LOS ANGELES -- coach Jeff Fisher was on the phone, and he couldnt have sounded more upbeat, confident and optimistic about Jared Goff, the quarterback his team had recently selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the .Indeed, Goffs future with the Rams -- as a quarterback, as the face of the franchise and as a big-time bet -- is a pre sing question for the and its return to Los Angeles.One almost as important as this one: When we talk about the NFLs triumphant return to Los Angeles, just how much can the Rams triumph in making themselves an indispensable force in Southern Californias sports scene?The National Football League is a busine s, a well-oiled money machine that turns out a spectacular sports product. It is, in almost every market it inhabits, a force of nature that utterly dominates the headlines, dollars, angst, love, attention and relevance of it sports fans. Well, big dog, welcome to a different landscape here in the land of starlets, sunshine and the would-be famous. As Denzel Washington once said about this town, In Los Angeles, everyone is a star.That Hollywood logic also applies to its sports franchises. But as with Hollywood itself, there are only so many leading roles to go around. And while the NFL has big advantages, the Rams return and subsequent odds at domination are far from a sure thing.After a 20-year romp with St. Louis, does the NFL really think it
Rene Robert Jersey 's just going to march in here and expect a warm, welcome and lucrative embrace? Tough question. Tougher answer.That riddle is an instant, and divisive, conversation here in L.A. Some believe the NFL being the NFL, it is inevitable that Sundays in the Southland will belong to the league. Others arent so sure. Many openly doubt it.There are a few reasons why the doubters have some merit to their views, and why the Rams have some work to do:The Dodgers and Lakers: These two teams have filled the void the NFL would likely take up in most other markets. These arent just mainstream sports teams. Theyre an emotional, almost cultish part of L.A.s DNA. This is a baseball town, as is New York City, minus the that have for two decades siphoned off attention, headlines and fans. And a basketball town, unlike New York City, thats actually won a slew of championships in the past two decades. Vin Scully is an emotional touchstone to the best parts of ourselves here; Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson are the embodiments of all the glory, titles and greatne s a fan could hope for.The young: More than 3,000 people gathered in downtown L.A. after the Rams drafted Goff. It was an enthusiastic endorsement of the NFLs return, with many wearing authentic retro Rams jerseys from a generation ago -- memories unpacked from storage and brought out
Andreas Martinsen Jersey for a new future.Which is the point, and a problem.The old may remember the Rams, but the young -- the backbone of a citys connection to its sports teams, and the future of fandom -- have no similar connection. Love and loyalty grow, like a familys bond, over time. And that bond starts now for those here who are 25 and younger. Take my children as examples: By ages 5 and 2, they had found an affinity for the Dodgers that was deep, real and not in any way encouraged (my wife and I are originally from the Midwest). Amazingly, at least to me, we have Dodgers hats throughout our homes, the kids refer to both the Dodgers and Lakers like old friends when they appear on the television, and they speak of them as they would the beach or the Getty or our favorite parts of town -- something familiar, something part of where they live.The Rams? They simply do not know them; the team does not yet register.The Chargers and Raiders: Speaking of the roots of NFL fans in Southern California -- theyre Chargers and Raiders fans. History, time and proximity have made it so. The Rams are now L.A.s team, yes. But that doesnt erase the last 20 years.L.A. Traffic: Dont laugh. Cliche though it may be, it is a disaster to drive anywhere in this town. It takes love and commitment to wade through the darkne s of our congested streets, to leave whatever part of town youve claimed as your
Semyon Varlamov Jersey own. So very L.A.? Thats the point. You must actually love something here to go see it. Driving to see a team you have a bond with, or at least a stone-cold winner? Sure. Bad team without that affinity? Thats a tougher sell. The team itself: Which brings us to these Rams, and Goff. Their defense is solid. The offensive line is good. , last years Offensive Rookie of the Year, can take much of the weight and pre sure off of the rookie quarterback. Is that a recipe for nine, 10 wins? It better be.This is L.A., a place that celebrates -- even obse ses over -- winning. Image matters. This is where UCLA wont hang Final Four banners; where a city was happy to have Kobe Bryant hold its team hostage for years because of how much he won in the past; where the Clippers barely register because theyve never won anything. Where being mistaken for a D-list celebrity is a temporarily life-altering experience.To misquote Alec Baldwin: Coffee is for closers, and the dollars that go to sports tickets and luxury boxes are for winners. The Rams need to win, and in the NFC West this upcoming
Rene Bourque Jersey season that seems like a pretty daunting task. There are, of course, real signs that the busine s of the NFL will do what it has done elsewhere and eventually own the market. When the Rams announced their return, 56,000 Angelenos had plunked down a $100 deposit for a shot at season tickets.And after a few years at USCs Memorial Coliseum, a grand marvel of a stadium will open in 2019 in Inglewood. And it is, after all, the NFL.Still, Los Angeles
Adam Foote Jersey is a mermaid of a metropolis. She sends out a seductive song, she calls to you, at first glimpse you know youve seen nothing like her, and she certainly has an enchanting appeal. But once she has you theres some danger within the beauty. Your best defense against it is succe s. As it is with aspiring actors -- with so many of us who are lured to L.A. -- so it will be also with the NFL: The greatne s of the city is met with a kind of ambition, difficulty and need to succeed that the endle s sunny days never warn you about. The NFL got its prize. Now it needs to earn that prizes love.Winning L.A. isnt going to be easy. It will take time, wins, and the kind of personalities that rise above the noise -- like Scully, Kobe, Magic, Puig, Wooden -- that despite their differences share the kind of greatne s-meet-star-power this place understands.Maybe thats why, when Jeff Fisher and I spoke on my radio show Monday and I asked him about the Rams' ability to penetrate and compete in the market, he struck such a conciliatory note with a view for the long-term. He is, after all, from Los Angeles. He gets it.We didnt come here to
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