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Dick Vermeil Retirement Board Shortly after Dick Vermeil announced his retirement, we created a special message board (at the suggestion of members of "the Herd") so that you could submit your thoughts and wishes to Coach Vermeil regarding the past season and his retirement. On February 9, 2000, we collected the posts, printed them, and mailed them to his office. We recently received this response from Mrs. Vermeil on his behalf and wanted to share it with you. The cover letter from the admin team and all of the posts that were mailed to him are also posted below. Thanks to all of you who participated. The Rams Board Admin Team From the Vermeils: Please thank "The
Loyal Herd of Rams Fans" for their best wishes and sincere comments in the DV
Retirement Forum. The time since the SB has been a blur. We have boxes of mail and are
doing our best to get through all of it. People have been so nice and supportive - it is
very heartwarming. Dick does not "do" the computer so... This was the best way
for me to thank all of you for him. He is such a "people person" I know he
appreciates your loyalty!!! Carol THE COVER LETTER: “The Loyal Herd of Rams Fans” Dear Coach Vermeil, We are the administrators of an internet message board devoted to serving fans of the St Louis Rams. After hearing your announcement to retire, some of our fans suggested that we provide a forum in which they could express to you their best wishes, and their gratitude for what you have done for our team. We were more than happy to create such a forum, and invited them to post their thoughts, with a promise that we would try to see that they reached you. We collected the posts and printed them, but we also extend an invitation to you to view them online by visiting our site at http://rams.rivals.com. When you reach the main site, click on “Message Boards”, then you’ll see the “DV Retirement Forum.” Many of our regular members (collectively known as “The Herd”) have loved the Rams for thirty years or more. We have seen a few good years, suffered through many lean years, and continued to “love those Rams” through both! We agonized over how close we had come, and dreamed of the day that we would go all the way! Every draft, we hoped for improvement... Every coaching staff change, we prayed for a turn around... Through it all, we continued to cheer for our Rams. Coach Vermeil, you finally brought our dream to reality! For the next twelve months, OUR RAMS will be the defending Super Bowl Champions! We wanted you to know how deeply we appreciate you for giving us the right to that claim, and how much we wish for your future happiness... You will always be remembered for what you have given us. On behalf of “The Herd” THE POSTS: Aries:Thanks, Coach Vermeil! Coach Vermeil, Aries RamAttack: CLASS = DICK VERMEIL !! >From the bottom of my heart , thank you so much !! I have waited for this Super Bowl for several decades ! you made it possible, and all Ram fans will forever be in your debt ! I hope to at least see you back on TV with your partner Brett Musberger ! much happiness !!!! Dan RAT: A Man among men To quote a great coach the cheapest thing you can possess is Class, it doesn't cost anything. Oh it is priceless and precious. DV s a giver and he gave his best. Even when I felt that he would be fired I never doubted his pride. I never believed he was sabotaging the team. I feared that he could not reach todays selfish athletes. I feared he could not learn from his mistake (but I was the one mistaken). Georgia Adored DV and trusted him. Why because he is contagious. Nice guys finish first in my mind. DV has proven that. Some will tarnish his retirement and litter it with cloak and dagger inuindo. I applaud it because he has left more than a fairytail legacy behind. A man of his word he has left behind a team and an organization that is better off that when he first came. He has given this organization something to live up too. He has left a nucleus of talent and heart that will not be easily quenched. He has left Martz in the best situation possible. I hope martz has observed DVs mastery and learned. DV will not forget this team and will be a constant source of inspiration and conventional wisdom to all who want to learn. DV is a winner. '66 Rams Fan:DV... You got your start in pro ball with the Los Angeles Rams, you ended it with CLASS as a Ram. Fond farewell, Dick Vermeil, Fond farewell...... Rammed for Life:Coach Vermeil, my deepest thanks to you! You gave this 32 year Ram something he has dreamed of since 1967--a ring for his beloved team. You took a disgruntled, inept organization, and turned it into one of the most professional, well run organizations in sports. But you did more than that. You were yourself. A human being in a world of phony talking heads. I have always believed in toughness and perseverance. But I believe in those things in the context of being genuinely human. I believe in being who one actually is and dealing with the pluses and the minuses of that package rather than selling a calculated image. You are a man who was willing to be himself: emotional, driven, passionate. You are a man who is willing to show people you care about them--and then remain loyal to them until there is no doubt you meant it. More than anything else, you did something this year that is, in my experience, simply unprecedented. You were a public leader of a high profile organization. And yet you were willing to LEARN, to adjust to the people around you. I cannot think of a coach, a politician, a statesman, a CEO, ANYONE who has publicly transformed himself as you did this year. Your willingness to learn from people, from your subordinates and your players, to listen to their needs and adapt yourself to meet those needs, shines as an example to a nation filled with leaders whose egos drive everything before them. Coach Vermeil, on our message board, I have written about