Considering everything us Rams fans have been through since the 2004 season, I've gotta say this season has been a huge success no matter what the outcome of tomorrow's game is.

We've been competitive in every game this year and even beat a few teams we were supposed to lose to. We were served a schedule that had us traveling the most miles in NFL history, I believe, and what'd our guys do? Go 8-1 away from LA. That's ridiculous.

Our young coach not only has shown that he belongs in this league, but that he is one of the absolute best and most creative offensive minds in the game. He created this offense thats responsible for the greatest PPG swing in NFL history, and he's also shown he's capable of leading a group of men and installing his brand of humility-- which everyone has seemingly bought into 100%. His ability to self reflect and adjust is incredible. Look at how he got away from using Gurley, suffered through some tough losses, reflected on his play calling, and then helped put Gurley in a position for talks about league MVP. And the way that he's brought Goff up to speed... amazing.

I've got a great feeling that we're set up for success for a long time with the pairing of Demoff, Snead and McVay. That Phillips guy isn't too bad, either.

I'm going to enjoy the hell out of tomorrow nights game, win or lose. The post season is back for our Rams! Here's to stomping the franchise we last played in the playoffs. Its only fitting, right?

GO RAMS!!

I am pleased to announce your 2017 Champions! Congratulations to our winners!

Survivor
@DR RAM
@Mojo Ram

ROD Pick'em
@nimite

Spread Pick'em
@Ramhusker
@RamsFan47

19-Handicap Pick'em
@OC--LeftCoast

The banners from our 2016 winners; @bluecoconuts (Survivor), @SierraRam (Pick'em), and @Florida_Ram (19-Handicap) have been moved to our 2017 champions.

We must say THANK YOU to @flv for an OUTSTANDING job running these games for us this year! Many of you may not know this, but to load and score the games... flv would put 30-60 minutes a week into this. So, THANK YOU... flv!!!

Many of these went into the final week...

Survivor... @SteezyEndo was "alive" into week 17.

Pick'em... @Ramrasta only behind by 2... with the annual Pick'em God @SierraRam once again in the running behind by only 4.

Spread Pick'em... @Selassie I finished just 3 off the pace.

19-Handicap... @OC--LeftCoast won by a comfortable 55 points.

Once again, congratulations and thank you for playing. It was a lot of fun again this year!

----

For anyone interested in a playoff game, flv is organizing it here;

http://www.ramsondemand.com/threads/2017-survivor-and-pickem.50822/page-3#post-1022246

To Join;

http://www.ramsondemand.com/pickem/pools/2017-19-handicap-playoffs.26/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...be6522-f239-11e7-95e3-eff284e71c8d_story.html

Congrats to our guys! The selections are:
HB Todd Gurley
LT Andrew Whitworth
DT Aaron Donald
K Greg Zuerlein
P Johnny Hekker
KR Pharoh Cooper

I'm kind of interested to see what happens to Case next year? What are his chances of being the Vikings starter next year, or for that matter any teams starter!?
With his success this year it makes me think back to Snead's and Fisher's confidence in Case last year and the belief that he could win some games for them. They weren't wrong on that note, it was just the supporting cast lacking. Also now doesn't seem so surprising that Goff wasn't able to beat Case out last year!
I seen it flash on tv that Bradford's practicing. What does that mean, how soon do you think they would put in Teddy or Bradford if Case struggles?
Gotta root for a guy that plays with that much heart, that is just as long as they lose to the Rams!

This is an old story from 2011, but heads up out there. When I go to the games, there are always guys that look a little shady asking "tickets? you need tickets?" I always think, man, they are going to rip someone off. Maybe they are legit, but they sometimes look like they don't have 2 nickels to rub together, let alone have 2 legit $150+/- tickets. I get mine off the Rams site most of the time.
Also, on one of the Rams Facebook clubs, about a month ago, some fan bought tickets off another FB Rams fan. They came from Northern Calif, had to get a motel and then showed up to the game only to find out the tickets were fake. They were out a crap load of money. Fake FB fan ripping off real fans. If the Rams win tomorrow, the fake ticket chances increase big time for the Vikings game. It's a jungle out there!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbe...ammed-on-nfl-tickets-like-i-did/#305ddd207efd

What if......

