Ram Notebook : Quick Start vs. Seahawks Made Seer of Robinson

The Rams’ plan last Monday night was not only to quiet the noisy Seattle fans but to chase them right out of the Kingdome.

Offensive tackle Bill Bain said: “(Coach) John (Robinson) told us before the game, ‘Don’t worry about the crowd. By 9 o’clock they’ll be gone.’

“When we scored that touchdown to go up 28-17 in the last quarter I looked up and it was 9 o’clock--and they were leaving.”

Right Behind You, Eric: Eric Dickerson voiced fears this week that the Atlanta Falcons would try to attack his broken left hand at Anaheim Sunday.

Two members of the Rams’ offense were asked how they would react.

Tight end Mike Barber: “Good. If they go after his hand, they might miss him. But we’d get on whoever’s case real quick, and I’d try to be the first one in there.”

Guard Russ Bolinger: “They’ve always been one of those defenses that swarm. They got after him pretty good last year.

“It’s pretty hard to go after a hand, but if I was on defense I’d try to give him my best lick. When he’s stood up and guys are coming at him from all angles, we want to try to get downfield and get in the way so they don’t make late hits. But that’s only if he’s not too far downfield and I’m not too tired.”

When Things Go Bad: The Falcons were hit with three unusual penalties against Denver last Sunday. Two were on receiver Billy (White Shoes) Johnson for doing his trademark end-zone dance after touchdowns; the other was on Coach Dan Henning for throwing ice at an official to protest another call.

“I made a gesture, had a cup in my hand and the results were that the official upfield saw something come out on the field and he threw it,” Henning said. “Nobody was hurt. There was no intent.”

Henning was more upset about the peanlties against Johnson.

“Ridiculous,” he said. “The rule is to stop taunting. I don’t think what Billy does is taunting. The rule reads that if an official thinks a celebration in the end zone is premeditated, he should call a penalty.

“I know the second time it happened in the game Billy had already told me he wouldn’t do it anymore if it was gonna hurt the team. That was a premeditated decision not to do it, but in his unconscious reaction he did it, anyhow.

“If those officials are that good to determine the intent of an individual, they ought to be doing a better job in other areas.”

Expert On Interceptions: Joe Namath commented several times during last Monday night’s game at Seattle that Ram quarterback Dieter Brock, who threw three interceptions, was having trouble reading NFL defenses after 11 years in the Canadian Football League.

Brock’s wife Kathy taped the game, and he heard some of the critique himself when he got home the next day.

“I think he (Namath) was just commenting on what he saw that night,” Brock said. “After I looked at the film I didn’t think I played that badly.”

The soft-spoken Brock probably wouldn’t have mentioned, if he were aware of it, that Namath led his league in interceptions three times and once tied an American Football League record with six in one game.

Going Strong: Another member of the ABC-TV team, O.J. Simpson, commented on Eric Dickerson’s return with only one week of practice: “It isn’t going to affect him until next week. This week he’ll play all right. Next week he’s gonna feel that no training camp.”

Actually, the idea was planted in Simpson’s head by Robinson at the coach’s meeting with the broadcasters earlier that day.

Dickerson, asked about it late this week, said he was still waiting for the effects to hit him.

“I don’t feel it yet,” he said, smiling. “Maybe I will Sunday.”

Meisner and the Cobra: When Ram nose tackle Greg Meisner finally signed a contract and reported last week, it didn’t take him long to get the feel of football again. “Boli welcomed me back,” Meisner said. “Gave me one of his famous cobra butts.”

Boli is guard Russ Bolinger, a 10-year pro who is filling in for the injured Dennis Harrah. His nickname, Bolinger says, is spelled “Boli, like Ali.”

“Boli uses his head better than anybody I’ve seen,” Meisner said. “If he hits you with it, he can put you out. He hit me on the side of the head.”

Meisner said he wasn’t hurt.

“I’ve been hit in the head too many times,” he said, “on and off the field.”

But, with Bolinger around, he should have remembered to duck.

“Remember when we were playing the Giants two years ago and somebody knocked Lawrence Taylor’s helmet off?” Meisner asked. “That was Boli. Cobra butt.”