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SPORTSThursday 14 January 2016
LA ends 21-year NFL drought as Rams return
GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When
the Rams announced their
return to the Los Angeles
area Tuesday night after
21 years away, hundreds of
their long-faithful fans cel- One fan at the rally waved
ebrated in the streets from
downtown to Inglewood.
Winning over the rest of the
Los Angeles area’s 18½ mil-
lion people is going to take
a bit longer, but the Rams
Football fans cheer for the return of the Rams to Los Angele,s on the site of the old Hollywood Park
horse-racing track in Inglewood, Calif. NFL owners voted late Tuesday night to allow the St. Louis
Rams to move to a new stadium at the site just outside Los Angeles, and the San Diego Chargers
will have an option to share the facility.
have a head start on re-
building something special
when they restore NFL foot-
ball to the nation’s second-
largest market this fall.
The NFL officially approved
the Rams to return to the
city where they played for
49 years before leaving af-
ter the 1994 season, and
Los Angeles should know
soon whether the Chargers
will join them this fall.
After two decades of false
starts and wrong turns on
the NFL’s road back, Los
Angeles wasn’t exactly
filled with citywide joy —
but true Rams fans cele-
brated.
“It’s something that I never
thought I’d see again,” said
Rodney Lusain, 44, of Ingle-
wood. “You know, 21 years
is a long time. You lose
hope from time to time, but
the dream stayed alive.”
In suburban Inglewood, a
large group of steadfast
Los Angeles Rams boost-
ers gathered at the site of
Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s
proposed stadium, which is
expected to open in 2019.
Those supporters waved
yellow and blue flags and
chanted “LA Rams!”
a giant cut-out of the head
of Kroenke, which has be-
come a talisman for Rams
fans since the team’s visit
to Southern California for
two days of training camp
last year. Kroenke plans to
use private funds to build
a sprawling, $2.66 billion
complex at Hollywood
Park centered on a domed
stadium that will host the
Rams and perhaps anoth-
er team. The Rams have
moved to this town before:
In January 1946, Cleveland
Rams owner Dan Reeves
overcame other NFL own-
ers’ objections and moved
his team to the West Coast,
citing losses at home and
the boundless opportuni-
ties in L.A.
Almost exactly 70 years to
the day later, Kroenke used
some of the same reason-
ing to justify the reversal of native, but he grew up
the decision made by the
late Georgia Frontiere to
move her late husband’s
team to St. Louis.
“With the NFL returning
home, Los Angeles ce-
ments itself as the epicen-
ter of the sports world,” said the Rams when they’re not
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Gar-
Browns hire Hue Jackson as
coach, team’s 8th since
cetti, a major proponent TOM WITHERS
of the city’s 2024 Summer Associated Press
Olympics bid. “We cannot CLEVELAND (AP) -- Hue
wait to welcome the Rams, Jackson has experience
and perhaps others soon, as a head coach, knows
as they join a storied lineup the AFC North and has
of professional franchises, fixed quarterbacks.
collegiate powerhouses, Just what the Browns were
and sports media compa- looking for.
nies.” The Bengals offensive co-
The city’s enthusiasm is like- ordinator, who waited
ly to be tempered at least four years for his second
until the Rams take the field crack at leading an NFL
at their temporary home at team, has been hired as
Cleveland’s next coach -
the struggling franchise’s
eighth since 1999 and
sixth since 2008.
The 50-year-old Jack-
son finalized his deal on
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Wednesday, swiftly end-
ing the Browns’ search
Los Angeles Coliseum for which began on Jan.
their exhibition opener in 3 when owner Jimmy
August. After all, any Ange- Haslam fired Mike Pettine
lenos currently old enough after two losing seasons.
to buy alcohol were alive Jackson had also in-
when Frontiere and Raiders terviewed with the San
owner Al Davis ripped their Francisco 49ers and was
teams out of town almost scheduled to meet later
simultaneously after years this week with the New
of declining attendance York Giants, but Haslam
and fan interest. was not going to be out-
NFL apathy still exists among bid for a coach he cov-
many fans with long mem- eted.
ories, while younger fans Haslam said Jackson has
have grown to love other all the qualities that will
franchises while watching provide strong leadership
the NFL’s best teams on for the team. ‘’He is highly
television every weekend. experienced, deeply pas-
Los Angeles Lakers coach sionate about winning,
Byron Scott is an Inglewood and relentless in trying to
find ways to put his play-
as a fan of the Pittsburgh ers in the best position to
Steelers before adopting succeed,’’ he said. ‘’He
the San Francisco 49ers. possesses that unique
Like many Angelenos, he ability to reach the entire
isn’t converting to blue locker room in a way that
and gold right away, al- demands accountability
though he plans to root for while getting the buy-in
and team-first mentality
facing his favorite teams. q that leads to positive re-
sults. I think our players will Podesta, a former base-
love playing for him.’’
The team will introduce
Jackson at an evening
news conference at their
facility in Berea, Ohio.
The Browns were drawn
to Jackson because of his
one season as Oakland’s
head coach, his deep
knowledge inside their
division and his strong re-
cord working with quarter-
backs like Carson Palmer
and Andy Dalton.
Cleveland owns the No. 2
overall pick in this year’s
draft and will likely use it on will help them get back to
a quarterback - possibly
California’s Jared Goff or
Memphis’ Paxton Lynch.It
remains to be seen what
plans Jackson might have
for Johnny Manziel, the
troubled QB whose two
seasons in Cleveland
have been filled with con-
troversy and more chaos
than the Browns needed.
Manziel’s recently ended
his second season by miss-
ing a scheduled medical
treatment amid reports he
was spotted in Las Vegas.
Jackson spent the past
two seasons overseeing
Cincinnati’s offense.
A former college quarter-
back at Pacific, Jackson
pushed Dalton to his best
statistical season and was
known for his creative flair
with unbalanced lines
and unorthodox forma-
tions. The Bengals were
among the league’s most
exciting offenses with a
solid balance and quick-
strike capability.
Jackson replaces Pettine,
fired after going 10-22.
Landing Jackson is a
coup for the Browns, who
have been overmatched
against the Bengals in their
three most recent games.
It’s been a whirlwind few
days for Jackson.
After the Bengals were
beaten 18-16 by Pitts-
burgh in a memorable
AFC wild-card game on
Saturday night, Jackson
spent five hours meeting
with the San Francisco
49ers and then four with
Cleveland’s search com-
mittee, which included
recently-promoted direc-
tor of football operations
Sashi Brown and Paul De-
ball executive considered
one of the best analytics
experts in pro sports.
On Tuesday, Haslam
skipped the owner’s
meetings in Houston so
he could have a second
meeting with Jackson, a
sit-down that escalated
into a contract offer.
As they reboot again, the
Browns are hoping Jack-
son’s experience in Oak-
land - another franchise
with its share of dysfunc-
tion - and his work with QBs
relevancy quickly.q