you often. Last year, fairly critically. But even then, I always appreciated a vulnerable openness in you that seemed genuine, human. I always felt that, if I met you, I could relate to you as a person. Not something I often feel concerning public figures. This year, it seems to me that you accomplished a rare thing. It seems to me that you have healed yourself. Based on what I have read (and I am well aware that the press distorts) I have formed the impression that you stilled some demons that have troubled you for a long time. I suppose it is presumptuous of me to say that. I hope you are not offended. But I say it with profound respect. Human beings struggle with demons. You have had the courage and honesty to do so in public. And you have had the courage, faith, perseverance, and self-awareness to heal yourself in public too. In the pre-game show, Ron Jaworski talked about you. He said he had seen you just prior to the game and you had asked him whether he knew where your wife was sitting. He said you were talking to him about your grandchildren. Jaworski said that, the last time around, you were so completely focussed on the game that you would not have known it if the President of the US were in the stands. He said it was remarkable that you were now able to be aware of and connected to your family in spite of the moment. Coach Vermeil, that is a beautiful, beautiful story. It is a story of healing and growth. It is a story of transcendence. You didn't just give the world a championship team. You taught the world a lesson about how a human being can grow enough to transcend the game itself and see through it to the fundamental realities of human hearts in relationship to each other. I am so proud that you have coached my team. You have given us a championship. And you have lived a testimony that promises to make us better people. I deeply admire and respect you. And I hope that I can grow and learn and still my demons half as well as you have done. Coach, I wish for you many years of joyful and peaceful retirement with your wife Carol. This is your time together. You have earned it! Paco: Thanks for making dreams come true! Thank you Coach for giving the fans a team with heart to bring a championship to long suffering fans.In the first 2yrs. of your tenure I'll admit that I believed the game had passed you by, but it wasn't the game, it was the attitude of the players that had changed and you brought the warmth and emotion needed.Somehow you transformed this team from a losing team to champions and I will never forget this season for so many reasons.Thank you Coach. Billy T: Thanks, DV. Your kind of players won it-- for all Rams fans. I hope Martz doesn't forget what got you there. Best of luck with your family and friends. Thanks for all of those memories!! Zack Neruda:thanks I have followed only one sports team in my entire life. The Rams. We will always remember the amazing ride that was the 99 Rams season. >From the ashes of Aug 28th to the bright shining shimmering of the dome lights reflecting off a trophy held high...we will always, always remember the glory of this time. You went out a winner, coach. THE winner. Thanks coach. Just...thanks. I love it when the Rams win superbowls....! Ram Rock:Thank You, Thank You, Thank You,... I, as well as, many others, will be forever indebted to you Mr. Vermeil ! With a tear in my eye I want to say, "Thank You. You have made this long time Ram fan a very, very, happy man !" Class Act, Class Man, Class Way To End It ! You will be a Hero forever in our hearts ! Again, Thank You Mr. Vermeil ! Forever Grateful, PA Ram:Thanks coach For living the impossible dream, and sharing it with all of us Rams fans. BlackBCG:Coach Vermeil! Thank you so much!!! I'm 33 years old. I've been a RAMS fan for 27 of those years. In all those years, I can not think of a single season that any NFL team has had, that has been more unexpected, more exciting, more unbeleivable, and more inspirational than the 99 RAMS' season. Thank you for bringing all of this together. I'm sure I can speak for all RAMS fans when I say "We wish you the best in your retirement". Forever Greatful! BlackBCG Jerry Reynolds:Along this road we have traveled Dear Coach Vermeil, It was 1969 and I was 13 years old and I could remember listening to Dick Engberg on KMPC 710 and the Rams games on Sunday afternoons. 1969 was the year another quarterback, named Gabriel was named the leagues MVP. The Rams had won their first 11 games in a row and then lost their last 3 and the aggrivating loss to the Vikings in Bloomington when the Rams led 17-7 at halftime. >From that 1969 season to this point it seems you and I have traveled together, although separately. I remember you as the first special teams coach in the NFL and I remember you coaching for Tommy Prothro during his stay with the Rams and I remember you as the head coach of UCLA and beating Woody Hayes and the Buckeyes in the 76 Rose Bowl. Even though I was not an Eagles fan, I remember Wilbert Montgomery's big day against the Cowboys in the playoffs and what an electric atmosphere was coming through the television screen from that game at Veteras Stadium in Philadelphia. I was pulling for you in your Super Bowl appearance against Oakland. I just wish the Rams would have kept Ron Jaworski. I met you one time at Anaheim stadium in the early 80s and we talked briefly. You were in a hurry to catch a flight I guess. I think what stood out to me at that moment, was how larger then life you seemed. Little did I know at that time that I was talking to the one man who would lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. Finally one day between the end of the 96 season and the start of the 97 season you were named the Rams head coach, when it seemed nobody wanted to be the Rams head coach. Kevin Gilbride many had thought was the big prize at the time and he refused to sign with the Rams and had harsh critical things to say