Rams Sell Out, Cowboys-49ers Bumped Off Air

For the first time in two years, a Ram home game has sold out--and it means Sunday’s game between Dallas and San Francisco, billed as the NFL’s game of the year, won’t be televised locally.

The Ram-Raider sellout, announced Monday, lifted the local blackout on a Ram home game for the first time since the team played the 49ers on Nov. 22, 1992. NBC will televise Sunday’s game.

Ram officials announced they have sold 69,008 tickets, and are anticipating the biggest crowd since the team moved to Anaheim Stadium in 1980. The largest crowd to see a Ram game in Anaheim was 67,959 for the 49ers’ game in 1989, the last season the Rams finished above .500 and made the playoffs.

In accordance with NFL rules, Fox can’t show a doubleheader here because the Rams are at home, and it can’t show a 1 p.m. game because it can’t go up against the Ram-Raider telecast.

That means Fox has to give Los Angeles a 10 a.m. game. So this market gets Chicago at Miami.

But don’t blame Fox. It’s the NFL’s doing.

Fox is boxed in by the league’s television policies.

The Fox programming here Sunday afternoon will include such things as WWF wrestling, “Gilligan’s Island,” and “Three’s Company.”

“Rules is rules, Gov,” said David Hill, Fox sports president. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Times staff writer Mike Reilley contributed to this story.