Moving the Rams Full Circle
May 1994--Ram owner Georgia Frontiere says she is considering moving her team out of Anaheim because Southern California fans are too fickle and not “gung-ho for the team, win or lose. It’s that way in some other cities . . . but there are so many alternatives in Southern California. It’s very, very tough.”
July 1994--Rams open what is expected to be their final summer training camp in Orange County. “Watch Wayne Gandy Protect Chris Miller’s Backside” season-ticket campaign fails miserably.
Sept. 4, 1994--Rams lose their season opener to Arizona, 44-8, in front of only 22,103 at Anaheim Stadium. “I’m surprised that many showed up,” Arizona Coach Buddy Ryan crows afterward. “Course, if they hired me when they had the chance, there’d a been a butt in every damn seat and a line out the door from here to San Juan Cappuccino . . . Cappelletti . . . you know, that monk place where all the damn birds go. And Georgia wouldn’t be movin’ anywhere, ‘cept to a bigger bank.”
Sept. 18, 1994--San Francisco rookie defensive tackle Bryant Young, selected by the 49ers after trading up with the Rams on draft day, breaks through the Rams’ offensive line and blind-sides Chris Miller, crushing the quarterback’s right knee. Miller is lost for the season. Rams lose, 30-3.
Dec. 11, 1994--Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Trent Dilfer passes for 487 yards and five touchdowns as Buccaneers defeat Rams, 45-14.
Dec. 24, 1994--Rams lose to Washington, 6-3, in what is billed as the team’s final home game at Anaheim Stadium. Among the 14,149 fans in attendance, four unfurl a banner that says, “We Give, We Give. Please Georgia, Move The Team.” Rams finish 2-14, their only two victories coming against the New Orleans Saints, who release Jim Everett at season’s end.
February 1995--Rams sign a letter of intent to move to Baltimore. “I think Baltimore misses having a football team,” Frontiere says. “The people seem eager to have it happen again.”
April 1995--Holding the No. 1 pick in the draft, Rams keep trading down until they collect all 30 selections in the seventh round. With them, the Rams draft 30 offensive linemen. “We need a lot of big guys to help move all this furniture,” Coach Chuck Knox explains.
Sept. 9, 1995--Rams play their first game in Baltimore before a sellout crowd of 72,000. In a special pregame ceremony, Johnny Unitas throws a red, white and blue football to Raymond Berry. That is one more completion than the Rams manage in a 16-0 loss to Jacksonville.
Dec. 30, 1995--Rams lose their season finale, 28-10, to Atlanta. Rams finish 5-11 but sell out all eight home games. “This has been a wonderful experience for us,” Frontiere tells the crowd afterward. “We stink, but you still like us. You really like us!”
January 1996--Knox resigns as Ram coach to accept a scouting position with the 49ers. “I’m going to get to a Super Bowl one way or another,” he says.
February 1996--Citing a desire to “restore football in Baltimore to the prominence of its glory years,” Rams replace Knox with Weeb Ewbank.
April 1996--Ewbank falls asleep during the draft. Rams are unable to make first- and second-round selections.
December 1996--Rams finish 4-12. Average home attendance slips to 47,000.
October 1997--Locked in a bitter contract dispute, Rams abruptly trade All-Pro running back Jerome Bettis to Indianapolis for three first-round draft choices and three second-round draft choices.
January 1998--Indianapolis stuns San Francisco in Super Bowl XXXII, 21-17. Bettis rushes for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
April 1998--Rams use the first three picks from the Bettis trade to draft Arizona State’s all-time career leader in hamstring pulls, a gun-shy quarterback from Purdue and a goaltender from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, whom they plan to convert to cornerback.
April 1999--Rams use the last three picks from the Bettis trade to draft a one-legged punter from Wayne State, a tight end from the Betty Ford Clinic and the intramural flag football rushing champion from Cal State Fullerton.
December 1999--Rams finish 4-12 for the fourth straight season. Average home attendance slips to 32,000. Frontiere threatens to move Rams to a city where the fans are “gung-ho for the team, win or lose.”
February 2000--Rams sign a letter of intent to move to Shreveport, La., which has been without pro football since the Steamer of the old World Football League folded in 1975. “I think Shreveport misses having a football team,” Frontiere says. “People seem eager to have it happen again.”
March 2000--Citing a desire to “restore Ram football to the prominence of its glory years,” Rams hire Jackie Slater as player-coach.
December 2000--In one of the most amazing turnarounds in the annals of professional sport, Rams finish 12-4 and win the NFC West title.
January 2001--Rams lose NFC championship game to Tampa Bay, 14-10, when Trent Dilfer scrambles for the winning touchdown with 37 seconds to play.
January 2002--Rams lose NFC championship game to Tampa Bay, 37-7, as Dilfer passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns.
January 2003--Rams lose NFC championship game to Tampa Bay, 24-13, after Dilfer blocks a field-goal attempt and runs it back 90 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
February 2003--Frustrated by Rams’ inability to reach the Super Bowl, Slater resigns and jumps to Buffalo.
March 2003--Frontiere, who says she never lost faith in him, hires “my dear long-time friend” Jim Everett as head coach.
December 2003--Rams finish 1-15 after opponents devise unique strategy that entails rushing all 11 defenders toward the Ram sideline, causing head coach to drop clipboard and run for cover.
December 2004--Rams finish 0-16 and replace Everett with T.J. Rubley. Average home attendance slips to 29,000. Frontiere threatens to move Rams to a city where the fans are “gung-ho for the team, win or lose.”
February 2005--Rams sign a letter of intent to move to Pottsville, which has been without pro football since the Maroons folded in 1928. “I think Pottsville misses having a football team,” Frontiere says. “The people seem eager to have it happen again.”
December 2005--Rams finish 5-11.
December 2006--Rams finish 3-13.
December 2007--Rams finish 6-10.
December 2008--Rams finish 5-11. Average home attendance slips to 27,000. Frontiere threatens to move Rams to a city where the fans are “gung-ho for the team, win or lose.”
February 2009--Rams sign a letter of intent to move to Anaheim. “I think Anaheim misses having a football team,” Frontiere says. “The people seem eager to have it happen again.”