 THE 99 RAMS HAVE CHARACTER, BY san fRAM (Sept
14) |
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No matter what their record
is this year, this team will give us something to be PROUD of. I think this team's
CHARACTER bodes well for their future success on the field. A HUGE piece of evidence---perhaps the MAIN evidence at this point--- is the way that the team kept it together after the loss of Green. They went out and kept performing at a high level *after* his injury when a team with less heart would have been discouraged and might have even given up on the season. I think it's OBVIOUS to anyone who has seen even only the *result* of the Ravens game and read the interviews and comments from the players that this team hasn't given up on the season. It is SO much fun for me to root for guys that I think are genuinely good *people* as well as players. People you would be glad to know personally. Now I realize that players *often* give credit to their teammates when successful, but there seems to be a LOT of genuine respect and humility amongst the players on this team..... One of the most gratifying things about the team for me this year is illustrated by the following---something else that I saw as I watched the game. (I wonder how many of you noticed this?) At halftime, as the team headed to the locker room and the crowd was giving them a standing ovation, Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk were walking off the field together. Ike was gesturing as the crowd was cheering - he was pointing animatedly at *Faulk* next to him as if to say, "Let's hear it for THIS guy!" A small gesture, sure, but I think it speaks volumes about the mutual respect and support these Rams have for their teammates this year. I think this is VERY important for a successful team to have. Keep in mind, this was shortly after Ike had caught a TD pass - and at that point in the game, Faulk hadn't done much at all. Still, Bruce went out of his way to acknowledge him to the crowd. Think of Ike's thinly-veiled comments re: Banks vs. Green ("We needed leaders this year that were more focused on *winning* above all else...") and Kennison vs. Holt ("we went out and drafted a guy that's actually a wide receiver this year...") and his obvious respect for Faulk. Big difference Cool. There's more. To wit: Faulk on Warner: "He commanded the huddle the way we needed him to," Rams running back Marshall Faulk said. "One of the best jobs I've seen as a quarterback. He handled himself well for starting a season opener for a ball club, never having done that." Lyle on the offense: Lyle said the Rams' offensive proficiency inspired the defense. "The offense is so much better, it gives us an opportunity to go after cats," Lyle said. Faulk on Martz and Warner: "Great call by Mike Martz, our offensive coordinator," Faulk said. "Kurt laid the ball up there beautifully for me." Holt on Warner: "We struggled a little bit in the third quarter. We could have thrown in the towel. But Kurt came into the huddle and said "OK, let's get it together. Let's put together a drive. And so we did." These just aren't the type of guys to lay down or quit when the going gets rough. I wouldn't have said that in previous years. All that PLUS improved talent is HUGE. |
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