SoCal revels in revival of Rams
We are still adjusting to this idea of football on Sundays. After all, Los Angeles existed just fine without the NFL for two decades, and the two teams currently in town are trying to find their places in a landscape of 11 professional franchises — did I miss anyone? — and two Power 5 universities.
(And yes, the one-liner that USC’s Trojans were the area’s pro football representative was beaten to death long ago. You can only use that line if you went to UCLA — and this season it’s one of the few pleasures left for a Bruin alum, a two-game win streak notwithstanding.)
But the Rams are the best team in football right now. The record and the point differential say so, and in a city of stars, Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald can hold their own with anyone. Longtime fans have returned to the fold; there are plenty of “Dickerson” and “Youngblood” jerseys in the Coliseum stands these days — and even the occasional “Gabriel” and “Olsen” — alongside “Gurley” and “Goff.”
The Chargers are solid, meanwhile, and should get added credit for persevering on a 16-game road schedule since they have no discernible fan base in L.A. beyond diehards who followed the team in San Diego and commute to Carson. Fact is, the most popular team in the region may still be the Raiders, and their fans — who currently flock to area airports to fly to Oakland on home-game Sundays — are ecstatic because with the Las Vegas move their journey will be shorter.
(Added note about the Chargers: They felt right at home playing in a soccer stadium last Sunday in London. They probably had more fans on their side that day than on a normal home Sunday at StubHub Center.)
Worth noting: When the Patriots played the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, a good chunk of L.A. fans actually rooted for New England, since the Rams at the time were dead to us. (And the Patriots weren’t annoying yet.)
Should there be a rematch this February in Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII, do not expect the same courtesy.
(And feel free to chant “Beat L.A.,” but don’t think for a second that it bothers anyone who lives in SoCal. By now, it’s just white noise.)