about the organization and he signed with the Chargers and proceeded to destroy them. How fortunate we all are that Gilbride didn't want us and you did. 97 and 98 were seasons of anguish and turmoil and I must say that I was not in your corner at the end of the 98 season. I was wrong coach, we who doubted you after the 98 season were all wrong. Now, I thank God that you remained as the Rams coach for the 99 season. I feel like the luckiest fan in the world that you remained and made this team into something only you knew it could be. You came here with a promise and through adversity you persivered and gained strength from the conflicts of friend and foe alike. You vanquished all my enemies and yours and together we stand at the pinnacle of your success. Along this road we have traveled, sometimes apart,but, I always knew where you were. Only now do I come to know the full meaning of what you represented in my life as a Rams fan and a man. Thank you coach, thank you for the gift that nobody will ever take away. God bless you and God keep you and surely goodness, happiness and peace of mind and spirit will follow you the rest of the days of your life. Sincerely and with affection, Jerry Reynolds Nittany Ram:Thank you Coach. Thank you for making this season the greatest of my life. I've been a Rams fan since 1971, and never have I enjoyed a season more. I am proud of the great job you did with my team, and the class you demonstrated while doing it. And thank you for reminding us that it is still possible to "win it all" without having to sacrifice one's principles. You've proven that nice guys CAN finish first. The next time you're at your hunting camp, stop by the Nittany Inn and I'll buy you a beer... I owe you one. RAM 23:Congratulations Coach!.....> on your decision to retire as the Super Bowl winning Caoch. I watched your entire press confrence and I was saddened but at the same time I was
happy. What a great thing you have helped bring to RAM fans, the city of St Louis and for sure the NFL! Enjoy your retirement and please do just that, I know you have energy coach but don't
get dragged back into the fire. Thanks Coach for the memories. RAM 23 Ramway:Thank you! I've been a football fan a long time. I rooted for some pitiful St. Louis Cardinals teams and watched you take the Eagles all the way to the Super Bowl. When the Rams came to town, I thought they could build a playoff team, if they had the right coahing. When the Rams hired you, I felt you could lead them to the playoffs. What you have given me is beyond my wildest dream. I never thought about winning the Superbowl this year, just making the playoffs and winning a game, would've been better than anything, for a team that I follow. I wish you, Carol, and your family (espescially your eleven grandchildren) the very best during your retirement. I wish you could stay and finish out your contract, but I understand your commitment to your family. Love, Peace, and God Bless You, Wayne P. Ram Fan:Thanks So Much! The day Dick Vermeil was hired I said, "If the Rams are EVER going to win a Super Bowl, I hope it is under Dick Vermeil". I have been a Rams since childhood. I was not sure I would ever get to enjoy a Super Bowl Championship. Thanks to you Dick Vermeil, I got to realize a longtime dream. I will always cherish the memories of the 1999 NFL Season. I wish you and your family nothing but good fortune. Have a wonderful life and once again, Thank You. Terry Showalter lazerram:Thanks Coach Thanks for the integrity and passion you brought to the game of football. Thanks for making the Rams winners again. The sporting world will surely miss you. Farewell Coach Tony Romas:Martz While I had hoped DV was going to stay one more year I think it is the players who win. The coach puts them into position to win but players make it so. Martz cuold end up being the next Gibbs who knows. I wonder what he is going to do about off coordinator? EricD29:Thanks Coach Coach thank you for all you have done.Thank you for your dedication and commitment to
our players and organization. It has been a pleasure being associated with this team as a
fan. I am very proud you and the job you have done,enjoy your vacation with your wife she
deserves it and so do you. SHAKY:DV ENJOY YOUR FAMILY" Have fun and kick back. Do what ever tickles your fancy. You have brought so much joy to my life and to so many others. I grew up in N.J. so I watch you when you were in Philly and when you were named the Rams head coach I said to my wife we now have the best Rams coach in my life time. I said real early in the year in a post that you will go down as the best Ram head coach in Rams history but I didn't think you would go down as the best person in Rams history. Mrs. Shaky and I will always love and care for you. Thanks so much you have made us so happy and even better people. We love you DV....... Mrs. Shaky:You made our house a happy house.. All can say is that you have put a smile on Shaky's face like I never seen before. For that I say thanks. I have been pulling for the Rams since I met Shaky in 1979, so I've been a fan of the Rams for a long time too. Have fun with your Grand children and the rest of your family. Enjoy life!! Mrs. Shaky, HappyNoodleBoy:Thank You, Coach Vermeil!!! Thanks for giving Ram fans everywhere a championship!!! Thanks for turning the roster into a family!!! Thanks for leaving a stellar legacy with the Rams!!! You've touched the lives of countless people that you haven't even met -- we salute you, sir. djram:Thank You Dick Vermeil I just wanted to thank you for the large roll that you played in restoring football apprecition in St. Louis. I was behind you last year when you were under a lot of pressure because of the losses, but I could see that things were starting to change. Once again I want to say thank you and enjoy your retirement. You deserve it. Duke Blue:Thanks and Goodbye! Coach, You mean a lot to the city of St. Louis. You will forever. You took the knocks for two years. Trying to make something out of Banks (who someday will grow up) and Phillips (who may never), you poured your heart into every player you were given. You didn't get the respect for two years from almost everyone - except your players. 