Some Rams Are Angry, Others Noncommittal as Strike Looms

After watching the Rams stumble through two losses in two games, some fans might be wondering if the real Rams are already on strike and those guys out there are a bunch of “non-union alternates” hiding underneath shoulder pads and blue helmets with gold horns on the side.

But after Sunday’s 21-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the very same Rams that some picked to win the Super Bowl this season stood around the locker room in a quiet daze and reluctantly turned their attention to the probability of a players strike Tuesday.

“I feel like Jim Bakker,” guard Dennis Harrah said. “I feel like somebody’s taken a whole lot away from me. We’re 0-2 and I’m sick about that. There’s a strike coming up and I’m sick about that.

“I guess I’m just trying to think of someone who’s more miserable than I am.”

Harrah, a pro-union man, believes that the vast majority of his teammates will support the union’s decision to strike.

“We’ll go back to work when the union tells us to,” he said. “There are issues that need to be settled. Our pension is horrible. But we can’t work until we sign a contract and I’m not going to talk about the specifics. That’s not my job.”

Running back Eric Dickerson said he also would honor the strike order, but he didn’t think the union’s demands on free agency--an issue both sides agree is a major stumbling block--are realistic.

“I say drop it, just drop it,” he said, indicating that he felt the owners would band together and agree not to sign free agents, a situation that many believe occurred in baseball this season.

“I’m not going to come in and play with a bunch of guys who aren’t pro football players, though,” Dickerson said. “I’m not going to take the chance of getting hurt. I’m not going to jeopardize my future.

“It’s down to the point where the owners want to show how much power they have and the union wants to show how much power it has. But we took a vote and most of the vets voted for the strike, and I consider myself a vet.”

No Rams interviewed were ready to come out and say they were going to cross the picket lines, but some reserved the right to make that decision on Tuesday.

“I can’t answer that question right now,” said safety Johnnie Johnson, who blocked a punt, scooped it up and ran 20 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter Sunday. “Personally, I really don’t know yet. We’ll have a meeting Monday and then I’ll decide.”

Backup quarterback Steve Dils hasn’t made up his mind, either. “Ask me again in two days,” he said. “It’s a very tough call.”

Defensive end Gary Jeter said he was upset about the lack of negotiations and the reluctance by both sides to make compromises.

“I tell you one thing that makes me mad,” he said. “There’s only two guys who are going to get paid during this, and that’s (Management Council executive director Jack) Donlan and (NFL Players Assn. president Gene) Upshaw.

“I hope they can work something out, but it doesn’t look good. I don’t look forward to going home and laying on the sofa watching soap operas for seven or eight weeks.”

A couple of Rams did concede that they wouldn’t mind a short strike . . . and the time to recuperate.

Starting wide receivers Ron Brown and Henry Ellard--both suffering from painful hip injuries--said they wouldn’t mind a little time off. Limping around with a picket sign beats the heck out of having linebackers slam you into the turf.

“This thing hurts like a son of a gun,” Brown said. “I could use a couple of weeks off.”

Ellard echoed Brown’s sentiment. “I’ll take a strike that lasts a week or so,” he said, pointing to the hip he injured late in the first half. “It’ll give me a chance to heal.”

Ram player representative Carl Ekern said the labor problems were not a factor in the game, but once it was over, his thoughts turned to his responsibilities and the logistics of keeping his teammates informed and unified in the days to come.

“I’d like to try and relax a little tonight, but there’s a lot to do,” Ekern said. “We’ve got a meeting (today) to discuss the latest developments. I haven’t heard what the plan (for picketing Ram camp) is if they keep it open and continue to hold practice, but I imagine we’ll be out there picketing.

“Tuesday is our day off, so we’ve got everyone’s phone number and we’ve set up a network to keep everyone informed. I imagine most guys will be sitting around their phones waiting.”

Quarterback Jim Everett, who had declined to comment on the strike until after Sunday’s game, said he was still hoping for a settlement before the strike.

Would he consider crossing the picket lines?

“No . . . uh-uh,” he said, managing a smile. “I’ll do whatever my linemen do.”