Now, one thing I do not want you to take away from this is that I would prefer an old offense vs what we have now. I love our offense.

However, looking back on what we had going on in St. Louis under the guise of Boras definitely had the potential to wreak havoc.

Now let me ask you guys something and if you take the time to watch the video below. How would our offense fair with our current offensive roster including the offensive line under the Boras system??

And knowing now what Keenum brings to the table and what Goff brings to the table, which would be more effective running that offense? In other words, who is the best man for the job?


I'm not going to lie, If the video included the likes of Kupp, Whitman, woods, Higbee and company, all of sudden that offense looks bad ass AND Tavon is still a huge contributor if not the X-factor as the video states.


Again, this is just hypothetical, and all in good fun.

Cheers Mates!

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To all -

Our server will be rebooted in the next 48hrs to apply a global security patch at our host.

We don’t have the option to schedule this (at a time of our choosing) as they are applying it across their servers in mass.

As a result, ROD will go down for a temporary period of minutes at an undetermined time. I just hope it’s not in the middle of our game tomorrow!

Whenever this occurs, we will only be offline momentarily during the reboot.

Thank you for your understanding.

I'm sure it's been mentioned before but any chance of a Woooo Reaction button?

There is currently a league table for UK based NFL fans Twitter accounts, our LA Rams UK Handle currently sits at 1,400 Followers whilst those detestable SeaChickens have 1,800 Followers.

Our aim is to pass Seattle before the start of the next season but in the short term there is a competition running for the highest number of new Followers each week.

If you are on Twitter please give us a Follow and help us climb the table

#HornsUp Ramily


https://twitter.com/LARams_UK

do

First playoff game in many many years...

How do you plan on spending it?

Bill Plaschke: Contact Reporter


The Dodgers are still reeling from a World Series hangover, and they have shown new economic restraint that’s turned their hot stove cold.

It is upon this barren local sports landscape that one star-filled, title-contending professional franchise will step this weekend with a perfect chance, two years after coming home, to finally feel at home.


Will this be the moment Los Angeles embraces the Rams?

That will be the question swirling around town Saturday when the wildly entertaining but attention-starved locals host the Atlanta Falcons in the first NFL playoff game at the Coliseum in 39 years.

This is about much more than winning a football game. It’s about winning over a city. Two years of spotty attendance, lagging TV ratings and sluggish interest would all begin to evaporate with a victory awakening fans to the stunning reality that the Rams would be two wins away from the Super Bowl.

“This is huge,’’ Rams kick returner Pharoh Cooper said. “Lots of people are still on the fence for us, but if you win that first playoff game, those people will be like, ‘OK, this team has a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl.’ ’’


They do. They can. It’s crazy but true. One year after winning just four games in their nightmarish homecoming, the Rams went 11-5 this season with a head shot that Hollywood should love.

They are the league’s highest-scoring team, led by its youngest coach in 31-year-old Sean McVay. They possibly have the league’s most valuable player in running back Todd Gurley, one of the league’s best young quarterbacks in Jared Goff, and a defensive superstar in tackle Aaron Donald.


“Don’t forget handsome,’’ joked Johnny Hekker, the Rams punter and community cornerstone. “This is one handsome team.’’

They are a team that can look like a video game — Gurley hurdling tacklers, Goff throwing the ball 60 yards in the air, Donald crushing quarterbacks, and linebacker Alec Ogletree somersaulting into the end zone after returning an interception for a touchdown.

“Some of the things we did at USC, that’s what we’re doing here,’’ said Rams receiver Robert Woods, a former Trojan. “It’s literally a show.’’

But while the Trojans are long established as Los Angeles’ favorite football team, the Rams have been looking for love since bringing the NFL back to town last season after a 22-year absence.

In their first year, they won four games and fired head coach Jeff Fisher. Their fans were turned off by everything from their lack of offense to the long and unruly lines at a Coliseum that lacked the family atmosphere of a USC game.

This season it was immediately different. McVay’s ideas, along with the maturation of Goff, changed the offense. The Rams halted ticket sales at around 65,000 to better manage their 92,000-seat beast of a stadium. The team and experience were vastly better. Yet even after the Rams began winning and entertaining, the response has been slow.

