Remembering September 11th

Space Shuttle Columbia

Pat Tillman

Ronald Reagan

by Joe Gandolfo- jgand@pcfootball.net
1-25-03

For my first column of 2003 there are so many things that I could write about that deserve some attention and commentary.

I could be writing about the various goings on at all-madden.net right now. With the controversy about posters who are deemed as "unworthy" faced with the possibility of lifetime banishment on the whim of one administrator leaving future growth of that site in doubt, that is a topic ripe for a comment.

So is the situation going on over at MaddenPlanet.com where it is almost impossible for certain people to get into the forums over there. Plus the fact that Andy has decided to give us his rendition of David Branda by banning a few posters that he apparently had a simple disagreement with. Now I have no way of knowing if this is true or not as I have only the word of a former MP poster to go on. And as I can’t log onto the MP forums (every time I try it takes me back to the log-in page) I have no way of getting Andy’s side of the story.

Having gotten all of that out of the way, I would like to talk about today’s subject: the possibility of the NFL coming back to Los Angeles.

Yesterday Paul Tagliabue gave his "State of the League" address to the various media gathered in San Diego this week for the Super Bowl. One of the topics he addressed was the possibility of football going back to L.A. as an expansion team. Here is what John Clayton of espn.com had to say in his column today:

In other words, get ready for some interesting times L.A. football fans.

Ever since the Rams and Raiders left the L.A. area, we have been without a football team to cheer for. A lot of people across the country say that we do not deserve a team out here, and that we won’t support them like we didn’t support the Rams and the Raiders. The people who say that either:

1. hate Los Angeles and everyone and everything connected with it just because it is Los Angeles, or
2. don’t understand how complex the political issues are out here when it comes to putting a NFL franchise in this city.

There are many reasons why people didn’t support the Rams out here in the later years. To give you the background on why Rams fans like myself didn’t cry when they pulled up stakes and had St. Louise show them the money, let me quote one of my "takes" on my own website. I wrote this the day after the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl and I titled it "There is no justice in this world":

For the second straight year, a city and fanbase that has been hosed by a greedy NFL owner is watching someone else kiss the Lombardi Trophy after moving a franchise to another city. Last year, the fans in SoCal had to watch while Georgiaenthal got her talons on the Lombardi Trophy while twisting the knife that she stuck in the backs of all of us Rams fans who grew up worshiping the team. Now, Art Modell stands on the podium, dripping in red ink, and gets the trophy for Crackmore that C-town should have gotten. At least Modell showed more class than Georgiaenthal and didn't break out with "this proves we made the right decision by moving to B-More." Be thankful C-town, at least you were spared that indignity.

Now, I hear you clones out in St. Louis working it right now. You're saying that she's a hero, that she brought a winning team to your city and that I should get off her back. Well you know what, that's never going to happen. I will always hold Georgiaenthal responsible for ruining a once proud franchise so that she could move to another city and get paid. In fact, let me run down the timeline for you, so that you will see what kind of a women you have been stuck with.

• 1979 - Rams Owner Carroll Rosenbloom announces that the Rams will move from their current home, The LA Colesium, to Anaheim Stadium which is currently being remodeled. Later that same year, Rosenbloom lets it slip that he will be making changes to his Will which will ensure that the Rams franchise stays with his family. Two days after this announcement, Rosenbloom "accidentally" drowns off the coast of his Florida home. The team is run jointly by his son Steve and his widow Georgia, until Georgia plays evil stepmother and punks Steve out of the organization. The Rams go 9-7 under Ray Malavasi, then make their first Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-19. Georgia celebrates by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

Ok now come on. The man dies just days after announcing that he was going to change his will? Doesn't that sound even the tiniest bit suspicious to any of you? Personally I think that Georgiaenthal found out that Hubby was going to leave the team to Steve and cut her out of the day to day operations, thus cutting off a potential piggy bank. So before he could do that, she decided to ensure he wouldn't get the chance and had him wacked. That way she would be the grieving widow carrying on in the face of tragedy. I will admit that we all bought it at the time. We all thought it was cool that the team stayed in the family (allegedly).

• 1980 - The Rams move into their new home in Anaheim Stadium. Several veteran players holdout in protest of the large contract that rookie safety Johnny Johnson signs in excess of $2 million per year. Johnson proves his worth by intercepting two passes against Green Bay, returning one for a touchdown. Vince Ferragamo, last years' Super Bowl hero, leads the team to an 11-5 record. Georgia celebrates by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

At this point it was all good. The team was just one or two players away from another Super Bowl and everybody was happy. Little did we know that the seeds were being sown for a long painful decline.

