Hollywood Beginning for Goff & Rams

The most ardent Rams fans likely remember the game.

Christmas Eve, 1994. A half-full Anaheim Stadium hosted what at the time would be the Los Angeles Rams’ final home game on the West Coast. Quarterback Chris Miller threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns against Washington, but the Rams were upended by the Redskins. L.A. finished the season 4–12, last place in the NFC West.

During that season, the Rams were immersed in months of relocation speculation that resulted in the inevitable. Three months after the ’94 season ended, NFL owners agreed to ship the franchise to St. Louis. Pro football disappeared from Los Angeles faster than a Willie “Flipper” Anderson backflip.

When the Rams left L.A., Jared Goff was only six months old. The kid had yet to toss a football, let alone walk, but would become a prolific passer at the University of California. He idolized Joe Montana as a youngster.

Twenty years later, the Rams are returning to Los Angeles. To begin the crescendo of excitement, the major market franchise needed to make a Hollywood move. Two weeks ago, the Rams completed an eye-opening trade, sending six draft picks to the Tennessee Titans to land the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. The transaction was courageous. Some might say reckless.

Fast forward to Thursday. The Rams’ top pick was evident. Goff was their guy. The chosen one responsible for bringing pro football glory back to the City of Angels.

But let’s not dip too far into hyperbole. Goff is not Montana…yet. But he will likely wear his idol’s #16 jersey when the Rams open the season this September at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco on Monday Night Football. Considering the weapons St. Louis has on both sides of the ball, reaching the playoffs is not out of the question. Todd Gurley showed brilliant flashes in the backfield. The defense is menacing, especially up front. With Goff under center, the Rams are in a position to snap a streak of nine consecutive losing seasons.

Thursday was a win for Los Angeles. It is a city thirsty for a relevant NFL presence. The Rams’ selection of Goff is the first official imprint of the franchise’s new era in its old neighborhood. Being featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” later this summer will help during training camp. The team has a rich history with luminaries like Norm Van Brocklin, Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Eric Dickerson enshrined in Canton. Van Brocklin was the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback in 1951 — the team’s only NFL championship during its history in L.A. Maybe Goff will be its next star, and someday, steal a little shine from the Dodgers and Lakers (or is it the Clippers these days?).

The NFL Draft allows fans to dream, if only for a night. And there’s no better city for dreamers. For now, the Rams can rejoice in the selection of a hometown quarterback, and in the promise of a homecoming that clearly wants to set box office records.

To live and die and be reborn in L.A., it’s the place to be. 🎶