Los Angeles Rams! How The West Will Be Won?

Dusted off the old Jack Youngblood jersey for the event!

I could not possibly be happier about this!

If the Chargers want to join that's fine, but the Rams are HOME! I got to go get that Gurley jersey now.

 

The Chargers are in such a weird spot now.

To the best of my ability from Spanos' perspective:

Qualcom sucks and SD is unwilling to help renovations or relocations within the city for decades. That's no big deal because there's no direct competition in Southern California. The Chargers can relax in their horrible stadium for as long as they want, no pressure. Then Stan Kroenke buys a massive tract of land in LA and begins floating around rumors that he's moving his team to Los Angeles. Wait WHAT? He's moving into MY (Spanos') market?? That's going to screw me over! Nobody is going to want to come to our crappy stadium two hours south of Los Angeles when they can go to his brand new stadium! Eff this guy! So Spanos teams up with the new Davis for a separate stadium in a different location. This plan is built on Popsicle sticks and toothpaste, but whatever who cares? This one has TWO teams coming to LA! Both of them ALSO teams with history in Los Angeles! That HAS to be a better plan right? Spanos then proceeds to blow off SD's attempts to talk to him, burning bridges left and right in an attempt to scorch-Earth his way out of that city that hesitated to help him for so long until they saw a real threat.

Wrong. They get the meetings and it becomes abundantly clear that the Inglewood site is completely fleshed out and looks to be amazing. Kroenke is funding it basically by himself so there's minimal cost to the city or any other owner or the NFL as a whole. Meanwhile the crappy plan put forth by Davis/Spanos is built off of really just the idea of TWO teams being there. Everything else about it sucks. So Kroenke counters: I'll split mine with you either as a tenant or as a partner. Boom. The Carson Project is destroyed. Davis, sensing the current, backs out.

So now Spanos either crawls back to SD like a dog with his tail between his legs or is forced to partner with the guy who invaded his territory and set up shop in his own backyard. Instead of doing the smart thing and taking the deal right then and there, he demands more time. The other owners have no patience to keep this going, so they approve the Rams to LA and give the Chargers a year to figure it out.

Here's the kicker and how Spanos screwed himself: if Spanos had just swallowed his pride and gone with Kroenke in the first place he'd have split this market right away and there'd be decent buzz about the Chargers back in LA. Instead, he continued trying to play hardball and now he'll be second fiddle in what was his own, sole market. If he DOESN'T capitulate to Kroenke, Davis gets a shot at LA and you just KNOW he'd love to take it which would leave Spanos and the Chargers in the lurch.

Obviously Spanos will take the deal, come to LA with Kroenke, and the Chargers will be fine (there's plenty of Chargers fans here), but he could have had a greater market share and now he's already starting off on weak footing. A lot of people say the Raiders are screwed, but I don't see it. They'll stay in Oakland temporarily then either jump ship to San Antonio or move down to SD to replace the Chargers. Heck they could even stay in the bay area and split the Niner's new stadium. They'll be fine. The losers in this are St. Louis, San Diego, and Dean Spanos' pride (if not his wallet).

 

Don't like the SA or SD part... Fine with the last one.

On the subject: I had a passing interest in the Rams when they had Eric D. #29, Everett, Ellard...that great O-Line and very good defense. Problem was that they were in the same division as San Fran. As long as Fisher is retained as head coach, he'd be great copy for the papers.

 

Sorry gcc! I know this isn't an ideal situation for the Raiders. Aren't you sick of playing in a baseball stadium though?

 

Yep...I find the place and set-up deplorable. I want to spend one more time in The Black Hole before it disappears.

 

It'll just move to a new hole!

that didn't come out right...

 

^

I have relatives that are Charger fans... I'm sure they would not mind them moving here in L.A. I have a co-worker that wants it that way too.

 

Ice Cube approves of this message...

 

So after that super dumb trade here we go... On the clock...

 

All signs point to Goff.

 

Mayock last night on NFL TV said Goff is his #2 QB prospect but he fits the Rams system more so than Wentz...

 

Mayock had some valid points last night about Goff. He took a thousand more snaps than Wentz and went through adversity in pulling the Cal program from mediocrity. He felt that Goff was pro-ready. Wentz has the tools but his competition left something to be desired.

Goff can be a Montana Lite or another Chad Pennington...

 

Yeah some guys were saying Goff's ceiling is Montana and he carries himself in that way mentally.

I'm cool with Goff I guess, I just hated the trade. Why?... It's not as if the Rams have no other holes in their roster. I'd rather have waited and traded up for Lynch late in the round like Denver did instead of giving up everything for Goff. That kid has an entire city's worth of expectations on his shoulders now.

 

ESPN rattled off what L.A. had to give up for the #1. It made my head spin...to the tune something like six spots between this season and next. That is a whole lotta choices...