• 1981 - To cut costs, and because he is thought to be "too old", Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds is traded to the 49ers where he finally wins a Super Bowl. Vince Ferragamo, failing to get a raise from the team as a reward for his play the past two seasons, opts to play for Montreal of the CFL rather than take a paycut. Defensive End Fred Dryer is cut from team after the end of Training camp. Dryer reminds the team that his contract is a guaranteed no-cut, no-trade contract. After being contacted by Dryer's lawyer and the Players Union, Dryer is reinstated. During the home opener, under orders from Owner Georgia Frontierie, Coach Ray Malavasi keeps Dryer on the bench. Ram fans show their support for Dryer by chanting "We want Dryer, we want Dryer" at several points during the game. At one point, TV cameras catch Dryer encouraging fans to chant more by waving his hands in a "come on" gesture. The next day, the Rams release Dryer citing his behavior on camera as an embarrassment to the team and a breach of his contract. Dryer begins a very successful acting career as the star of "Hunter", and the Rams go 6-10. Georgia consoles herself by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

Losing Ferragamo was the first sign that Georgiaenthal was going to be tight with the purse strings. How do you not reward a player who got you into the Super Bowl and who can only get better? How do you show such disrespect for the veterans on the team who have given you so much over the years by telling them that they are washed up and then showing them the door? It was a series of classless moves on Georgiaenthal's part that would only get worse as time went on.

• 1982 - After a 2-7 season shortened by the Players Strike, Coach Malavasi is fired. He had led the team to their only Super Bowl appearance only three years before. Georgia celebrates by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

The year was pretty much a wash because of the strike. They weren't ready to get on the field and everybody knew it. Thank God the season was as short as it was.

• 1983 - John Robinson is hired as coach. He drafts Eric Dickerson out of SMU and the Rams go 9-7. Georgia celebrates by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

Dickerson was actually a great move by the Rams. They already had the top offensive line in the league, and now they had a great back to run behind them. If they could develop a passing game, we could have matched up with the 49ers. But that meant that Georgiaenthal would have to spend money someplace other than Beverly Hills. Yeah right, when hell freezes over.

• 1984 - Dickerson rushes for an NFL Record, 2,105 yards. "Dickerson's Rangers", a youth club for boys and girls to provide an alternative to the streets and gangs is formed. The move brings good publicity to the team for reaching out to the community. The Rams go 10-6, and Georgia celebrates all the goodwill by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

The Rams were heading in the right direction, even if they did have one of the lowest payrolls in the league.

• 1985 - The Rams sign CFL QB Deiter Brock, go 11-5 and win the Western Division for the first time since 1980. They advance to the NFC Championship game where they lose to the Chicago Bears. Georgia consoles herself by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

The beginning of the end. Deiter was an attempt to find the next Warren Moon. True the man had a cannon for an arm, but he was still 34 years old! That Championship game exposed a lot of holes both offensively and defensively for the Rams, and still Georgiaenthal wouldn't pay to fill them!

• 1986 - Unable to keep a QB upright, the Rams trade Kent Hill to the Houston Oilers for the rights to young QB Jim Everett. Everett is rushed into action in Week 11 and looks promising enough to lead the Rams to a 10-6 season. Georgia celebrates by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

Brock was hurt and gone for good. Steve Bartkowski wasn't the answer, and neither was Dan Pastorini! The fans were chanting for Everett soon after he was signed to a deal in Week 6! Once he got in and won some games we thought that we were on our way to the top!

Little did we know that the bottom was about to drop out!

• 1987 - Eric Dickerson holds out wanting to renegotiate his contract. Dickerson is called the best Running Back in the NFL, and he would like to be paid what he is worth. New President John Shaw refuses to negotiate with Dickerson leading to the holdout. The NFL Players Association strike for unrelated reasons. After the strike ends, Dickerson ends holdout and comes back, but is caught visibly sulking during a Monday Night Game. Dickerson is traded to Indianapolis and the Rams sink to 6-9. Georgia celebrates the fact she saved money with the Dickerson trade by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

Let's see, what did we get for the premiere running back in the NFL? Greg Bell that's what!

• 1988 - The Rams go 10-6, but because of the Dickerson trade the year before, Ram fans start to make their displeasure for the way the team is being run known at home games. Georgia ignores the fans feelings on the matter, and celebrates the fact she saved money with the Dickerson trade for the second straight year by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

Georgiaenthal showed her true colors with the Dickerson trade. She was unwilling to pay good players what they were worth in order to build the powerhouse that the team should have and could have been. She would rather spend that money on herself. Fans were really pissed that she just didn't seem to care about anybody but herself.

