LA Rams training camp at UC Irvine stirs up fans' hopes for season

LA Rams training camp at UC Irvine stirs up fans' hopes for season

By TIM BURT / Staff Writer

[www.ocregister.com]

About two weeks into their training camp at UC Irvine, the Los Angeles Rams are still generating plenty of interest as they prepare for their exhibition opener Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

There weren’t as many people on hand Tuesday as there were on July 30, when an estimated 10,000 fans showed up for the first practice at UCI.

But lots of fans – it appeared to be several thousand or so – showed up as the Rams went through an afternoon practice.

Most of them sat in temporary bleachers in the sun. Some stood close to the short fences enclosing the two fields to take pictures and get a look up close at some of the players who hope to be part of the first Los Angeles Rams team since 1994. The team moved to St. Louis after the 1994 season.

The workouts are open to the public and there is no admission charge. The Rams will continue to train at UCI Monday-Thursday through Aug. 25 (for times, go to parking.uci.edu). There is a $10 charge for parking at the Mesa Parking Structure.

Fans can also test their passing and kicking skills at a fans camp, and a souvenir stand offers items such as T-shirts and mugs.

The fans seem to enjoy watching the players practice. Some were staying around for an autograph session for youngsters 14 and under.

Among the fans on hand Tuesday was former Beckman High baseball player Shashwat Chitnis, an assistant at Beckman last year for baseball coach Kevin Lavalle. Chitnis, born in Chicago, is a Chicago Bears fan, but he took an interest in the Rams when they started training at UCI.

“I didn’t have a team to go for since I was living in Irvine now and the Rams are out here, so it’s awesome just to see the players out here and them being in the same city that I grew up in and seeing them at the local In-N-Out or seeing them at my workplace at Urban Outfitters,” Chitnis said.

“They’ve been all around town hanging out just like regular guys, ordering burgers, buying clothes, and it’s crazy how humble these guys are because they have a younger team and they’re all fighting for a job right now and it’s great to see them in our city and it’s great that football is back.”

One of the Rams’ quarterbacks, top draft pick Jared Goff, came into Urban Outfitters in Irvine Spectrum to buy T-shirts, said Chitnis, a sales associate at the store.

“He was a very nice guy; I got to talk baseball with him; he’s a big Giants fan and he played shortstop in high school,” Chitnis said. “He talked about how it is a big change because the NFL is a whole different game. He’s taking it in stride and he really enjoys having pressure on him because he’s always expected to succeed and he’s started everywhere he’s gone and fighting for a job is something he’s used to and he’s excited for the challenge.”

Chitnis, who went to Saturday’s open Rams practice at the Coliseum, also saw running back Todd Gurley at the Irvine In-N-Out.

Another fan, Kevin Felch, traveled from Yucca Valley with his wife, Graciela, and son Sebastian.

“I was a little apprehensive because they’ve been gone so long,” said Felch, who grew up in Los Angeles and Anaheim. “I was a fan when they were at the Coliseum so I was about 3 or 4 years old (when he started watching games). I’m ecstatic. I came out to the practice and brought my family.

“I went to the games with my grandfather; he had season tickets at the Coliseum for 20 years. When they moved to Anaheim, we stuck with them and when they left, we really didn’t have a team anymore. We didn’t cheer for them when they went to St. Louis. It actually kind of broke our hearts, and we’re so excited we do have them back.”

“We thought it was a great opportunity to bring the kids out and show them kind of what I got to experience as a kid,” said Felch.

Also watching practice was David Posey, started watching the Rams in the 1950s, he said. Posey and his wife came from the Sacramento area. Posey is hoping the Rams can notch a winning record.

“I’ll be happy if they end up 9-7, something like that,” said Posey, who was raised in Westminster and Huntington Beach. “They need a winning season; they haven’t had one in quite a while.”

Posey used to root for Jon Arnett, Eric Dickerson, Jack Youngblood and Fred Dryer. Now, he said, he plans to cheer for the next generation of Rams, including Goff and Gurley.