Rams Expect a Sellout but Still Will Be Blacked Out

The long-awaited countdown to Eric Dickerson began Monday at 9,000.

Yards? Barbs?

Nope, tickets. That’s how many remained on sale for what was supposed to be the biggest home game in the Rams’ recent history.

Harder to believe, however, is that Sunday’s game between the Rams and Indianapolis Colts won’t be televised locally even if it sells out 72 hours in advance, which is expected.

It has to do with National Football League’s contract with the networks involving markets with two teams, such as Los Angeles.

According to the contract, NBC, which is sending its first announcing team of Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh to Anaheim, cannot televise more than one game in the market if one of the teams is at home.

The network is obligated to televise next Sunday’s Raider game at Kansas City back to Los Angeles, which knocks the Colts-Rams matchup off the air.

“The only requirement we have is to bring (the game) back to Indianapolis,” Rich Hussey, NBC’s director of program planning, said Monday.

Dickerson, of course, returns to Anaheim Stadium for the first time since his trade from the Rams to the Colts in October, 1987. Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, he reached 10,000 yards more quickly than anyone, doing it in 91 games, seven fewer than Jim Brown.

Dickerson, of course, is also fast with the tongue, and has not been afraid to take swipes at the Rams since his somewhat bitter departure.

Last year, remember, he said if he was in a sinking boat and it came down to saving his coach, Ron Meyer, or Ram Coach John Robinson, he’d save Meyer.

Robinson said Monday that he plans to warn his players not to get caught in the game’s hype. Robinson has never fired back at Dickerson and says he doesn’t plan to this week.

“I try to ignore it,” Robinson said. “We’re all professionals. It’s not anything I’ll ever comment on. . . . The animosity appears to be directed from him toward us. We acknowledge he’s a great player and we acknowledge he was great for the Rams and great for Indianapolis.”

Robinson insists this is no more than a big game for his team, and even mentioned the sagging ticket sales as an example.

“I hate to screw up your deal here,” Robinson told reporters. “It’s special to win. I think they’re a good team. Defeating Indianapolis is our thing. If we hold him and defeat them, that’s great, because you’d like to stop him, or you’d like to stop (Roger) Craig, you’d like to stop any of those people. But I don’t think there’s any kind of unusual thing there. I think those are self-defeating things. Most of the guys on our team like him.”

Robinson, however, faces the task of stopping the most dominant runner in the game in Dickerson, a player Robinson drafted, honed, studied and marveled at. Now he’s on the other side.

There will be strong feelings, no doubt, but Robinson indicated they will not be made public. He spoke rather matter-of-factly of Dickerson’s arrival.

“It’s like stopping any of the really good runners, Roger Craig or him,” Robinson said. “We held Roger Craig to a solid 205 last year (190 yards, actually), so we’re capable of giving guys some good days. How do you stop Dickerson? I don’t know if there’s any difference playing those kinds of runners. Those kinds of runners are hard to stop.”

Those kinds of runners?

“He’s a great runner,” Robinson continued. “I think if I was a fan, I’d want to see him run, whether it was with the Rams or the Raiders or whatever. The fact he’s playing us, obviously makes it more focused.”

And this just in from Indianapolis: Dickerson told reporters there that he can’t wait to get at the Rams.

“I used to tease the guys when I was there, (about) what I would do to them if I ever played against them,” he said. “I won’t say what I told them.”

Dickerson also said he expects Sunday’s game to be all business.

“I expect a handshake,” he said. “And then I’ll get knocked on my butt. It’s the same with them. I’ll do the same to them if I get the opportunity.”

Ram Notes

The Rams were hoping to get their starting inside linebackers back to put up against Eric Dickerson this Sunday. Fred Strickland is expected to return after recovering from summer knee surgery. Larry Kelm, still hobbled by a foot problem that’s more serious than first thought, remains doubtful. The Rams are so concerned they’re talking with former Raider linebacker Matt Millen, released earlier this summer. “A lot depends on Larry Kelm, and the projection of how long he’ll be out,” Coach John Robinson said.

How times and teams have changed: Nineteen of the current 47 Rams were never teammates of Dickerson. . . . Robinson said rookie Cleveland Gary will not be activated for the Colt game. The Rams received a two-game roster exemption for Gary when he signed last week. It probably means backup quarterback Steve Dils will stick around for another week, even though Mark Herrmann’s cracked rib is almost healed. “I think’s he’s close,” Robinson said of Herrmann.

Robinson admitted Monday that he has never cared much for Greg Bell’s running style, which contrasts his theories on power and angles. However, Bell continues to rack up the yardage, having added 128 yards to his total in Sunday’s victory over Atlanta. “It’s that stop-start type thing,” Robinson said of Bell’s technique. “Sometimes it drives me crazy. But I’m getting more used to his running style.” . . . Robinson was still defending two third-quarter scrambles by quarterback Jim Everett. Everett was dazed after taking a hit on the first run and bowled head-first over a safety on his way to a 13-yard touchdown. “I don’t want him to take foolish risks,” Robinson said. “But you’ve got to play with some aggressiveness. The young Joe Montana was great for those kinds of things.”