• 1989 - Before the season, All-Pro cornerback LeRoy Irvin asks for a raise in salary. Instead the Rams refuse to give him the raise, tell him he is not worth the money he is asking, and release Irvin stating that he was too old to be an effective player in the NFL. Irvin was 31 at the time. Irvin then signs with the Detroit Lions and has one more All-Pro year before retiring. The Rams start out 5-0, but the wheels fall off during a Monday night loss to Buffalo. The team rights itself to go 11-5 however. Jim Everett sacks himself during the NFC Championship Game in Candlestick Park by tripping over his own feet as he's dropping back to pass. This was the beginning of the decline for both the Rams and Everett, as Everett begins the "happy feet" stage of his career. Rams lose 33-3 to the 49ers. Georgia consoles herself by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

'89 was both a dream and a nightmare. I didn't really think that the Rams had a chance against the 49ers that year, but I didn't think it would be that devastating. But what Georgiaenthal did to Irvin was the final slap in the face. We all saw what was going on and said "if she's not going to show us any loyalty, then why should we be loyal to her?"

• 1990 - The Dark Ages begin. Rams collapse and go 5-11. Georgia consoles herself by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

Everett was in a funk the whole year. The fans were pissed at Georgiaenthal for what she had done to the team and we let her know it during every home game.

• 1991 - Georgia begins to notice that because of the terms of her lease with The City of Anaheim, she is not bringing in as much caysh as she would like. The Rams grow a year older without making any major moves to improve the team, citing that it would cost too much. After the team finishes at 3-13, John Robinson is fired and Chuck Knox is brought back in so that he could recapture some of that old 70's magic. Georgia consoles herself by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

The whole year was a wash from day one. We were all hoping that Georgiaenthal would get tired of the team and sell it to someone who wanted to turn it into a winner. We didn't hold our breath.

• 1992 - Jim Everett actually shows some signs of shaking himself out of the funk he has been in since that horrifying day in Candlestick. However, led by the second coming of "Ground Chuck", the Rams finish at 6-10. Georgia consoles herself by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

The team was falling apart, and no one in the front office seemed to want to do anything or spend anything to correct it. It was almost as if they were trying to ruin the team on purpose. Georgiaenthal and John Shaw treated the fans like they weren't important. Our opinions didn't matter and we should just shut our mouths if we didn't like what was going on. And if we didn't, they would shut our mouths for us.

• 1993 - Jerome Bettis is drafted and the transformation is complete. Ground Chuck rules the day, and the Offensive philosophy is straight out of the 70's (run, run, pass, punt). True to form on a Chuck Knox Coached team there is a QB controversy between Jim Everett and young upstart TJ Rubley. Rubley is ineffective and Everett's growing confidence in his game has been shaken as a result of the debacle. Rams go 5-11 and Everett is traded to New Orleans after the season. On the way out the door he leaps over a table at Talk2 host Jim Rome after the Smackmeister refers to Everett as "Chris" one too many times. Georgia consoles herself by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, vacationing in Europe, and getting a facelift.

That Talk2 interview was probably the saddest episode of the whole decline. Everett had a lot of promise, but he was never really given a system or a supporting cast that would allow him to lead the team to the top. Everett could have been one of the top QB's in the league. Instead he was always rated in the middle of the pack. Worse, he was shuffled in and out all year long and never given a chance to work his way out of the slump. Everett was better off out of LA, but he didn't have much better luck in New Orleans. All in all, a sad ending to what should have been a great career.

• 1994 - No QB, no spirit, morale at an all time low in the locker room because the front office cares more about saving money than they do about winning. Pro-Bowl Defensive Lineman Sean Gilbert is ostracized by teammates for professing his Christianity in the locker room. Rams go 4-12 and Chuck Knox resigns after the season. John Shaw and Georgia start negotiating with St. Louis to move the team there starting in 1995. The LA community is so fed up with Georgia's abuse of her players, coaches, fans and annual spending sprees while her players can't pay their bills that they are happy to let her go to St. Louis - if only she would leave the team in Anaheim. Georgia whines that she is not appreciated, that no one is coming out to see her team and that they are losing money hand over fist as she shows off her new Gucci shoes that she got on Rodeo Drive that she bought after her latest European facelift.