They were overshadowed for a month by the Dodgers’ postseason run. They have had to battle the constant buzz over the Lakers. The room became even more crowded when the Chargers showed up and set up a competing shop down the road.

Empty seats and apathy abounded, and mocking photos of a half-filled Coliseum filled the tittering internet.

“A lot of fans were snakebit after last season and were pretty wary to come back to the bandwagon,’’ Hekker said.


Even as attendance slowly increased with each win, many still-skeptical fans waited for them to flop. But they didn’t. They won the NFC West Division title over the celebrated Seattle Seahawks. They earned the NFC’s No. 3 seed in the postseason tournament.

And so, finally, Saturday at 5:15 p.m., they will own Los Angeles’ biggest stage on the week’s most glittery night in their most important act of their brief tenure, and the question will again arise.

Will this be the moment Los Angeles embraces the Rams?

“You strive to create great opportunities for yourself and great platforms, and this game is one of them,’’ said Kevin Demoff, the Rams chief operating officer. “A Saturday night game in the Coliseum, there’s a buzz and energy in the city, you want to make sure you’re ready for it.’’

They should be ready. Many of their key players were rested during the regular-season finale last week against the San Francisco 49ers, and they have no major injuries except for the loss of kicker Greg Zeurlein.

The Falcons, who historically blew a 25-point lead to the New England Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl, haven’t seemed ready all season. While they went 10-6, their quarterback, Matt Ryan, wasn’t as sharp, and they never seemed to quite shake their Super Bowl blues.

A victory would not only advance the Rams into a winnable NFC semifinal game in Minnesota against the Vikings — they were tied in the fourth quarter of their previous meeting, a Vikings victory — but could finally begin to cement their new footing in their old town.

“There will be people who are back in the Coliseum for first time since last September, and this is your chance to imprint in their minds the direction of the franchise,’’ Demoff said. “Rarely do you get one night in prime time all to yourself in the playoffs. These are the kind of games that bring a city together. I think the team will embrace it and take advantage of it.’’

Maybe the giant hug has already started. Just the other day, Demoff spotted the one consistently enduring sign of Los Angeles’ sports love.

Yes, driving among you are cars flying Rams flags.

“It was just three or four, but it’s a start,’’ Demoff said with a hopeful grin.

A flapping, rippling Saturday night awaits.
inRead invented by Teads
The Dodgers are still reeling from a World Series hangover, and they have shown new economic restraint that’s turned their hot stove cold.

It is upon this barren local sports landscape that one star-filled, title-contending professional franchise will step this weekend with a perfect chance, two years after coming home, to finally feel at home.





Even as attendance slowly increased with each win, many still-skeptical fans waited for them to flop. But they didn’t. They won the NFC West Division title over the celebrated Seattle Seahawks. They earned the NFC’s No. 3 seed in the postseason tournament.

And so, finally, Saturday at 5:15 p.m., they will own Los Angeles’ biggest stage on the week’s most glittery night in their most important act of their brief tenure, and the question will again arise.

Will this be the moment Los Angeles embraces the Rams?

“You strive to create great opportunities for yourself and great platforms, and this game is one of them,’’ said Kevin Demoff, the Rams chief operating officer. “A Saturday night game in the Coliseum, there’s a buzz and energy in the city, you want to make sure you’re ready for it.’’

They should be ready. Many of their key players were rested during the regular-season finale last week against the San Francisco 49ers, and they have no major injuries except for the loss of kicker Greg Zeurlein.

The Falcons, who historically blew a 25-point lead to the New England Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl, haven’t seemed ready all season. While they went 10-6, their quarterback, Matt Ryan, wasn’t as sharp, and they never seemed to quite shake their Super Bowl blues.

A victory would not only advance the Rams into a winnable NFC semifinal game in Minnesota against the Vikings — they were tied in the fourth quarter of their previous meeting, a Vikings victory — but could finally begin to cement their new footing in their old town.

