Pete Palumbo: Well, I see from your response to G to S, you don't care about results, only performance. The fact that the Rams are in St. Louis doesn't give them the right to abuse our ticket expense or trust (see my earlier comments). As opposed to anything else that's been said, if this were any other sports team in St. Louis, or any other corporation anywhere, this kind of performance wouldn't be accepted. Heads would roll. Come on Jim, stop being a homer and start calling it like it is.

Jim Thomas: You mean, like the heads that are rolling over at Busch Stadium after last season's performance?

JK: Do you think that special teams has not been a strength in recent years due to the fact that we have not had a solidified defense and thus most guys assigned to special teams realize that they are one bad game/injury away from seeing time and/or starting and so they don't want to risk injury or they don't feel the need to "sell out" to earn a back-up role? Additionally, what kind of special teams play are we getting from our 25 tight ends on the roster?

Jim Thomas: The funny thing is, I think the Rams have made a concerted effort to bring in some role players who are good special teams players. Todd Johnson, Chris Draft, Travis Minor, and more recently, Eric Bassey, all have been good to very good on coverage units. Yet, the big plays keep happening, and the numbers on coverage units aren't much different than recent years. Special teams is an attitude as much as anything. And there are still some players on special teams who aren't playing with much attitude.
Walker when he was healthy was OK as a wedge blocker. Klop, Byrd (when active), and Owens all just so-so.

Allan: Jim,
How does the league evaluate/rank Marc Bulger at this time? What would he net in a trade? Can Rams get a #1 pick for him ?

Jim Thomas: Bulger is still highly regarded as a very accurate pocket passer who can pick teams apart if given time. But even if the Rams were interested in trading him _ which they're not _ the cap ramifications would be too severe. So it's not going to happen.

David: Does anybody (except the Rams because they're obligated to, of course) use the name "Russell Training Center" or whatever they came up with rather than Rams Park? Seems like a big deal was made over nothing last year, though I'm sure most of that was from the Rams themselves.

Jim Thomas: Until my editors tell me otherwise, it's Rams Park in my stories. I know the Russell Training Center idea was just a way to increase income, but that doesn't mean we in the media necessarily have to use the term.

Bernie Z: As a long time seaon ticket holder, here is a thought about the Dome: Cut the incessent commercials in half(double their price) and reduce their volume. The replay screen is 1/4 of the space available with three big billboards to it's left and right. Get rid of those when they redo the screen. Bigger the better on HD, as all men know.

Retool the music: Good idea by Jackson. Get some Stones, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray, Albert Collins and maybe some Paul Butterfield. Lose the bubble gum chick music. This is a FOOTBALL team, not ladies volley ball. If Jackson wants some clean, but strong hip hop, then OK. The endless commercials make the RAMS money, but lose the charged up mood and the fans interest. This team's management needs to get the fans worked up, not put them to sleep or annoy them with the endless commeical messages.

Your thoughts?

Jim Thomas: I'm not up on all the music _ modern or otherwise _ but there's got to be a way to make the place more lively. The players say the pregame music _ while they're warming up _ even before the fans are allowed in the stadium, basically puts them to sleep. It should be firing them up, don't you think?
I think this is all Steven Jackson was saying.
At the Rams-Vikings game last season (in Minneapolis) the Vikings were hopelessly out of contention, not unlike the Rams. The offense was much more inept than even this current Rams edition, yet there was all kinds of stuff that kept the fans interested and entertained. Be it music. Creative use of commercials, etc. A lot of fans want to attend games through thick and thin, even when their team isn't playing well _ because it's THEIR TEAM _ and this is a way, I think to make those down times a little more palatable. A lot of people go to games to have fun _ win or lose _ with tailgating, etc., and this would be a way to make that happen.