L.A. Benched / Week 5 : When Son Lost Rams, Sun Stopped Shining

Palmer LaRoche, who turns 80 this month, spent the past 14 years as an usher greeting the public outside Anaheim Stadium.

Now, given his opportunity for a parting shot at the Rams, he takes aim at the team’s top management.

“If the old man [Carroll Rosenbloom] was still alive, we’d still have football here,” LaRoche said. “Or, if his kid [Steve] had the team, we would still be watching the Rams. When she took the team from the son it was a big mistake.”

LaRoche worked as an announcer at automobile race tracks across the country before retiring and assuming part-time work at Anaheim Stadium. He’s still the first friendly face Angel fans see as they approach Anaheim Stadium, but no football means no job during the fall.

“There’s no good reason why there isn’t football here; there is nothing wrong with this stadium,” he said.

* It was 79 degrees at 10 a.m. Sunday in Los Angeles, 0% chance of precipitation and 0% chance of professional football.

* Six years ago Sunday a Coliseum crowd of 44,319 watched Seattle quarterback Dave Krieg outduel Jay Schroeder in the Seahawks’ 24-20 victory over the Raiders.

* In the time it took for 11 teams to achieve victory on Sunday, 480 golfers teed off on Griffith Park’s two courses.