“There will be people who are back in the Coliseum for first time since last September, and this is your chance to imprint in their minds the direction of the franchise,’’ Demoff said. “Rarely do you get one night in prime time all to yourself in the playoffs. These are the kind of games that bring a city together. I think the team will embrace it and take advantage of it.’’

Maybe the giant hug has already started. Just the other day, Demoff spotted the one consistently enduring sign of Los Angeles’ sports love.

Yes, driving among you are cars flying Rams flags.

“It was just three or four, but it’s a start,’’ Demoff said with a hopeful grin.

A flapping, rippling Saturday night awaits.

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He was sitting next to me at the bar trying to impress some girl, I wasn't paying attention until I heard Rams.

So he's going on and on about his house up in Marin and how him and his buddy are heading up there and then down to his place in Laguna, and then going to the Rams game on Saturday in Anaheim!

He did know they were playing Atlanta, and said after they beat Atlanta they will be playing New Orleans.

For some reason I found this comforting.

Report: Vince McMahon sells $100M of WWE shares, potentially to restart XFL

• By Cody Benjamin
• Dec 22, 2017 • 1 min read

If the XFL isn't coming back, Vince McMahon is doing a poor job of convincing the world that's true.

Less than a week after a WWE spokesman issued a statement to Deadspinthat left the door open for the return of the defunct professional football league, McMahon and his new, self-funded Alpha Entertainment venture have taken over filings for five different trademarks of "XFL," ESPN's Darren Rovell reported Thursday.

The filings were originally made by the WWE months ago, as Rovell later clarified, but "the records say they did it" on Dec. 16 and the trademark requests have since been relinquished to McMahon and Alpha Entertainment, which WWE previously told Deadspin is an unrelated entity meant "to explore investment opportunities across the sports and entertainment landscapes, including professional football."

A follow-up report by Rovell on ESPN.com said McMahon is also fresh off a sale of 3.34 million WWE shares (or about $100 million worth) to help fund his Alpha Entertainment company amid his pursuit of a new XFL.


The trademarks, which were "abandoned" between 2002 and 2005, also cover merchandise related to a potential league. And they aren't the only ones being used to try to identify a professional football league under Alpha, as McMahon and Co. are also seeking the rights to "URFL," per Rovell.

McMahon himself has yet to address rumors of an XFL comeback, but Brad Shepard had already reported earlier on the day of WWE's statement that McMahon might have an official announcement on a revived XFL as soon as Jan. 25, 2018.

As CBS Sports' Adam Silverstein previously noted, "the original incarnation of the XFL was a joint venture between WWE (then-WWF) and NBC with McMahon and former NBC executive Dick Ebersol spearheading the project." Dubbed an outdoor pro football league with eight teams, added physicality and an infusion of WWE personality, it ceased operations in 2001, the same year it hosted its inaugural season.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/01/04/espn-story-about-patriots-coming/

ESPN story about Patriots coming
Posted by Mike Florio on January 4, 2018


Newsweek

Patriots fans and ESPN have had a contentious relationship in recent years. It could soon be getting more contentious.

PFT has confirmed, as reported by Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch, that ESPN will publish a new story about the Patriots on Friday. The focal point reportedly will be the relationship between quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft and, specifically, the existence of a rift among the three central figures in the 16-year run of unparalleled NFL success.

Allen contends that the ESPN report will explain the struggle flows from the question of which member of the trio deserves the most credit for the franchise’s success, and that the report suggests the rift is so severe that this could be the last year that the three men work together. According to Allen, the ESPN report also claims that Brady went to Kraft to force the trade that sent Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers.

A source with knowledge of the ESPN report tells PFT that the ESPN report will not contend that Brady tried to force a trade. Beyond that, the specifics of the report aren’t currently known.

Whatever the specifics, it’s inconceivable that the Patriots would have traded Garoppolo if they had any doubt about Brady’s desire and/or ability to play for the team in 2018. The trade happened presumably because Garoppolo was unwilling to sign a contract that would have paid him high-end backup money until Brady finally retires.

But even if the team believed there was any chance that Brady would leave, voluntarily or otherwise, after the 2017 season, the smart play would have been to let the next several months play out.

