THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Today’s question deals with a bit of nostalgia as the Rams get set to begin a season marking the 10-year anniversary of the team’s last Super Bowl win. What is your most vivid memory of that season? One player, one interview, one play, one moment, one decision … what stands out to you the most, personally, from that 1999 team?

JIM THOMAS
Of course, there’s the tackle by linebacker Mike Jones to save the Super Bowl. And Isaac Bruce’s memorable game-winning TD catch to win the game. But four memories stand out vividly:

• After Trent Green went down with his season-ending knee injury in the third preseason game, I turned to one of my colleagues in the press box and said, “They’ll be lucky to win four games.”

• The late Bill Walsh, then a 49ers executive, making a cameo at Dick Vermeil’s postgame press conference, telling Vermeil in a stage whisper: “You’re going all the way.” Vermeil’s Rams had just ended a 17-game losing streak against San Francisco to start the season 4-0.

• Perhaps the most underrated catch in NFL playoff history: Ricky Proehl with defender Brian Kelly all over him, for the game winner late in the NFC title game slugfest against Tampa Bay.

• The late Georgia Frontiere, clutching the Lombardi Trophy after the Super Bowl victory over Tennessee, telling Paul Tagliabue and the football world: “This proves we did the right thing moving to St. Louis.”

BILL COATS
One play: Ricky Proehl’s acrobatic, juggling catch in the end zone that beat Tampa Bay 11-6 in the waning moments of the NFC championship game. It seemed surreal, as if the impossible had just happened: the Rams — the ST. LOUIS Rams — were actually going to the Super Bowl.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Fondest memory: Kurt Warner, sitting on this absurdly little stool in the middle of the locker room, moments after the Rams’ victory over the Chargers on August 28. Rodney Harrison had crashed into Trent Green’s knee, ending Green’s season and handing the reins of the offense to this nobody.

This was my first visit to an NFL locker room, and it had been completely unplanned. I attended the game as a dry run in my then-role as pro sports player/coach (best title of my career!), coordinating coverage and communicating with the guys back in the office. Jim Thomas put me to work (as opposed to the other way around), sending me to the locker room to get the first comments from Warner.

If Warner hadn’t kept his No. 13 jersey on and I hadn’t checked the roster, I wouldn’t have known who he was. But in his first answer to the question, “Are you ready?” he looked up at the two or three us who had gathered, exuding calm and confidence. You could tell he knew he was ready. The rest of us weren’t so sure, but he proved us all wrong in a hurry.

JEFF GORDON
I’ll give you an odd one: Covering the Rams’ early preseason scrimmage (against the Colts, I believe) in Champaign, Ill. We watched clunky Kurt Warner struggle to master the Mike Martz offense. He threw a wobbly TD pass that reached his target because rival defenders collided going for the pick. I remember chatting with Warner after the scrimmage, wondering why he was on the team. When Trent Green went down, the whole organization groaned because Warner had been so utterly unimpressive in camp. But I guess it turned out OK in the end.

THE WATERCOOLER

Question: What was Jay Zygmunt’s best move and worst move with the Rams?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Jay’s best move was his work on the trade that brought cornerback Aeneas Williams to St. Louis on the day of the 2001 draft. There were a whole bunch of bad moves including the phasing out of Charley Armey, his role in the demise of Mike Martz, any number of bad draft picks, the decision to let middle linebacker London Fletcher leave as a free agent, and the Drew Bennett debacle. Just a disastrous reign of error. But his worst move was reaching to grab a job that he wasn’t qualified for. A man’s got to know his limitations and Zygmunt wasn’t a football guy. That didn’t stop him from making himself the football czar at Rams Park.

BRYAN BURWELL
His best move was packing his office up and heading towards the door. His worst move was believing that he was a football man and accepting the GM job, which sent this franchise on this downward spiral.

JIM THOMAS
Following the disappointment of a wild-card berth in 2000 — yes, expectations were much higher back then — Zygmunt went into full Trader Jay mode. He helped engineer the trade of franchise player Kevin Carter to Tennessee in March, and on draft day sent quarterback Trent Green to Kansas City. As a result, the Rams had three first-round picks in the 2001 draft. As a topper, he completed a deal on Day 2 of the draft that brought Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl cornerback Aeneas Williams to St. Louis.
The worst move? Allowing his relationship with Mike Martz to deteriorate to the point where one of them had to leave the organization. Obviously, Martz left after the 2005 campaign. Granted, Martz was high maintenance, but also one of the league’s most creative offensive minds. The offense has disintegrated since he’s left.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Before the 1999 Super Bowl season, in the days before anyone claimed to be a mastermind, Zygmunt played a major role in reorganizing the staff of coach Dick Vermeil, in particular the hiring of Mike Martz as offensive coordinator. Among Zygmunt’s worst moments was the 2001 draft, in which the Rams whiffed on three first-round picks: Damoine Lewis was a bust, Adam Archuleta flamed out after a couple years, and the team gave up on Ryan Pickett, who blossomed in Green Bay.

JEFF GORDON
Best move: Not letting Kevin Carter manage the salary cap for him back in 2000. King Kevin moved on to Tennessee in 2001 and had a mediocre season for the Titans. The Rams kept their other cornerstone players, won 14 games in ‘01 and went to the Super Bowl.
Worst move: The massive Marc Bulger contract. This gift keeps on giving. The Rams can’t really move Bulger out now, so the team can’t throw much money at that position for next season. Pity the next coach in 2009.

BILL COATS
Although other front-office folks were involved too, Zygmunt’s best move was his role in the trade that brought Marshall Faulk to the Rams in the 1999, arguably the key cog in the Rams’ improbable march to the Super Bowl championship. His worst move was letting free agents London Fletcher and Ryan Pickett walk. The Rams sure could use a solid middle linebacker and a stout defensive tackle these days.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

INTERESTING TAKE ON FUENTES: Buster Olney at espn.com has an interesting look at the Brian Fuentes derby and how the Angels’ could get involved if they don’t end up with Mark Teixiera. Olney has the Cardinals at the top of the list for now but a lot of others who might spend more are now included.

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STAT OF THE DAY

229 — The Rams have been outscored by 229 points with only one game left in the season. Since 1990, only four teams have been outscored by more points over a full season. Thank goodness the Lions are just as bad. They have been outscored by 239 points. This week, the Rams are at Atlanta and Detroit is at Green Bay.