In the past the Rams had reached out to the community, and had done so since their arrival in 1946. In the late 80's and early 90's however the opposite was true. It wasn't that the players turned their backs or that the community didn't want their assistance - the front office cut the players and the team off from the community. Shaw and Georgiaenthal felt the team was unappreciated. They were complaining that no one was coming out to see the games and those that did booed the team. Well, if you put together 5 straight losing seasons and are arrogant enough to think that you don't have to change coaches or players to turn it around, you should expect to be criticized. So they didn't send the players out to reach out to the surrounding community.

There was also the lease situation to contend with. Shaw wanted a bigger piece of the pie when it came to home games. He wanted more revenue from parking and concessions to go into the team's pockets instead of the city's on top of a reduced rent, and he threatened to move the team if he didn't get it. Don't get me wrong, the Rams were not in trouble financially, and they were not even close to folding. They were bringing in a lot of money from concessions and ticket sales (such as they were), on top of that, they had a share of the TV deals the league had with CBS, NBC, ABC, ESPN and TNT. As long as there is revenue sharing in the NFL the team was going to be solvent. The real problem was greed. Shaw and Georgiaenthal had enough caysh, they just wanted more for themselves and less for the players.

Actually if you think about it the salary cap was the best thing that could have happened to Georgiaenthal. Before she would have to fight tooth and nail with players before she would consent to a raise. She would usually just trade them or release them and claim that they were ungrateful and disloyal. Now, she could just point to the cap and say "see, we can't afford to pay you what you want, we don't have the cap room. You're just going to have to live with what you've got, and live within your means."

If only you did bitch. If only you did.

• 1995 - Rams move to St. Louis. Georgia celebrates by going on a spending spree on Rodeo Drive, and vacationing in Europe. But because she has to pay the NFL a $46 million relocation fee to move to St. Louis, she is unable to afford her annual facelift.

Awwww, poor baby. The move wouldn't have hurt as much if the Raiders hadn't announced that they were moving back to Oakland a couple of days later.

So we had no teams left, and all because of greed and lies. Greed on the part of Georgiaenthal and her hatchet man John Shaw. Lies on the part of the LA Colesium Commission to Al Davis. They told Al that they would build Luxury boxes in the Colesium and Al would get the revenue from their use during Raider games. The boxes were never built because it was all a ruse to get a team in that yard. When Oakland came to Davis with an offer for luxury suites, PSL money as well as a bigger piece of the pie than he was getting in LA, Al couldn't refuse. But he tried to get the Colesium Commission to match or better Oakland's offer because he really wanted to stay. The commission laughed in his face and said that he would never move back because he had a lease.

Yeah right. That didn't stop him from moving out of Oakland in the first place genius. But, I digress.

There is our story St. Louis, take it for what you will. I wish the story ended there, but it didn't. It is concluded by the biggest bitch slap in the history of professional sports. We not only had to endure our team being ruined on purpose so that Georgiaenthal could dig up some more gold in another town, but we had to listen to the bitch brag about it. It was like dating a beautiful girl who says over and over again how much she loves you no matter what. Then you start noticing that money is missing not only from your wallet but from your bank account as well. You notice that girlfriend is wearing new clothes all the time while you're having to wear the same clothes from your senior year in High School. She says she wants you to start wearing some nice threads like hers because she is embarrassed to be seen in public with you, but she has spent all of your money and you are living paycheck to paycheck. She than dumps you for a dot com CEO and then starts to tell all of her friends and all the friends she forced you to get rid of that you were a jerk the whole time you went out together. She manages to say this with a smile on her face while wearing your Grandmother's locket that you gave her as a pre-engagement gift. She is also wearing the leather jacket that she stole from you after that last big screaming fight you two had where she called you a pathetic loser who would never get laid again.

Are you getting the picture St. Louis? The woman is, always has been, and always will be a golddigger. She wacked her old man so that she could use his team as her own personal piggy bank. She forced out his rightful heir and made him an outcast from the team that should have been his. She wouldn't reward her own players and put the money into her own pocket. She called the players ungrateful and selfish when they wanted what rewards they should have gotten for their performances and then got rid of them. She alienated the surrounding community with her attitude and then complained that she was misunderstood and unwanted. She let the team go further down the toilet so that she could claim economic hardship and move the team to make a big payday just like in "Major League". And then to top it all off, she bitch slaps us on national television:

• 2000 - Super Bowl XXXIV - "This proves we made the right decision by moving to St. Louis."

The results of all the annual facelifts are evident on the awards stand.

You and Modell will get what is coming to you bitch! Karma is a wonderful thing.

Now I don’t want anybody to get the impression that I am bitter or anything….