1999 will be the year Dick Vermeil proved his genius. But I know to your team, it will mean much more - you made them become people more than just players. You made them true winners. Goodbye Coach. Sip a Cabernet for me. NickMarschel:Thanks coach Greetings Dr. Vermeil, Just wanted to thank you for the excellent work you did bringing the rams from the lowly environs of the nfc western division to the pinnacle of NFL achievement. In my mind, you are the greatest coach of all time and you definitely belong in the hall. The city of St. Louis truly loves you. Have a happy retirement and good luck in your next endevour, whatever that may be. I look forward to the possiblity of hearing your analysis on tv or radio. Please come back and visit some time or check in with us via KTRS. Thanks! Nick Marschel of St. Louis - home of the world champion St Louis RAMS!!! Al Crawford:Hate to see you go ... it was your kind of player that you developed over the past three years to get the Rams to where you are now. No one else can take these players that others overlooked and mold them into stars -- both on and off the field -- the way you did. You will be missed by the players and the fans. Dakota:God Bless you DV you will be missed For 3 years we went through the ups and downs with you, all the time you were molding and getting players who were class acts like you to develope a strong young team. You took us to the promised land this year with class, something that this city will never forget. You took a losing team and transformed them into superbowl champions. I for one wish you would have stayed as our coach, but God bless you in your retirement and get back to enjoying your family and get to know those newest grandchildren. Know in your mind that the St. Louis Ram's and the city of St. Louis and the whole state of Missouri all love you and will miss you. Thanks for everything coach!!!!!!!! Mcdaddydan:Thanks so much! Lookin forward to hearing you instead of Boomer on MNF. Tim In LA:Thanks Coach... Two seasons ago, my brothers and I flew from Los Angeles to Buffalo to watch our beloved Rams play. Our seats were in the loge level right below the luxory boxes. As we settled into our seats, a lady in the luxory box two rows behind us, told us how glad she was to see that some Ram fans had attended the game and informed us that Issac Bruce had been scratched from the line-up due to a hamstring problem. Now we had been listening to the pre-game show on a Buffalo radio station and no mention of Bruce's hamstring problem had been made. To make a long story short, we thanked her for the information while wondering how she would have known when the rest of the world had apparently not been informed. We watched the game, and what a game it was as the Rams, our Rams, your Rams battled back from an 18 point 4th quarter deficit to win the game on Tony Banks three yard scramble for a score. My brothers and I celebrated an amazing come from behind win while allowing angry Bills fans to file out of the stadium before making our own exit. Before we could leave our seats however, the same nice lady who gave us the accurate information on Isaac's hamstring, invited us into the luxury box for something cold to drink. The nice lady introduced herself to us as Carol Vermeil, Dick Vermeils wife and also introduced us to his daughter and son-in-law. Coach Vermeil, I speak for my brothers as well as myself when I say that that is the biggest memory as Ram fans that we have. I attended my first Ram game in 1972 as a 7 year old with my father who passed away in November 2 months before getting an opportunity to watch his beloved football team win it's first Super Bowl. Coach, my Dad called it when you were hired, he said we would see the Rams win a Super Bowl before you were done and he was right. Thank you for everything you've done not just for the people of St. Louis but for all of the life-long Ram fans left behind in Southern California. Every year since the 95 move, my brothers and I have traveled to one road game a year. Unfortunately, this year we found ourselves in Detroit for the 4th and 26 debacle, but no matter where we go from here on out, that Buffalo game and the hospitality and pure class that your wife and other family members showed four strangers from Southern California will be the highlight of highlights of our annual trips. Thank you and God Bless you and your family. Very sincerely, Jack P. Miller:Good luck coach. You got what you wanted, and you deserve it. Hopefully Mike Matrz can keep what you help started. Have a good life. Rams forever. GO RAMS!!!!!!!!!!!! Jack P. Miller Kilroy:Good Luck and God Bless You and your family! Thank you for one of the most exciting years of Rams football in a long time. Congratulations and you deserve to go out on top. Next is the Hall of Fame! From worst to first, we are the champions! Don Haskell:My most humble appologies... and a thousand thanks for the tremendous job you accomplished with my beloved RAMS! I'm a long time fan and I must admit, your hiring made little sense to me at the time. