Looks like were gonna lose some posters for a few years...cuz I don't know how most will take it if he's signed
for a few more years. I sure hope ya'll stay and post yer disgust/hope/sadness,etc...and NOT leave...
cuz that's what we do...
we're Rams fans- kinda like Browns fans - cept with a tad more HOPE!
maybe not...lol
anyway, here's the article where Demoff kinda looks like he's gettin folks ready for it...
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linkBeneath the glitz, a franchise regains its Southern California foothold in fits and starts.
During the same mid-November week in which the Rams finally broke ground on their state-of-the-art stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff was named the team's starting quarterback. Both projects got started later than expected -- the shovels were supposed to be in the ground over the summer, while Goff had to wait until Los Angeles' 10th game of the regular season before getting the reins -- but the process of establishing these franchise pillars was finally set in motion.
There was an odd sense of pride from head coach Jeff Fisher the day he finally made the move to Goff. He was happy, smiling and extremely confident. It was a move a fervent fan base had wanted for weeks, but one Fisher refused to make -- even though veteran quarterback Case Keenum and the Rams' offense consistently underwhelmed.
Fisher's glow, as it was, might've served as an indication that he's confident he'll get to see things through with Goff, despite the delayed decision to put him into the starting lineup and yet another mediocre record for the Rams.
Though there has been no official word that Fisher, whose contract is expiring, has signed an extension, it certainly sounds like he isn't going anywhere.
Jeff Fisher -- who has not won more than seven games in any season since taking charge of the team in 2012 -- is valued by the Rams for more than his record.
"Everybody will want to judge Jeff through the prism of just the record, but that's totally unfair when you look at the set of circumstances he was handed this year," chief operating officer Kevin Demoff told me. "It was different than any team in the NFL.
"We moved halfway across the country, then had OTAs in Oxnard. Training camp was in Irvine, now we're in Thousand Oaks. We moved coaches and players and families. To provide leadership and consistency, he's done a model job."
I pressed Demoff to nail down whether Fisher has signed an extension or if he would definitely be back. He would not say. He would not budge. Still, everything he said seemed to hint that Fisher is staying put. And while Demoff's remarks did come before the Rams were whipped, 49-21, by the Saints on Sunday, the sentiment was pretty strong.
"He's a terrific leader of men," Demoff said. "Players, coaches and staff -- he has their complete respect in the way he runs the franchise. It's easy to talk about the record, but you have to take a snapshot of everything this year and give him the credit that he's due.
"The past two years, he's had to deal with the specter of relocation. This year, the actual relocation. A couple of coaches have had to deal with the specter of relocation. No coach has had to deal with an actual relocation. You have try to understand what this team has been through and the success he has had."
In other words, Fisher's entire body of work is more valuable than his body of work as the actual football coach, when it comes to wins and losses. Since taking over the Rams in 2012, he's gone 31-43-1, including a 4-7 mark so far this season.
A lot of coaches have been cut loose before getting to this point. Yet, with the relocation being a huge part of the criteria, Fisher has done more than any coach in the NFL, so giving him a break is fair in that regard.
Fisher has experience with this sort of thing, having been head coach of the Houston Oilers when they moved to Tennessee in 1997 (they were eventually rechristened the Titans). And as part of the relocation to Southern California, he's been asked to be more than a coach. He was asked to be the ambassador to Los Angeles, showing up at civic and business events that are typically outside of the norm, among other things. Sometimes, players and other coaches had to join him. There wasn't much downtime.
Fisher always could have said no, but besides team owner Stan Kroenke needing Fisher's cachet to forge an image and base in L.A., the NFL needed Fisher to help kick-start a franchise in a market where long-term viability is a must.
The league also made the Rams take some lumps as part of getting out of St. Louis, in terms of all the travel they endured -- in addition to getting situated in a practice facility (and nearby housing) about 40 miles from the Coliseum, where they're playing their home games, the Rams also had to travel to London and will have had to play four games in the Eastern time zone. That's part of the price of doing business on the West Coast.
Celebrities -- including NBA star LeBron James and Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis -- have been frequently spotted around the Rams since their move to Los Angeles.
There also seems to be a welcoming of the Hollywood lifestyle by the Rams. Musicians and celebrities attended training camp workouts. LeBron James stood on the sideline for a preseason game. It's typically a Who's Who -- Snoop Dogg, Regina King, The Game, the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- on game day.
Heck, the day Goff was announced as the starter, pop star Britney Spears showed up at practice with her kids. Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson also was there. This wasn't training camp or a pregame sideline. This was heading into Week 11, and the rookie was getting his first real day of game planning.
Can't quite see something like that happening in Green Bay or New England.
The Rams feel one way about Fisher, but multiple NFL coaches -- most of them assistants -- as well as personnel employees from around the league privately question whether Fisher deserves more time. Fans have increasingly joined that chorus. Fisher has a desirable job. There's the location, a young QB, a talented defense and money to spend.
Fisher, though, seems entrenched for now.
To the Rams and league owners, there's a greater point beyond Fisher's job status: The NFL is back in Los Angeles.==================================================================================
"L'audace, l'audace. Toujours l'audace!"