Steve: Hi Jim. I have never done this before, re:submitting a question, but I really appreciate your forum and insight and thought I would give it a try. I'm a lifelong Rams fan from Ontario, Canada, going back to 1977 and of course L.A. days. As frustrating as this season has been, so many of our struggles are understandable based on injuries, bringing along rookies, our kicker having some unexpected inconsistency, etc. What I find most concerning though, is the lack of enthusiasm that our squad has shown in some games and/or at pivotal times in games when we still had a chance to win. While this has improved somewhat, particularly against Cleveland before Steven Jackson was injured, do you agree that the Rams for whatever reason almost seem to give up too soon and not put "heart and soul" into every quarter of every game? I respect these guys as the best athletes in the world, heck its the NFL!!, and not one of the Rams got to where he is today by giving up on himself or his team. Is this a coaching issue do you think Jim? Watching Mr. Haslett coach in New Orleans was at times like watching Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher; in your face, enthusiastic, energized coaching. Since joining the Rams, in my opinion anyway, Mr. Haslett does not seem involved at all on the sidelines of the games- seriously, no emotion, no fire. Is he feeling "under-valued" or under-utilized after going HC to DC? We need the intensity, not just on the field but also on the sidelines, that Jim Haslett used to bring to every game with New Orleans. Our rookies and young players, who are our future, need to play with fire and intensity and confidence every quarter of every game- and that comes from the leadership of our coaching staff and our veterans. We will not go 0-16 this year, but even if we did, us true Ram fans will still be backing the squad; provided that they leave their hearts and guts on the field after every game.

So Jim, my question is, do you think that the coaching staff could/should be showing more leadership and a more intense (winning) attitude on game-day or are they prepping the players (notably many rookies and non-veterans) sufficiently?

Jim Thomas: Football is a game of emotion, and passion. There are only 16 regular-season games _ each victory or defeat in football is like a 10-game winning streak or 10-game losing streak in baseball. I too, wonder, why there doesn't seem to be more emotion, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Scott Linehan doesn't have a demonstrative personality, but you can show intensity and focus without screaming like a maniac. See; Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith for example. So I wonder about that. I don't have an answer for you. But I do wonder about that. I think 90 to 95% of the Rams players are giving maximum _ or at least what they think is maximum effort. I don't see guys dogging it _ at least not at this point. I too, thought Haslett would be more demonstrative on the sideline. But maybe I'm just basing that on a couple of "snapshots" from his days with New Orleans. And maybe he's toning it down some because he's not the head coach.

Still a Rams fan: Can you believe it Jim? We didn't lose this Sunday!!!!!

Jim Thomas: Now, let's see if they can go two Sundays without a loss.

Billy C: Fans screaming for massive changes must consider the landscape:

A— Majority owner Georgia Frontiere has shown no willingness to sell the team.

B— Shaw and Zygmunt have been with the organization for more than a quarter of a century. They will not get fired. The only way they will leave is if they resign.

C— Linehan will finish the '07 season; after that, all bets are off.

D— Meanwhile, the Rams have an aging group of core players, and few promising replacements on the horizon.

In short, there appears to be no easy way out of this valley, one that deepens with each defeat.
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A= If not sell / at least Wake Up and be a LEADER / make some moves /// Cower is possibly going to Penn State if Joe Pa steps down /// at least talk to Bill befor he commits to PS .
B=One of them(or both ) needs to step down or away / at the Least hire Somebody who knows talent .
C= Sorry but 08 can not come without a New Coach // Please Some Coach that is a real Coach , HELP US / call Earth City . Im afraid they wont call you but they Do Need You .
D= Somebody put a draft together / A Draft is where a team picks Quality Players with heart and soul (The Key Word is Quality- - somebody in Ram management please look up the word quality / its easy to see nobody in management understands what it means.) and FA costs money yes but Mistakes cost more / God knows we learned that the last 18 seasons (well the Old School Ram Fans know it / I guess management & ownership doesnt .) I first met CR on the field 1975 at the Coliseum / we wrote to eachother often and sent Christmas cards to eachother / He knew ownership and leadership . CR had Heart . Current ownership / management DOES NOT .
Dont think a family guy will pay for $80+ each for tickets or souviners / let alone waste his time on a team that makes the same mistakes over & over & over . Loose the Little Guys and you loose it all . Mrs Rosenbloom you have been loosing too long . Make a move now . What would CR do ? The Old School Ram Fans know // hell we lived it . Billy C Old School Ram Fan

Jim Thomas: It should be an interesting offseason.

john from juda,wi.: if we want to be the best, lets hire the best! dick vermeil for ceo. bill coher for head coach. if ram management wants to prove to the fans that they want to turn this thing around, hire the best people. there is no price caps on administration or coaches, so lets bring in the best. thanks for hearing me out!

Jim Thomas: Dick Vermeil seems very happy in retirement from football. He's not coming back.
As for BiCowher, he probably, can have his pick of any job opening that occurs after this season. Why would he come here, to a dome team whose best talent is on offense.

Jay: It was awfully generous of you to avoid mentioning what had to be the most assinine of all of the Rams drafts picks in that 3-year period and that was the 6th round selection of Steve Bellesari Bellesari wasn't a good college QB, he wasn't even a very impressive athlete, like a Brad Smith. Yet, somehow, Martz saw it fit to draft him as a potential safety?

That whole 2002 draft was a disgrace, maybe one of the worst in NFL history

I did get a good laugh at the idea of Martz seeing the loss of McLeon to free agency as a negative.

Jim Thomas: Bellisari was a 6th-round pick! You can afford to take gambles in the sixth round. But not in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4.
McCleon was a three-year starter who played on two playoff teams here and led the Rams in interceptions in 2000 with 8. Night Train Lane? No. But I'd hardly consider that a bust.