Warner, back for one last game at Dome, deserves a statue

Warner, back for one last game at Dome, deserves a statue

By Jose de Jesus Ortiz

[www.stltoday.com]

Although it has been six months since the National Football League voted to move the Rams out of his beloved St. Louis, the legendary Kurt Warner still finds it difficult to consider them the Los Angeles Rams.

As a broadcaster these days, he’ll eventually have to adjust. But he views the Rams like most folks in this area.

“I don’t know if it’s going to settle in until you actually see them,” he said. “When I think of the Rams I still think of them as St. Louis, not as the Los Angeles Rams. Me calling games now, it’s going to be weird.”

More than most, Warner appreciates just how much the people of St. Louis love their Rams. He lived it, felt it, embraced it.

Now the kid from Burlington, Iowa, wants to say thank you for the love and memories. He’s eager to play in Isaac Bruce’s Legends of the Dome game Saturday afternoon at the Dome at America’s Center.

“We always look for an excuse to get back to St. Louis because we feel like that community is so special to us,” Warner said. “I think the biggest thing is I’m hoping that a lot of people come out. It’s a great opportunity for us as players to say thanks for the memories.”

Bruce, who threw a perfect strike during the ceremonial first pitch at the Cardinals’ game Thursday, invited Warner and several former St. Louis Rams greats for the Legends of the Dome flag football game.

Stan Kroenke, arguably the most despised sports figure in St. Louis history, moved the Rams without having the decency to truly say goodbye to their loyal fans here.

The Legends of the Dome game will provide a great opportunity for fans to find closure.

St. Louis has already lost the football Cardinals and the Rams, and one must wonder if the NFL will ever find its way back to the Gateway to the West.

Whether the NFL returns or not, we must find a way to honor Warner beyond the Legends of the Dome game. There needs to be a statue of Warner to go along with the statues of other sports legends downtown.

We must honor Warner in the same way Blues legends Brett Hull, Al MacInnis and Bernie Federko are honored with statues in front of Scottrade Center. Most baseball fans here can tell you about the statues of Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and other Cardinals legends outside Busch Stadium.

We must not let Kroenke’s greed deny us of an opportunity to leave a monument for local fans to remember one of the St. Louis Rams’ all-time greats.

To be clear, this is not my idea. Esteemed Post-Dispatch NFL writer Jim Thomas, who covered every St. Louis Rams game, mentioned this idea earlier this week when he gave me a lesson on the team’s history.

When I told Warner about Thomas’ idea, Warner appeared humbled by the suggestion.

“It’s more about people in that community and how they rallied around me and my family both off and on the field for many years,” Warner said. “I don’t even know how you think of or consider (statues and) that stuff. It’s about the people and the organization.

“It’s a tremendous honor any time you’re a part of something like that. When you leave you want to believe you left it better than when you got there and left a lasting impact that doesn’t leave when you step off the field.”

Warner definitely left his mark in St. Louis. His rags to riches story inspired legions of fans throughout the Midwest. Who doesn’t love a story of a guy reaching the NFL after spending three years with the Iowa Barnstormers?

Most Americans and perhaps even most folks in St. Louis had no idea that the Iowa Barnstormers even existed until Warner joined the Rams 18 years ago. I surely had no clue there was such a thing as an indoor football league back then. Did you?

Moreover, Warner’s University of Northern Iowa isn’t exactly known for pumping out NFL quarterbacks.

By now, Warner’s story is the stuff of legend. From stocking the shelves on the night crew at a Hy-Vee in Iowa to the Super Bowl with the Rams. You wouldn’t believe that story if you saw it in the movies.

Despite not being drafted by the NFL, Warner refused to abandon his dream. He honed his skills with the Barnstormers and then cherished every moment with the Rams.

Warner was the architect of the Greatest Show on Turf. He reached the NFL in 1998 and appeared in one game that season. Then he took over the starting spot in 1999 and led the Rams to the Super Bowl title that season.

He led the Rams to the Super Bowl two years later, falling to the New England Patriots 20-17. He threw for 32,344 yards in a 12-year career that included stints with the Giants and Arizona Cardinals. He still has a son living in St. Louis.

He also has his foundation here, so he and his wife Brenda return at least three times a year. He’s excited to see his old Rams teammates and their loyal fans this weekend.

“First of all it’s great to just go back and play a game back in St. Louis and say, ‘Thank you’ to the fans for the great support they gave us when I played there. It’s going to be special. And it’s always awesome to find an excuse to get together with the guys and reminisce.”

Warner doesn’t need any excuses to return to St. Louis, but it would nice to ask him back one day to unveil a much deserved statue here.