….well actually yeah, I do. But that is the story behind why we became so disenchanted with the Rams. As for the Raiders we didn’t go into the L.A. Moselium because we were afraid to! We really didn’t want to have to fight off the gang members who claimed the Raiders as their own and have to protect our families from getting stabbed, robbed or urinated on by gangstas sporting silver and black face paint.

Now as to the possibility of the Rose Bowl being modernized I say fantastic! In his address Tags said that he would seriously consider putting a team in a modernized Rose Bowl that respected the tradition of the surrounding Pasadena neighborhoods and the rich history that the Rose Bowl represents.

I guess the Tournament of Roses made a good impression on him when they invited him to the Washington St. / Oklahoma game this year, huh?

Now all they have to do is raise enough money to re-make the Rose Bowl, and fight off the efforts of the L.A. City Council, L.A County Board of Supervisors and the L.A. Coliseum Commission to sabotage their work and we will be all set.

Given a choice between Pasadena and Exposition Park I would choose Pasadena. The Coliseum cannot support a pro football team as it stands now. In order for a team to go there the following would have to happen:

1. The stadium would have to be modernized to a manageable seating capacity. Anywhere from 64,000 to 70,000 would be sufficient. This would have to include the construction of skyboxes to intice corporations buying them in order to entertain clients or as employee perks.
2. The parking situation must be addressed. As of now there are 8,900 parking spots for a 93,000-seat stadium. Most of the patrons have to park at least a mile away and walk their families through gang territory in order to watch a game.
3. There must be a more equitable sharing of stadium revenue between the team and the Coliseum Commission. As it stands now the Commission gets at least 75% of the parking, concessions, and ticket revenue on top of a hefty rent that they charge any team that goes in there to play. Any attempt to renegotiate this deal is met with laughter by the Commission and the team owner as painted as a greedy a-hole that is only looking for an undeserved hand out. Meanwhile, the Coliseum Commission is making money hand over fist while the team can’t afford to sign that free agent because they don’t have the money to spend.

There are many obstacles standing in the way of that:

1. The L.A. Coliseum Commission. They derive most of the profits from all the events that take place at the Coliseum. They are made up of three representatives each from L.A. City, L.A. County and the State of California. One of the City Council members I believe is also a commission member, and his council district includes the Coliseum – Mark Ridley-Thomas. He has a vested interest in getting a team in the Coliseum as is. It looks good come election day, and it puts lots of money into his bank account. Another player is Zev Yaroslovsky who is also on the County Board of Supervisors. He also has a vested interest in getting a team in the Coliseum. The Commission doesn’t want to spend any money on re-making the Coliseum because they know that they will have to pay for part of it. To top it all of they always cry "taxpayer rip-off! taxpayer rip-off!" whenever someone brings the subject up.
2. Exposition Park. At first glance it appears that the Coliseum is the linchpin of a beautiful, family oriented culture center. Next to the Coliseum is the Natural History Museum, which is advertised as the "best kept secret in town". The California Afro-American Museum is there as well, along with the California Science Center with its IMAX Theatre and the Aerospace Hall which sit s right next to the Rose Garden. Across the street is the University of Southern California, which theoretically should make the entire area a very attractive tourist spot were it not for the fact that all of this sits in the middle of gang territory that looks as if it were straight out of "The Shield". Anytime someone brings up the notion that the neighborhood needs to be cleaned up they are either laughed at, called a reactionary or a racist and the whole idea is quickly forgotten.
3. The Tree-Huggers. Every time someone comes up with a plan to modernize the Coliseum the tree-huggers come out from their little hobbit holes to declare: "YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING TO THE COLISEUM THE COLISEUM IS A HISTORICAL LANDMARK AND IT MUST BE PRESERVED AS IS IN PERPETUITY IF YOU TRY TO DO ANYTHING TO THE COLISEUM WE’LL SUE, WE’LL SUE, WE’LL SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Then after all the plans are forgotten because of all of the headaches the tree-huggers crawl back into their little hobbit holes to consume their second breakfast.

Is it any wonder why we don’t have a football team here?

Is it any wonder why I am rooting for the City of Pasadena and the Tournament of Roses to tell all of those selfish fat cats in L.A to kiss their ass?

Is it any wonder why I would rather make a trip up the 710 freeway to Pasadena rather than drive up the 110 to the Coliseum in order to watch the Los Angeles Chargers/Express/Xtreme/fill in your own team name here on a Sunday afternoon?

I have said in the past that I won't hold my breath waiting for a team and that still goes. However there is a glimmer of hope where there wasn't one before. If Pasadena can pull this off, which I hope they do, I know where I will be spending my Sundays in years to come.

Now if only I can convince the wife that it would good business expense....

Until next time...