As the Rams scram . . ....

As the Rams scram . . . The St. Louis Journalism Review criticized that city’s Post-Dispatch for running a giant, 160-point headline on the front page when the L.A./Anaheim Rams announced they were moving there.

The banner exulted: “FINALLY, FOOTBALL!”

Which the Review said “smacked of sensationalism and boosterism.”

Maybe so. But to Rams fans who have suffered through several losing seasons, the wording of the headline also raised more basic questions about the newspaper’s sports knowledge.

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A sales slip in more ways than one: Colleen Bennett of Azusa figures the drugstore where she shopped intended to sound more sincere than its receipt indicated.

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Balloting scandal?No sooner had the voter fraud claims of Mike Huffington, the would-be U.S. Senate replacement, died down, than several readers claimed that Only in L.A. closed its precincts too early. They were referring to our contest to determine who should throw out the first ball of a replacement player season. Some speculated that we announced the winner after less than a week because we didn’t have anything else to write that day. A cruel (though partially accurate) accusation.

Anyway, those nominated in the late returns included:

* Jay Leno, Johnny Carson’s replacement (submitted by Ann Sherman James).

*Marcel Marceau, because he “could pretend to throw out the first pitch” (Steven Gourley).

* Clyde Kluttz, a former big-league catcher (Frank De Haan).

* And, coincidentally enough, Huffington himself (Alan Coles and Dick Tyler). After all, he doesn’t have much to do these days.

In a way, it’s too bad that the Huff shelled out $28 million or so on his failed campaign. If he still had those bucks, we might have named him to a new position: Replacement owner.

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Where Are They Now Dept.: The Citizens Economy and Efficiency Commission of Los Angeles County sent a letter to Times staff writer Jim Rainey, addressing it to the paper’s City-County Bureau. Rainey last worked there three years ago.

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What next--a Thirsty Gerbil drink?After reading our item about Thirsty Dog, the designer beverage for mutts, Margaret Scully of Redondo Beach wrote to say there’s a Thirsty Cat brew, too.

“It has, they say, a ‘tangy fish flavor that cats love,’ ” she said. “I took the bait, bought the bottle and took it proudly home to my three purrfect felines. Not one of my designer cats would so much as sniff that bowl of liquid. . . . I should have listened to the checkout clerk, who was as incredulous as my husband that I was buying it.”

She added: “I have an almost full bottle of Thirsty Cat for anyone who wants it.”

Could be a good prize for the next Only in L.A. contest.

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Talk about space junk: We mentioned beforehand that one of the items on the block at the recent space memorabilia auction in Beverly Hills was described as “an essential piece of flight equipment that is seldom seen.” We thought you’d want to know that over the weekend someone actually paid $350 for the treasure, a “flown defecation bag (never opened).”

Of course, it did come “with a chemical packet and folded washcloth.”

miscelLAny Robert L. Ripley, whose bizarre memorabilia are on display in “Believe It or Not” museums in Hollywood and 20 other locations in the country, is buried in Santa Rosa, Calif. In the Odd Fellows Cemetery.