Of Course, This Proves All Credit Goes to Her

It will have a life of its own, the St. Louis media probably making an immediate move to waive the waiting period.

But even though nominations won’t be made until sometime after the start of next season, the final vote not coming until the day before Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, Fla., how can you keep Georgia Frontiere out of the Professional Football Hall of Fame?

You can count on the good people of St. Louis, who erected a statue of Stan The Man outside Busch Stadium to put up one now for Georgia The Woman outside the Trans World Dome.

This is a love affair, in this case quite all right, because she’s between husbands.

“In St. Louis the fans have become our 12th man,” said the woman who now sits on top of the football world. “It was the same thing with the Colts in Baltimore. The fans there were their 12th man. We never had that in Los Angeles--even in the years we went to the playoffs.

“I’m so thrilled to give something back to the place I’ve always been so proud to call my hometown. I’d also say bless you to the Ram fans in California who continue to follow us.”

Can’t imagine a California home that wouldn’t want an autographed picture of Georgia Frontiere cradling the Lombardi Trophy in her arms hanging somewhere on the wall.

“I hear from so many fans in California, I can’t tell you how many,” she said.

Three, four . . .

“They watch us on TV now just like they did when we were in Anaheim,” she said.

Those were the days.

They will love her in St. Louis, of course, for fawning over them. And fawning she does well. There will be a parade, delayed for an hour or two waiting for her arrival, and probably a move by some to rename the Gateway Arch, Georgia’s Alley.

The Hamilton Elementary School library, where she went to school before being married seven times, already carries the name Georgia Frontiere, although she has said publicly she never consummated her marriage to Dominic Frontiere. But no reason to confuse those kids.

Those youngsters are going to report to school today proud, and inspired with the goal one day to grow up and be just like Georgia Frontiere.

St. Louis has the spotlight because Georgia made it happen. “It wasn’t me--I was just the catalyst,” she said modestly.

With the game tied, 16-16, Georgia made her way to the sidelines, undoubtedly to help with the play-calling. And thank you, ma’am, just like that the Rams went deep for 73 yards and the game-deciding touchdown.

“This is the special team for me,” she said. “The other special team were those Colts.”

But is that enough?

As most football fans in Los Angeles can tell the world, Georgia has never received her due for her contributions to the game of football. And if the Hall of Fame panel can vote in a loser like Raider owner Al Davis, they might think the proper thing to do is put the first female owner to win a Super Bowl in, because after all, she demonstrated this season that she was smarter than all the men.

According to the official $15 Super Bowl program, “St. Louis’ success was no accident. Frontiere oversaw an ambitious off-season agenda that included the acquisition of running back Marshall Faulk and guard Adam Timmerman, and the drafting of Torry Holt.”

You imagine the number of hours she spent in the Ram war room going over the height and weight of all those draft-eligible players, finally pulling the trigger on Holt, who caught seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. The woman can pick them. Much like Hall of Fame owner Art Rooney.

Relying on her years and years of experience shopping, she also knew a bargain when presented, telling her minions to give up a pair of draft picks for Faulk. The woman can get her man when she sets her sights on him. Much like Hall of Fame owner George Preston Marshall.

Timmerman, a Green Bay free agent, was looking for a new home. His hobbies include restoring old cars and he owns a 1965 Mustang, and there aren’t many people in the league who go back that far, giving Frontiere the edge when it came time to court him and make small-talk.

The untold story, of course, is that Frontiere is probably the one who found Kurt Warner while on one of her many trips through Iowa, following the stars, as the astrologer, who accompanied her here, no doubt suggested. The woman will do whatever it takes to win. Much like Hall of Fame owner Dan Reeves.

“I kept watching Kurt on the sideline,” she said, and that shouldn’t really be a surprise. “He was pacing up and down. I was glad he kept moving. It’s hard to block things out and he has that ability. That’s important to be able to do.”

NFL officials said the game ran too late to provide a translation of what she was trying to say. If she is inducted into the Hall of Fame, of course a speech writer will be hired.

It’s time now to take a bow, and she will be bigger than ever, St. Louis’ answer to Jerry Jones. The way the athletes tell it, she has inspired them.

After the team clinched the NFC West Division, she entered the locker room, did a little shimmy, and then flashed the team, opening her jacket to reveal a shirt with “NFC West Champions” emblazoned across her chest.

This game is all about motivation, and as she pointed out in postgame remarks when she said this proves she did the right thing in moving to St. Louis, the ends justify the means.

That’s just the way it is. The rest of the world, and some stragglers in L.A., might be slow to grasp it, but according to the $15 official Super Bowl program, she’s not just another pretty face.

“Frontiere has become such a major presence in the community that she was named the ‘Sports Person of the Year’ in 1997 by the St. Louis Ambassadors.”

There was no mention in the program, but the suspicion here is she beat out the Ram starting running back at the time, Lawrence Phillips, in what was probably the closest vote in years.