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart progRAMmer:Farewell Coach.. Coach, you've been an inspiration to so many of us, not only as a football coach but as a great human being. You'll always be a hero to all us Ram Fans and to the city of St. Louis. I hope someday I can shake your hand and tell you in person, if not on this earth, in heaven. God Bless You Dick, and may you live a very, very long and happy life !!! Go RAMS !!! Jack Yblood:Thanx for making this Ram fan's life... You have given me the greatest sports memories I have ever had, and, at 37, I am sure the greatest that I ever *will* have. Thank you, and enjoy your retirement. You've truly earned it. ramjam79:Thanks coach Vermeil Iv'e been waiting 31 yrs. for the chance to tell everybody that my RAMS are world champions. I just want to say thanks coach for making that statement become a reality. You are truely a very special person, and one hell of a coach.Good luck in the future and thanks again for making my dream come true wv_ewe:Good Luck, Coach! Your name will always bring a smile to my face. Thank you for what you gave us this year. It wouldn't have happened without you. God Bless! jim.beam:Thank you coach. Coach I would like to thank you for the season. I have been a rams fan for over 32 years, And one of the things as a fan I have learned is patience, And faith, in the people that are in a position to make a difference, and coach you have made a difference.All of us can learn from your message, that character will prevail.You coach, are a quality individual, that built a quality organization.If our paths ever cross I would like to shake your hand.But beware as some times I can also get a little emotional. Sincerily yours Jim Smalley ( Jim Beam ) Margot:Retirement SO.......YOU get to retire in magnificent glory.....I, however, have bet WAY too many
people WAY too many pizzas that the RAMS would win the Superbowl! YOU get to hang out on
some island somewhere...and, well, BASK.......while I am frantically searching the phone
book for the Jenny Craig number!!! Y'think that's fair??? (Ah well......next time I'll bet
money). Kidding aside, thank you for the very sweet victory......y'all deserve it......and
the rotten sit-ups are being done with pride! Margot:Jenny..... Uh......never mind......just checked the scale......still 110.....will donate all
pizzas to charity......can't sue you for damages, then! LOL! Enjoy the much deserved
basking.....or whatnot! Ram Fan In Pit:Coach Vermeil: Class...but not least! They said that nice guys finish last. They said that you were in over your head. They were saddened to see such a good guy "embarrass" himself by coming back and faultering so badly. Coach, THEY WERE WRONG! Nobody wanted to open their eyes and see what it was you were building. THEY did not understand that you do not have to "buy a Championship." THEY did not understand that, 54 men, playing together, with a common goal, and never, EVER giving up COULD NOT BE STOPPED! Coach, you have taught this 39 year old father of three, more about life and sports than ANYONE else in my life. You showed me what loyalty, placed on the right people, is priceless. You have been an outstanding role my for my 8 year old son. He was DEEPLY saddened at the news of your retirement. After I explained your reasons to him he too wishes you the best. Good bye my friend, and enjoy. God knows you've earned it! And THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!!!! Scotty:You Da Man!!!! DV You had me half way through your first press conference. Many snide media types thought your mantra was hokey but I thought it grand. Work ethic, team work were refreshing thoughts after our 2 year debacle. Thank you sir, we have been honored by your presence. stlouy:Thanks,Coach! Congradulations on achieving the ultimate goal of your coaching profession,for yourself
and all the fans. ScRAM:A Year We'll Never Forget!!!! Thanks for putting these smiles on our faces. But more than anything,thanks for being you!!!!!!!!!! ScRAM Section101:Thanks for what you have done... You put together a team of football players and an organization that is made up (by and large) of good people. You made the point that character counts and that nice guys can finish first. You showed us a man could lead and have strong feelings. You showed us about loyalty and respect in a sport where those things are in short supply. You made all Rams fans proud of the team. I want you to know that I am proud of you Coach Vermeil and proud that you coached "my" team. I wish you well in retirement from coaching. I am an original PSL owner in St. Louis (my name is on the plaque on the TWA Dome) and I have seen the Rams in person every season since 1995. I want to apologize for doubting you last season. Just my two cents worth from where I sit in Section 101. Zooey:Thank you, Coach I am very happy for you, Dick. You went back to work in the face of criticism. You encountered skepticism and even derision from the media and fans. You faced to challenge of dealing with the mess of the 90's losingest team. And in the beginning, it did not go well. The team continued to perform poorly both on and off the field. There was talk of mutiny. There were suggestions that the game had passed you by. And there was personal mockery. And you worked through all that, Dick. You stayed the course and shaped a team in your own image. You have always been the first to give credit to others, but it is you who created the environment for good people to do their best work. You took the helm of a moribund franchise and transformed it into team that tasted glory. You set your sites on a Super Bowl victory, and you got it in just 3 years. You leave behind a group of quality players and coaches, and your own indelible and unforgettable stamp on the franchise. You have set the stage for many exciting seasons to come for the team and its fans. You will be missed. And you will never be forgotten. We admire your courage, your steadfastness, your patience, your humanity, your ability to find the best qualities in the people around you. And we admire your ability to bring out those qualities in other people. Thank you for the Championship. It may, perhaps, mean more to us than you can ever know. There are many Rams fans who have endured bitter defeats, near misses, the "could-have-beens," and the Years of Desolation in the 90s. You brought us a taste of glory, Dick. You gave us a heart-pounding season, an unforgettable transformation of the team we love, and a legacy that will endure in our hearts forever. I am sorry to see you go, but happy that you can spend your days with your family and friends, and live with the knowledge that you did it. You scaled the mountain and triumphed. You put yourself in a corner of Canton, Ohio. So, now, change your motto: "Gotta go to the beach!" Enjoy your farm, Dick. And your Cabernets. And remember to toast the Rams once in a while. Best wishes, Zooey Ram Fan:As a Ram Fan for 31 years... ...I want to say Thank You Dick Vermeil for a job well done. Thank you for caring for your players and coaches and caring for the game of football. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face when I think about the team I followed since I was 9 years old. Thank you for being a great person and leader. Thank you and good luck in all of your future endeavors. RamFan�:YOU DID IT Lord knows I have questioned many of the moves (or better yet non moves) You have made.
But the one thing I have wanted all my life, for 35 years, as long as I can remember, you
brought home. I don't believe I will ever totaly understand some of your ways, but one
thing for sure, you made the Rams what they have never been before, SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS.
Thank you from the deepest part of my heart and soul. If and when you come home to CA. the
red carpet will be Hiway 12 heading into the Napa Valley. faulkfan:THANK YOU DV!!!!!!!! Dick Vermeil, I truly thank you for all that you have done for everyone associated with the Rams organization. You finally brought winning football to the city of St. Louis. You have made many, many people happy. You turned around a losing team, to a dynasty in the coming years. You will forever be remembered by the city of St. Louis and all fans in football. THANK YOU!!!!!! Also Ram Fan:Thanks for the inspiration, Dick. You inspired me to believe that cornball stuff such as team as family, hard work, dedication, real relationships from upper management to the lowest towel holder, could work and be successful in this cynical day and age. Thanks for coming back to the game. You helped make it the best sports year of my life. (And as one who is a life-long Cardinal fan that's saying something!) Best Wishes and Godspeed. Bucky:Thanks For The Memories As a Ram fan for nearly forty years, I've seen teams that have been frustratingly good and frustratingly bad. But this 1999 season has been so improbable and so spectacular that I will never forget it. I loved the accomplishment and the way it was done. Good people working hard together can do amazing things. Ramfan4life:Thank You Coach Vermeil I want to add my thanks to you for the wonderful job you have done with the Rams. I have been a Rams fan since 1969 and I believe that you are the best coact to have ever coached this team. I appreciate all of the hard work and commitment you had made to make this team what it is today. You, by the way you developed people and made them play up to their potential, and the way you weeded out the locker room problems, I am forever grateful. Have a great retirement, you definitely deserve it. Sincerely, sanfRAM:To Dick Vermeil... I'm a lifelong Rams fan living in the Bay Area. This year was - without question - the greatest year of my life as a Rams fan. I thank you for your role in that. While it was extraordinary to watch you help turn the Rams into World Champions ON the field, it was equally impressive to witness the environment and atmosphere that you created OFF the field. You have helped turn the Rams into a team that us fans can be extremely PROUD of - on all levels. And you have shown that compassion, dedication and love are truly the tools of champions. Thanks for proving that nice guys CAN finish first. I hope to meet you someday - perhaps in Calistoga - so that I can express my appreciation in person. All the best to you and your family. Bradley Old Hacker:Thank You I'm a long time StL football fan. sirram:Thank You .... Coach Vermeil for the fabulous memories. I wrote you last year to just keep working them and things are bound to get better. What really surprised me is that you actually responded to my note. You are a very dear person who thrives on being real. That's what makes you special, that's why players and Ram/Ealge fans love you. You are the type of person who succeeds in all you do, and are very worthy of being in the position you are in now. God bless you, your family, and all those dear to your heart. I'm a Rams fan for 31 years remember when you broke in with the Rams, I still have the magazines! Take good care of yourself, and RELAX alittle! Roman Van Brocklin:I WAS WRONG! When the RAMS had to settle on hiring Dick Vermeil, I was upset with the decision. I was certain that this emotional slug did not have a clue coming back into a profession he left 14 years earlier. I thought it was another poor decision by RAM management. I was hoping Dick would be fired last season, after the coddling of Lawrence Phillips, the loyalty to start Tony Banks, and especially after the disgruntled players that didn't attend the final players meeting of 1998 season. However, Dick surrounded himself with a great coaching staff that made this team blossom at the same time. Dick led a RAM team that took steps throughout the season that made it to the top by reaching the Championship. Dick led a RAM team that hit setbacks on the way to the Super Bowl that might have affected former RAM teams. Examples; The first Niner game in STL. When Warner fumbled in the endzone at the end of the first half, which, resulted in a Niner TD ignited the heart of the perennial playoff San Francisco 49ers, but Dick's team answered back with a Tony Horne special that help close the coffin shut on San Francisco. The then 3-1 Niners never recover from that game, and the question remains, when will SF recover? The game in Tennessee: To be down by 21 in one of the most hostile environments in the NFL showed the never say die