If, ultimately, Brady hadn’t retired and the Patriots had decided not to use the franchise tag on Garoppolo in order to kick the can into 2019 (or for an attempted Matt Cassel-style tag-and-trade), the Patriots could have allowed Garoppolo to walk away as a free agent, setting the stage for a third-round compensatory pick in 2019 — which isn’t dramatically lower than the second-round pick they’ll get in 2018 as a result of the Garoppolo deal to San Francisco.

Putting it another way, if the Brady-Belichick-Kraft partnership were careening toward some sort of critical mass, there would have been no reason to dump Garoppolo in late October for a 2018 second-round pick. Instead, the right move would have been to wait it out and to make decisions about Brady and Garoppolo after the season ends.

First, Sean McVay seems to be at least among, if not THE most creative Offensive mind in the NFL, right? I mean, if any HC could develop and emphasize the strengths of an O player, it would be McVay, right?

Can I get an Amen on that?

Okay...

Here are my two questions.

Why the pedestrian numbers in ‘17 for Watkins? [www.espn.com]

Why the abysmal numbers for Tavon in ‘17? [www.espn.com]

It just seems strange (okay, mind boggling) that two such highly touted O players should struggle under McVay and in his imaginative O.

Goff didn’t
Woods didn’t
Kupp didn’t
Gurley didn’t

Hard to blame the scheme, the coaching, or the play calling over the 16 week season.

Is it just possible that these players aren’t all that? Certainly compared to general expectations?

Watkins wasn’t a no-show, although I think it’s fair to say that he fell far short of general expectations. Hardly a ‘17 resume to justify a huge contract extension amount. At least IMO.

But Tavon? Hardly know where to start. I’ll just say that he has pegged my disappointment meter.

Put it this way. If neither are a Ram next year it wouldn’t cause me to fall out of my recliner. With apologies to the late Frank Sinatra, “If you can’t make it here, you can’t make it anywhere”.

Ok, since the ROD Events Board is like a ghost town whenever HOME games are concerned, I thought I'd post here to see WHO is all going on Saturday? Where you coming from? How you getting there? What are your pre-game / post-game plans? How drunk/wild/loud are you gonna be? Who you goin with? etc etc etc

I am probably heading out after 1pm with my buddy, his wife and a friend. We are taking the metro line and mingling/drinking before the game with a few folks we know. Probably going to grab a bite and drink afterwards nearby as well... depending on how tired/hungry we are. Looking forward to a great day... hope to see a few of you RODers there!!!
:banana: :cheers:

I've been hit in the face with the appearance of Wade Phillips everywhere in the NFL throughout most of my life, which has been made apparent to more today than I knew.

I was a teeny bopper Rams fan in 1976-77, but stuck in Houston. Those were the days before cable tv and practical satellite tv, so if you didn't like the Oilers or the Cowboys then you were left with box scores to find out about the Rams game. But I did get to see the Oilers 2-3 times at the Astrodome (free tix through my Dad's work). I grew to love Earl Campbell, because seeing that man mountain move so fast was the most crushing RB I ever saw (to this day). But who was defensive line coach for the Earlers? Yep, Wade.

I could point to other well known jobs as DC and HC in his life, but today I was a little shocked to see a youthful Wade Phillips coaching the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card game in 1999, versus a youthful Jeff Fisher and his Tennessee Titans. Yep. Wade was crushed by the Music City Miracle (that WAS a forward Pass). I had no clue that he was the coach, and his team played the Titans good enough to win (and they really did win, except for a bad call by the refs). The Titans went on to face the Rams in Super Bowl 34..We had your back there Wade!

Sidenote: Jeff Fisher was nowhere close to that energetic on the sideline as he was throughout the 1999 Playoffs.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...n=fb-nf-sf178198788-sf178198788&sf178198788=1
Beware, you may want to punch a baby after reading Goffs ranking.

If you were building a living room today, how would you do it?

So far I’m thinking Sonos speakers (bar and sub in living room) with speakers around the house as we grow, obviously a tv - but how should I watch tv?

Historically I had always been direct tv but that was for Sunday ticket - which I can now get thru the PlayStation.

I will have high speed internet - but I’m looking for the best kind of ‘cut the cord’ options. Apple TV? YouTube TV? Help me out.