:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46720534/usa-today-7607417.0.jpg)
It’s another Sunday night - without football - and a few articles that I’ve read recently have intertwined [in a very odd way] and lead me this article, where I’ll need your help answering a very important, unimportant question.
For starters, I’ll preface by saying that my wife and I hike a lot. And often times our discussions turn to "would you rather-s." Like "would you rather be eaten by a shark or a lion?" Or "would you rather be burned alive or drown to death?" Maybe "would you rather have more people at your wedding or your funeral?" There are a million of ‘em, and we’ve probably covered over 900,000. They make for some interesting conversation during our trek.
Today, on my way home, I heard someone on the radio ask one: "Would you rather have a naked picture of yourself circulating on the Internet or a breach of your financial data?" The question was posed by Mastercard. This has absolutely nothing to do with the St. Louis Rams, but we’re getting there.
In case you were wondering the results of the poll, though, 62% of Millennials [or "you young punks" as I call ‘em] would rather have their junk shown on the world wide web. Only 55% of the general population - otherwise known as the older, less “fit...maybe endowed" folk voted in the same manner. You can read the whole deal here.
So how does this pertain to the Rams?
Well, my mind quickly switched to football [good brain!] and remembered an article I saw over at Ramblin’ Fan. And it’s in regards to the pain we’ve endured for some time now. Just under a week ago, Ramblin’ Fan writer Michael Condon posed the question: "Should the Rams give up on 2015 in hopes of a new QB?" The premise, basically, is that if the Rams start off slow, they should look at tanking in order to land one of college’s best quarterbacks.
I’m going to bet this was met with more scrutiny than a middle-aged chunker who’d rather not have his baby maker on the internet for the whole world to see. Buuuuut, it’s possible there are folks that agree with him, whether wrong or right.
And so I want to know.
If the Rams did indeed get off to a sluggish start, let’s say 1-4, would the thought of giving up on 2015 for a prime draft pick enter your mind?
To kick off the season, the Rams have:
* Seattle Seahawks at home
* At Washington Redskins
* Pittsburgh Steelers at home
* at Arizona Cardinals
* at Green Bay Packers
...that’s a pretty tough slate. So, hypothetically, if the Rams were only able to pull out a win in D.C. Landover and start the season 1-4 before the bye week, would you spend Week 6 contemplating what Condon is suggesting?
Are you hoping they regroup and come back strong after the bye, in hopes of winning 8 or 9 out of the next 11, or do thoughts of "tanking" enter your mind in hopes of, as Condon suggests, landing the best QB in the 2016 draft?
The Rams, over the past three seasons, have won 7, 7, and 6 games respectively. And any fan will tell you that there’s not much elation tied to those kind of end results. But are there degrees? And are you willing to cough up a few games if it means landing a rookie who can immediately become a game-changer?
Simply put, winning 7 games sucks...almost as much as winning 6 games. Rams’ fans are tired of talking about "the last time we had a winning season" [it’s 2003, in case you forgot].
Pros of Winning 7 Games
* None
Pros of Tanking [1-2 wins]
* Mock-Drafting in November
* A high draft pick in 2016
A few things to note though...first off, the aforementioned article’s premise is that Nick Foles is either a really crappy quarterback who can’t get it done, or has been trampled into the ground as a result of poor offensive line play. I’m not sure which one, but it lends one to believe that he’s not the answer [or alive], despite the Rams stating they’re already looking to sign him to an extension.
I’m also of the mindset that many professional athletes don’t know how to quit. It’s not in their vocabulary, and it’s certainly not in their intentions. In many cases, they’ve been competing at a high level for the majority of their lives, and "turning it off" just isn’t something that comes easily. There are, however, probably a few players that wouldn’t mind taking a break.
So I’m going to leave it up to you - the fans - to decide. It’s obviously anonymous, so vote how your little heart desires. And thanks for playing "would you rather" with me...