Most Pleased To See You RAMS43!... Posting "The Day After"!!
I wrote yesterday that I was "disheartened to read that you would be posting less."
Your position taken yesterday hopefully was only a temporary one brought on by the utter frustration and angst due to yesterday's predictable loss in Foxboro,
thanks to Boras & Groh (Bore Us & Groan!) predictable Offensive Gameplan.....
Gregg Williams predictable D miscues......
Quick, Britt & Kendricks predictable drops....
Los Ramos OLine predictable Marshmellow Antics....
Todd Gurley's predictable ongoing demonstration of the Law of Physics that has objects experiencing "Instant Deceleration"....
....and, of course Johnny Hekker's predictable magnificent punts and corresponding superb Coach Bones' punt coverage.
Yes....the Rams are probably the most predictable team in the NFL these days.
Yet some of us, like you and me, have followed The Guys In The Horns for decade after decade.
QUESTION: Why? Why do we continue to follow the fortunes of The Rams? Because we like to be miserable? Because we are suffering from Cognitive Dissonance? Because we have some bizarre desire to hurt ourselves???
ANSWERS: No, none of us want to be miserable, or follow Los Ramos because we want to injure our psyches (or livers).....
NO! We follow the fortunes of this particular NFL Franchise because we have innate traits like:
LOYALTY
DOGGED DETERMINATION
TENACITY
FEELINGS OF OBLIGATION.
In short, most of us babyboomers stick with the Rams because that is how we are wired. That is how we were brought up by our parents who came through the Great Depression and World War II. We babyboomers have our faults.....but we do NOT cut-and-run in the face of adversity. We steel ourselves and endure the slings & arrows of disappointment and the prospect of tough times ahead. That's why us babyboomers do it individually IMHO.
Now that I have covered why we do it individually.......ie. why I follow the Rams despite Wilderness Decade I (1990-1999) and now Wilderness Decade Part Deux (2005-present day)......
I now submit the following:
Collectively, it is easier, as A GROUP to follow the fortunes of this mediocre-performing team these days because The Internet has brought together all of us depressed, yet loyal and plucky Rams Fans into groups of commiserating faithful......without getting TOO DRAMATIC.....sort of a Band of (long-suffering) Brothers if you will.
See Rams43.....to go silent with increasing Ram ineptitude is the wrong strategy. Better to expose the shortcomings of Ram management, coaching, players, culture, etc etc via the continuance of your insightful posts that cause us other dispirited Ram fans to think, react and post anew!!! This continuous flow of kvetching, complaining, and grousing about the present day sorry-state-of-Los-Ramos is not wasted time dammit!!! IT'S SELF-THERAPY FOR THIS LOYAL GROUP OF FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS. One might even call it GROUP THERAPY!!!
I urge you Rams43....nay I implore you....to keep the faith....remain at your assigned post...keep manning your section of Rams Castle battlement....and keep transmitting your smart thoughts on l'affaires des Rams to the rest of your Rams brethren!!! It's not your duty....but the rest of us would like to think so!!
With apologies to William Shakespeare....
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Deacon, Merlin, Jack, Marshall et al.
Against infection and the hand of conflict,
This happy breed of men, this little world.
Against the envy of Less-Storied Franchises....
This blessed plot, this group, this realm, this Ramsnation!!!
BTW: For those who think I over-reached on The Band Of Brothers metaphor thing, I point out the following.....the 101st Airborne, depicted in Spielberg's classic about Easy Company, that group of men historically endured combat in the European Theatre from June 6th (D-Day) to early May when Germany unconditionally surrendered.....a period of 11 months.
Ramsnation OTOH ...that group of men, has endured angst, frustration, and the grinding&gnashing of teeth resulting from disappointed expectations and unfulfilled promises for a period of over 11 years!!!!