Warner, Marc Bulger, Dave Barr

Running back • Arlen Harris

Wide receivers • Isaac Bruce, Mike Furrey, Az-Zahir Hakim, Torry Holt, Tony Horne, Dane Looker, Shaun McDonald, Ricky Proehl, Derek Stanley

Tight ends • Ernie Conwell, Brandon Manumaleuna, Roland Williams

Offensive line • Wayne Gandy, Andy McCollum, Fred Miller, Orlando Pace, Adam Timmerman, Grant Williams

Defensive line • Ray Agnew, D’Marco Farr, Jeff Zgonina

Linebackers • Chris Draft, Mike Jones, Pisa Tinoisamoa

Secondary • Dre’ Bly, Jerametrius Butler, Rich Coady, Clifton Crosby, Billy Jenkins, Keith Lyle, Dexter McCleon, Aeneas Williams

Specialists • Sean Landeta, Chris Massey, Jeff Wilkins