Gabriel 2 Snow: Hello Jim, hope cadet Thomas continues to do well.
I had lost faith in Bulger & I remain somewhat skeptical that he will be able to provide the leadership we need from that position without major O-line upgrades. Of course the question is "could anybody do better". I don't have that answer, but we both know our 60 million dollar man will be on the ropes, whether he deserves it or not, if the rest of the year looks like the first 3 games. That being said, I thought Hasletts first move as HC, naming Marc starter for the rest of the year was exactly right. It should help Marcs confidence, & it immediately distinguished Haz from Linehan, (cut Fakir? PLEASE!). I don't expect wins for awhile, but the verbage from the players is good, the conditioning drills were needed, & if they play with at a better tempo on O & fire on D, the product will be much more palatable. We've heard it all before, it sounds great, but do you see signs that this HC change will actually produce discernable change for us fans?

Jim Thomas: I'll be as curious as the next person to see how the Rams respond to Haslett, particularly playing on the road against a tough Washington team this Sunday. I especially want to see how they respond _ and hold up _ when something goes wrong, like a sack, a turnover, a busted coverage, etc. Will they have the mental toughness to hold up, which is something Haslett has been stressing?

midnighter67: Will Stanley replace McMichael on the roster?

Jim Thomas: Tight end Daniel Fells, who was on Tampa Bay's practice squad, has replaced McMichael on the active roster. If Stanley is promoted, I think it would probably be at Eddie Kennison's expense. (Or maybe Dante Hall.)

midnighter67: Is there any indication anyone in particular is interested in buying the team? Can we expect a new owner by next summer?

Jim Thomas: I'd be a liar if I said I'd done a lot of poking around in this area; I've had my hands full just keeping track of the day-to-day travails of this club, and there's been plenty to keep me busy on that front. But I have heard the Rams have had a couple of serious inquiries, and I'm now of the opinion that the sale might come sooner (say by next summer) rather than later (four or five years down the road). But this opinion is hardly based on hard-and-fast evidence.

Ram_Malavasi: Hey Jim - thanks as always for taking the time.

Question about the future of the Rams - is there any possibility that the team will move and resurface under another name (as with the Houston Oilers becoming the Tennessee Titans and the original Cleveland Browns becoming the Baltimore Ravens)?

Jim Thomas: If he sells, Chip Rosenbloom seems very committed to selling to ownership committed to keeping the team in St. Louis.

steve: hey jim, thanks for your time. looking at the schedule, do you see the rams favored in any game? do you see a possible 'w' on the schedule? if so, which game? i'm thinking 0-16 is a real possibility. even with the coaching change, the next four games are gonna be very tough to win. the team's attitude and effort may again sag to a point of no return should they lose badly in the next three games. any chance the rams sneak up on the redskins as they did the saints last year after the bye week?

Jim Thomas: Boy, it's hard to see a W. What once seemed like strong possibilities _ Atlanta, Miami _ now look like much-improved teams. The Jets have new life with Favre. Mike Martz at least has the 49ers scoring points. Chicago seems to have stabilized with Orton at QB. Arizona's offense is perking with a revived Warner. I don't know, maybe Seattle at home on Dec. 14.
And you do make a good point. Even with spirits up in the early days of the Haslett regime, they could very well sag if the Rams lose _ as expected _ in the next three games against Washington, Dallas, and New England. Those three teams are currently a combined 11-3, and two of the three games (Wash. and New England) are on the road.