DICKERSON RAN WILD

I know that many people in Southern California couldn't care less about not having a pro football team in Los Angeles. There's always the argument that there are so many other things to do here that we don't need the NFL. While that may be true, for those of us who grew up rooting for the L.A. Rams, there's definitely a void. Especially for parents who are missing out on taking our own kids to a pro football game. At this time of year, the playoffs get underway and it's just not easy to show much interest in Eagles vs. Vikings. But I do have memories of playoff games here. It was on this date in 1986 that Eric Dickerson ran wild for 248 yards as the Rams defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Anaheim, 20-0. Dickerson out-gained the entire Cowboy offense that day in what turned out to be legendary Dallas Coach Tom Landry's final playoff game. Dickerson was one of the greatest runners I've ever seen. He had a gliding straight-up running style that combined speed and power, propelling him to a single-season NFL rushing record of 2,105 yards in 1984. After contract disputes and a falling-out with Coach John Robinson (Dickerson reportedly said, "You run 47-gap" to his coach), he was traded to the Colts in 1987. He played there for 4 years, then got bounced around a bit before retiring in 1993. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and is currently #6 on the list of all-time NFL rushing leaders.