Will the Rams Go With Julio Jones if Available?

None of us know if this kid will be there but after seeing some of his stuff, the Rams had better hope he's there at #14 and move on him because, I don't know about you, but he's just what the doctor ordered for Sam the Man.



GO RAMS.....get this kid!

Sam the Man Has Brought Back Hope

It does not matter how this season ended when it comes down to looking at the beginning of the career of Sam Bradford. In his first year he was able to quiet ALL critics about any questions or doubts they may have had about him. It doesn't matter what the questions or doubts were, Sam was able to answer them all. He was able to turn all of it into oohs and ahs as the talking heads fell deeply in love with a future star in the making.

In one short season this young kid that looks like a kid and it stops there, looks like a kid, did an amazing feat. In fact he did a number of amazing feats and here's a list of what this young man did for a dying organization.

1. Number one and foremost he resurrected a team from the bowels of the NFL pits of hell and put them right back on the map of respectability. Instead of being the laughing stock of the NFL, the NFL punching bag became a team that was talked about, is talked about and will continue to be talked about. They now are considered a young team on the rise and headed in the right direction. Sam did that in one short season.

2. He showed that he was not just another green horn rookie that had to sit on the bench behind a veteran QB before he could earn his right to step out onto the field. From the first moment he stepped out onto that field he immediately took control. Even though he may have had some rough spots, he did enough on the field and in the huddle to immediately gain the respect of the team. The moment he took his first snap he had the team with him and they rode with him the entire year, never flinching at the fact he was just a rookie.

3. He brought back the fans. The fans that were jumping ship left and right but suddenly they turned their heads and took notice that the Rams had finally done something right. They came back in droves to witness the beginning of the career of what could be a super star. They came back to witness history in the making.

4. He proved to everyone that he was tough and durable and after the first few games no one ever mentioned his shoulder or his durability again during the season.

5. He showed that he could face any opponent offered up to him and not let them rattle him. Never did he stand out there looking like a deer caught in headlights, like his predecessor. Nothing rattled this kid, nothing scared him off. He has shown no matter what, he will get right back up and still be in control of his emotions.

6. He found himself right up there statistically in his rookie year with some of the best, breaking many of the rookie records Peyton Manning had set and held for years. He found himself right there in the thick of the top QB's during the year as well. His stats were not super star, not yet but they were good enough to get him noticed and noticed big time. Every defense he played most of the year were doing everything they could to fluster or rattle him. But he stood his ground just like the other tough veterans around the league.

7. He brought back hope to the team and it's fans. Instead of dreading the upcoming season all fans around the country are finally looking forward to what the Rams have to offer because Sam has us all believing that there is nowhere else but up from here.

If he doesn't win Rookie of the Year it will be a travesty. 

Dear God...What Was That?!

Right out of the starting gate it started. The minute I saw it happen I simply knew the team was doomed and it was not only going to be a long night but we were headed for a loss. When was that? Well the very first drive. The Seahawks were driving but the defense stuffed them and was about to force them to a field goal. But wait....suddenly out of nowhere came a flag and the Rams were called for holding. Funny thing is, after the announcers showed us a variety of different camera views none of us, including the announcers saw any holding. So right off the bat the Rams were doomed with a phantom holding call!

Am I going to blame the loss on the officiating? No, but it is something that must be addressed. The Rams however; lost for a variety of reasons and let me list those before I go on with my officiating rant!

A Variety of Reasons:

1. Only running Jackson 11 times. What was up with that? Against a team that ranked at the bottom of the list in run defense.
2. Dink and dunk passes of just 3 and 4 yards.
3. Dropped passes by each and every one of the wide receivers including SJ39. Oh, one exception...Hoomanawanui....couldn't drop any passes because even though he was suited up and cleared to play, they didn't utilize Bradford's huge target.
4. No Hoomanawanui....what was up with that?
5. Very little blitzing and pressuring of Whitehurst. Didn't they look at the game the week before? Pressure the guy and he can't play worth a damn! We pressured him only a handful of times and you bet ya, he couldn't play worth a damn and always threw if away or was incomplete.
6. Coaching was the worst ever, plain and simple.
7. Officials had their hand in part of it as well.

Now, speaking of the officiating, win or lose, of all the games I watched all season, this game was indeed the worst officiated game of the year. I've never seen anything like it. Just to name a few:

• Of course the phantom holding call
• At least 4 missed holding calls that should have gone against the Seahags.
• The blatant off sides call that wasn't called against the Seahags, one that the entire Rams team thought was a free play including Bradford who could be seen saying to the officials dumbfounded "Wasn't that offsides?!" The announcers pointed it out several times as well, showing the infraction several times.
• And last but not least close to the end of the game the Rams stopped the Seahags on 2nd down forcing a 3rd and short, they even called it third and short and just as they began their play, the officials magically called it a first down, before Spags could even send out the challenge hanky! Unbelievable!

I'm sure there were more but those are some fine examples of just how horrible the officiating was in such an important game. It was sickening, I did not believe what I saw and am still in shock over the entire fiasco.

Something needs to be done with the state the officiating is in and Goodell should sit down with those in charge and take a good, long and hard look at what is going on with the officials. This kind of officiating is simply inexcusable and unacceptable!

As for the Seahags winning the division....no, they did not deserve it, but obviously the Refs and the Rams thought they did and helped them out in any and all ways that they could. As for next week's Wild Card game......I hope the Saints destroy the Seahawks, embarrass the hell out of them and have them scrounging around looking for a place to dig a hole and hide somewhere in Qwest Field. GO SAINTS!

GO RAMS in 2011