The Rams Return Was An Academy Award Oscar Winning Performance

No Comments September 21, 2016 Rams By John Stellman

The setting was reminiscent of a red carpet Hollywood premier.

The historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Anxious Fans

A sun splashed crowd of 91,046 awaiting the sequel.

The Rams were returning to the venue they deserted in 1979.

And the National Football League was back in the second largest media market in the country for the first time since 1994.

Duo Departures

It was after that season that the Rams left Anaheim for St. Louis and the Raiders returned to Oakland.

Cantankerous Ram owner Georgia Frontiere’s ongoing legal battles with the city and her alienation of the fans led to a volatile departure from southern California.

Stan The Man

Twenty one years later Stan Kroenke came to the rescue.

It all began on January 4 at the owners meeting in Houston.

The Rams filed for relocation.

After much haggling during a two day session January 11-12, the owners compromised.

Three’s A Crowd

Kroneke’s $2.6B Inglewood stadium complex proposal won out over a package from Mark Davis and Dean Spanos to share a stadium in Carson.

However, both the Chargers (January 2017) and Raiders (January 2018) were given options to join the Rams in Inglewood.

The massive undertaking on the site where the Hollywood Park race track once stood and adjacent to The Forum, won’t be completed until 2019.

Temporary Home

So on September 19 the Rams returned to the Coliseum.

The setting couldn’t have any more magnificent.

The energy was astounding.

The conditions were ideal.

And the faithful were not disappointed.

Perfect Script

Rams 9, Seahawks 3!

It wasn’t the wide open offensive explosion many were hoping for. But it wasn’t shy of drama.

Neither did it lack for suspense.

In fact, it wasn’t until the final minute that the result was finalized.

You could call Alec Ogletree the most unsuspecting of heroes.

Comeback Kid?

Seattle’s magician, Russell Wilson, had his team on the move.

In his first four full seasons, plus week No. 1 against Miami, Wilson had already engineered 14 fourth quarter comebacks and 19 game winning drives.

Seattle began their final drive on their own 12-yard line.

Thanks to Ram punter Johnny Hekker.

None of his Hekker’s six punts were returned and the others landed on the 19, 19, 12, 10, and 9 yard lines.

But Wilson retaliated by quickly connecting on a 53-yard bomb to Tyler Lockett.

Nervous Time

So here he was on the Ram 35-yard line with 57 seconds remaining.

It was only the third time in 10 possessions that Seattle had invaded Ram territory.

Wilson then tossed a short pass to running back Christine Michael.

Fierce Fumble

Linebacker Mark Barron forced a change of direction and that’s when Ogletree barreled into Michael, jarring the ball free.

The only thought Ogletree had was to fall on top of the pigskin.

“Get on the ball as fast as possible,” he told The Southern California New Group,“and hold on tight because everybody is going to come driving onto the pile to get the ball away from me.”

Excitement Everywhere

As soon as the officials whistled the play dead, euphoria erupted in the stands.

“It was an amazing feeling being out there today,” Ogletree admitted. “It was a historical day. And I was glad to be a part of it.”

Ogletree’s defensive mates deserve a collective pat on the back.

They held the Seahawks high octane offense to 308 total yards.

Wilson completed 22 of 35 tosses for 239 yards but the running game was only able to muster up 67 yards.

Still No TD’s

Not that the Ram offense was exactly on fire.

The managed a skimpy 283 total yards and are still without a touchdown this year.

In fact you have to go back to the second quarter of last year’s finale against San Francisco to find a Ram in the end zone.

Tre Martin tiptoed in from four yards out with 1:31 left before halftime in a wild card game the Rams lost, 19-16.

Still Waiting

Since then there have been 10 empty quarters.

“I like touchdowns, but I love winning,” said quarterback Case Keenum.

“Obviously I want us to score touchdowns,” Hekker said.

Thankfully, it was his kicking partner who saved the day.

Perfection

Greg Zuerlein connected on all three of his attempts, from 39, 28 and 47 yards out, to give the Rams their first win at the Coliseum in 7,987 days.

It was a long time in coming.

But it was certainly a performance worth waiting for!

image: uptownmagazine.com

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John Stellman

I was born with sports in my blood. I began coaching little league baseball at 15. I was the sports editor of my high school newspaper. I did football play by play for the college radio station. I broadcast high school basketball for a local commercial station. But baseball was always my passion. During the 1970's I covered the Angels for the Orange County Register. And now I am back where I belong...