attitude that Dick instilled in the RAMS. Sure, the Titans did the similar task in the Super Bowl, but the Super Bowl environment was not has hostile as what the RAMS experienced in Tennessee. The heartbreaking loss to Detroit might have sent former RAM teams in a losing skid, but the RAMS rebounded with a convincing victory over the playoff hunting Panthers the following week. The second Niner game in Frisco: On Wilkens' first field goal kick, which, was nailed through the uprights was called back due to a blown referee call. The play was then re-spotted in error several yards back and missed on the re-try, former RAM teams might have crawled into a hole like the RAMS have done many times in the past in Frisco. However, the defense was relentless that November afternoon and made the 49er q.bs. pay the rest of the game. The playoff games: Most long time RAM fans remember the past devastating playoff loses to the Vikes, but Dick's RAMS put Jeff George and the rest of the Nordic men in their place, which kept the remarkable season alive into the Championship game. And regarding the Championship games, which, cannot be describe in words would tempt me to bet my 13-1 ticket that I bought in week four, that several RAM fans had Vermeil tears of joy after those glorious victories. Dick IS DA man! I, and I'm sure many other RAM fans, underestimated Dick's vision of how to obtain a Championship. I hope Dick enjoys his retirement, and let's hope he has plenty of Kleenex when he looks back at this season. Old Goat Head:Thank you Coach Vermil I have been a Rams fan for 34 years. This season was the sweetest. Thanks for turning this thing around. Enjoy the time you will spend with your family and friends. Be sure to show them your new ring. Send us a picture. Hope all is well with you and yours and God bless. PS - Now you can join THE HERD. Stop by and chat with us once in a while. Bridget Huck:WOW! It is so wonderful to see how you have touched both your team and the city of St. Louis with your compassion. We wish you well in your retirement and hope to see you on Monday night football calling the Rams' games. We will never forget you or the impact you have had on the game of football in our little town. Thank You and we will miss you! The_Rookie:3 SuperBowl victories in 1 season THANKS! Way to bring a championship to St.Louis. Great game against the Titans and you spanked the Forty Niners twice. Those niners were starting to irritate me. Thanks for leaving this Rams orginazation in a position to have lasting success. You are a class act. Now, go have fun spoiling your grand-children GTRam:Way to Go!--Literally If you have to leave that is the best way to do it. Thanks for one exciting and fun to watch season! I'm very sorry to see you go, but I certainly wouldn't want you to deprive your family. You certainly set the Rams up for success in the future. Are there any front office or other jobs in the future? Wow! I wish I could have watched that Superbowl in St. Louis. I moved to Little Rock the preceding Saturday and watched it with a lot of people who weren't very interested in the game. The game was exciting none the less and I'm definitely going to buy a video on it. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FRANCHISE FROM THE DEAD! Enjoy your time with your family! Greg Trigg MIDMOFAN:Dear Coach I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for the team and the city. I agree with you that, often, the fans and media put too much attention on the coaches when it is the players who win the game. However, while coaching may not win the game, coaching can win the season by making the team what it is. To me you won the Coach of the Year award in the way you handled the Green injury. This team could have folded. Even some team officials were wondering if the Rams were cursed. By instantly and emphatically supporting Warner, you held the team together and saved the season. Any hesitation on your part, even by looking for an experianced replacement instead of Kurt, would, in my opinion, have doomed the team and the season. The way you and your staff handled that situation is what coaching is all about. Now, upon your retirement, I will let you in on the secret of pro sports. Fans don't care if the players, owners or coaches make a gazzillion dollars, fans just want to feel apriciated. Fans want to feel like the team realizes that, ultimatly, it is the guy in the stand or in front of the TV who pays everybody's salary. Fans want to feel that the folks on the field or in the boxes care about them. In both Philly and St.Louis you, your staff and players have shown an instintive knowlege of this "secret." You seem to always surround yourself with coaches and players who give everything they have to the team and the city. For me and my son, this last year has been something special indeed. We have gone through a divorce recently that has been pretty hard on both of us. No matter how down we have been, however, we always have Rams football to talk about, to get excited about and, thanks to you, to cheer about. Happy Trails sodakram:To coach Dick Vermeil I want to thank you for my greatest year of watching Ram's football. I have been a fan since 1956. Beating the Vikings was almost as good as winning the Super Bowl. It has been a honor to watch you and your team bring so much joy to so many Ram fans. Thank you again, and may you have a great retirement. Jim sodakram JamesJM:No words are sufficient Mr. Vermeil... nor I could I think of them even if they were. I can only say...THANK YOU! - JamesJM Tommy Bryan:God Bless you Dick Vermiel Dick, I'm so happy for you and the rest of the guys. I've been a Rams fan from Illinois
all of my life, and to have them move to St. Louis and then win the Super Bowl is more
than I can fathom. You came in here and gave this team cohesiveness and a familylike
unity. It's been a wonderful ride and you deserve everything that you received this year.
