CULLEN BRYANT

We lost a member of the L.A. Rams family last week when Cullen Bryant died at the age of 58. Bryant was a 2nd round draft pick of the Rams in 1973 and played with the Rams for 11 seasons. He was one of those big, strong running backs who ran like a human bowling ball while knocking down defenders, whether it was carrying the ball or blocking for a teammate.

MERLIN OLSEN

Merlin Olsen was one of the greatest defensive tackles in the history of pro football. It wasn't so much his strength and agility as it was his intelligence. He knew the game. His wisdom was greater than an opponent's power. And he just happened to be part of the Fearsome Foursome, the legendary defensive line of the Rams that included fellow Hall of Famer, Deacon Jones. He played for the L.A. Rams from 1962-1976, and was selected to the Pro Bowl for 14 consecutive seasons. I was fortunate to watch him play and was there at the Coliseum for the final game of his career, where he received a tremendous ovation after walking off the field for the last time.

WILLIE ELLISON

Willie Ellison played for the Rams from 1967-1972. His first four seasons were spent in relative obscurity. Then he busted out in 1971 with his first and only 1000 yard season as a pro. What put him on the NFL map that year was his record-breaking game late in the season against the New Orleans Saints, when he rushed for a single-game record of 247 yards. The record was broken a few years later, and Ellison finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs.

EDDIE MEADOR

Another great story in today's Los Angeles Times by Jerry Crowe. Eddie Meador was a defensive back for the Rams in the 1960s who had a stellar career and still holds the franchise record for interceptions, but was not voted into the Hall of Fame. His statistics are comparable to other Hall of Fame defensive backs, and his family is making a push for his election. Check out the website for his nomination at edmeador.com
I would say that Meador's value to the 1960's Rams secondary was equal to the value of Jack Youngblood to the 1970's defensive line. Both durable, hard working and respected players with several Pro Bowl appearances. But Youngblood is in the Hall of Fame. It's time for Meador to be recognized and honored.

DEACON JONES

This Hall of Fame defensive end was a 14th round draft pick of the Rams in 1961, and became one of the greatest pass rushers in the history of the NFL. He used a devastating head slap and blazing speed for a big man to wreak havoc on an opposing offense. As if he wasn't enough for teams to worry about, he was one part of the Rams famed Fearsome Foursome defensive line (with Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier) of the 1960s. There was a cool story about him in a recent column by Jerry Crowe of the L.A. Times. You can read it here.

LOS ANGELES STADIUM

I'm not going to get too excited about it because we've been down this path before. But the City of Industry has approved a proposal to build a stadium near the intersection of the 57 & 60 freeways. Neighboring communities have already voiced their disapproval and will fight against a stadium being built in their backyard. If, by a longshot chance, everything falls into place for a new stadium, it means that there will be a new home for an existing NFL franchise willing to move to L.A. This is really the frustrating part, because the teams currently looking to move include the Vikings, Chargers, Bills and Raiders. Are you serious? Can a Rams fan imagine the Los Angeles Vikings??? There is NO WAY that I'd support them. The only possibility that would get us excited is the Return of the Rams!!! One blogger here brought up the idea in an earlier post (see adjeff8's comments). Well, the honeymoon is definitely over in St. Louis, and Georgia "That's the Madam" is gone, so who knows? In the meantime, here's a photo of the architect's model of the proposed L.A. Stadium, and you can click here for more details.
ADDENDUM: One reader referred me to a news story from St. Louis which appeared in May of last year. Apparently, the Rams were being shopped to potential buyers for up to $900 million. The team has a clause in their agreement at the Edward Jones Dome that creates an option out of the lease in 2015 if certain contingencies are not met for upgrades to that stadium. This certainly adds intrigue into the speculation of a Rams return to Los Angeles.

SUPER BOWL

The 43rd Super Bowl was played today and the Steelers defeated the Cardinals in an exciting game. But as a Rams fan, I remember Super Bowl XIV in 1980. It was the Los Angeles Rams first and only trip to the Super Bowl and I was there to experience it in person at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Steelers were the heavy favorites with one of the great teams in NFL history. But the scrappy Rams played with a lot of heart and determination, surprising everyone and actually leading after 3 quarters. Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo played a very respectable game, and defensive great (and future Hall of Famer) Jack Youngblood showed true grit by playing with a broken leg! In the end, Terry Bradshaw & Company proved to be too much for the underdog Rams and won 31-19. But it was a great game. If you ever get a chance to see NFL Films highlight reel of this game, definitely check it out.

KURT WARNER

OK. . .Kurt Warner no longer plays for the Rams. And he was never a Los Angeles Ram. But if you've remained a Rams fan all these years, you've got to like this guy. Number one, he came out of nowhere and won a Super Bowl for the Rams in St. Louis. After injuring his hand and going through a couple of trades, he ends up in Arizona in what would most likely be a backup role and mentor to Matt Leinart. But he hangs in there and guides the Cards to the playoffs and upsets Atlanta and Carolina in the first two rounds, leading his team into the NFC title game next week at home against the Eagles. I'd love to see Warner and the Cards come through as the underdogs and win it all.

2/1/09 Postscript. Well they reached the Super Bowl, Warner came through in the clutch and the Cards took a late lead, but their defense couldn't finish the job. Congratulations Steelers.

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.