FanPost

Rise Up and Come Together Rams Nation!

Hey friends...

I've been doing a little reflecting in this dark, murky, shitty time of being a Rams fan. I've been angry, I've felt irrationally let down, and I've been pessimistic. I wanted to take a step back and reflect, particularly after reading mooseknuckles41's superb post re: Sam Bradford. Usually in times like these, perspective is a worthy pursuit, so please allow me to try my best:

The last few days have been rough for EVERY fan of the Blue and Gold. Regardless of whether or not you believed that Sam Bradford should have been this team's starting quarterback a week ago, if you are a true Rams fan, you just took a punch to the gut, and you feel like the wind has been knocked out of you. You've endured ill-advised and poorly-timed taunts from fans of other teams, maybe you have gotten a few sympathy texts from friends who root for Dallas, Buffalo, or Green Bay, and you've certainly had to stomach ESPN reporter Josina Anderson beaming from ear to ear as she reports from Earth City on our darkest moments.

Here at TST, it hasn't been much easier. Sam has always been polarizing to say the very least, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the debate rages on, even today. I've seen bitter arguments, sarcasm, and taking our shared misery out on one another. I'm not innocent either. I've certainly let the moment get the better of me and I promise I will work on it. I've seen every angle of our future plans debated, and I've seen people say we should simply tank for a draft pick. I don't know if there's a single thought about this team that makes me more sad. I can't profess to an expertise in football. That's a part of the reason I check TST so often. You all teach me more about the game than I learned from years of simply watching it on television. If each season is meaningless except for its impact on our draft position, then why should we even bother watching? No, I'm not particularly adept at the X's and O's, but I know this to be true: regardless of who lines up behind center for the St. Louis Rams, I will be watching with beer in hand and chili spoon in bowl, shouting at the television that the refs are totally paid off and can we PLEASE not give the receivers a ten yard cushion on 3rd and 5?!

I know that after 15 years of rooting for this team and watching every single game, and a few years of being a totally broke college kid, I've set aside a large portion of the money I got interning this summer and I'll be flying down to St. Louis for my first Rams game. I hope to see many of you there at both the tailgate and the game, and I'll be cheering until I lose my voice.

You see, life is just better with Rams football. I have no idea what this season will bring, or what comes next. Will Shaun Hill be the next Kurt Warner? All I know is that we get a minimum of 16 games of Rams football before we head into the tumultuous uncertainty of another offseason. What I want to know is: Who is excited for that? Who's going to be watching all the same? Chin up, brothers (and sisters). We've got a whole season ahead of us!

Go Rams!