Rams Ratings Tumble

Fake mustaches, fan outreach, free agents and head coach with bona fides, the St. Louis Rams have gone all out in 2012 to repair ties with weary fans. Overcoming an average of three wins a season over the last five years is no easy task, and the television ratings for the Rams season opener were a stark reminder of that fact.

According to Dan Caesar (who is a real person despite the parody of a picture that goes with his column) at the Post-Dispatch, the Rams ratings fell to 19.3 percent in the St. Louis market. That's down from 22.5 percent the year before and 26 percent in 2010, when they introduced a fresh faced young quarterback to the world.

There's no need for panic. The Rams have a long way to go to bring back fans, and they've done a nice job with marketing and outreach since Stan Kroenke took over and redoubled those efforts this year under a new general manager and head coach.

All the marketing and transparency in the world cannot overcome poor results on the field. The good news is that, despite the loss, this already looks a like a team headed in the right direction, a team capable of winning games and playing tough with any opponent.

A few wins, a few fake mustaches and suddenly fans in St. Louis could have a whole new outlook on the Rams.