Please stay involved with the team. It won't be the same without you, but you left this
team in great hands and in great shape, and I want to thank you for all your hard work and
your determination. God was smiling on this team this year. Have a wonderful retirement. I
have some pictures for you from camp in Macomb that you will be recieving, I hope you
enjoy them. God Bless you and your family. Milsey: Class finish for class guy Thank you Dick for your patience, knowledge and love for our team and our city. Words can't describe what this season has meant to me. You've touched me in a way no sports team ever has. So from the bottom of my heart ------- THANKS.... WinchesteRams:Coach Vermiel Dear coach Vermeil: As an individual who has followed and loved the Rams for over 30 years, I offer sincere thanks for guiding this young team through a truly magical season to the SuperBowl. For this wonderful season, and for leaving the Rams with an incredible foundation to keep many playoff berths possible for years to come, I again say thanks. Also, a salute to your character, which became a part of the players make up. I can still hear you saying " Surround yourself with good people, work hard, teach them to love and respect one another, and good things will happen". You've given us a team that is exciting and fun to watch, and one that we can be proud of, not just on Sundays. Good luck with whatever the future holds, and God bless. WR 402Ram:Thanks Coach Coach, thank you so much for your dedication to the team and to what you believe in. You could not have set a finer example of what hard work and keeping focused on a goal can mean in someones life. So I raise a glass of Napa's finest to you Coach and wish you the happiest of times ahead. Ramsrule:Thanks Coach Vermeil!!! As a loyal "Blue and Gold bleeder" for 25 years, I want to thank you personally for bringing respectability and credibility back to the Rams franchise. The Rams' 1999 season will go down as one of the best in NFL history. You weathered the storm of the first 2 seasons.... stuck to your guns... made some adjustments and showed the world that perseverance and dedication can overcome even the biggest of obstacles. I hope that your retirement goes well and I'm sure you'll look back at what the 1999 Rams accomplished from time to time and get a tear or two in your eye..... just as I will!! Thank you Dick Vermeil!!!! Troy Kolakowski(AKA Ramsrule) rams85:Super Champion Coach Vermiel, mjr007:Integrity lives. Dear Coach Vermeil: Thank you for a wonderful ride. It still seems but a dream that the Rams now sit atop professional football world. Your integrity and true passion for the players as humans will sorely missed. As a Christmas gift for my son, I had a piece of small note pad paper autographed by you while you, Jim Hanifan, and Carol were waiting for luggage at the San Francisco International airport matted and framed along with a PR photo sent to me by staff members at Rams Park. A priceless present for my son Jordan. You've helped instill in your players and fans alike a sense of decency and loyalty that far often absent in professional sports today. Thank you again for your gracious contributions to St. Louis both on and off the field. >From two loyal fans, Michael J. Riordan and my son, Jordan Michael. (This post added too late for the mailing...) I'm late posting here. I have been coming out of the foggy trauma of the last 49 years as a loyal Ram fan from CA (CARam on the "General Dicussion Board"). I apologize coach, that it has taken me this long to simply say thank you for all of it. I hope this reaches you too. My family still is amazed at my glowing internal quietness regarding our success over the last three years, the first as well as the last. Aside from the awesome SB accomplishment, you gave my quest dignity, I am redeemed from the darkness, but always surrendering to hope for someone to do what you have done here. I walk with a bounce of joy and completness that will last always now, even without your magnificant tenure and stewardship in the future. YOU are a true Ram forever. Life is wonderful again ... from the outhouse to the penthouse. I wondered at times before you if I was doomed to die there. Thank God for you. Forget football, I wish I had a friend like you. My utmost best wishes to you and yours where ever you walk now. |
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