The NFL Fanatics
Kurt Warner
Ram Nation's Webmaster
Posted Aug 17, 2003


With Ram fans everywhere crying out for Kurt Warner to prove himself in these “meaningless” Pre Season warm ups, one has to question just how much do “fans” opinions count for.

Fanatics
By Rams Nation's Dez S Urban

The optimism surrounding the Atlanta Falcons' upcoming NFL season suffered a mighty blow Saturday night when Mike Vick went down in a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens with a fractured bone in his right leg.

One of the NFL's most exciting players, with a slew of endorsement deals, Vick, 23, is almost certain to miss the season opener Sept. 7 at Dallas, if not more.

"They are saying he's probably going to be out six weeks," said Falcons head coach Dan Reeves. "It's a tough break for us."

The Colts fullback Donnell Thompson will miss this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

New York Giants Tight end Jeremy Shockey broke a rib and might miss the New York Giants ' last two preseason games.

How does that make Ram fans, or any other NFL fans feel?

Sure, they (the fans) fork up big dollars to get into a game, Yes they fork up big dollars to wear the kit, Certainly, they fork up big dollars at every turn in this money driven league but is that not a choice they made? And continue to make.

Was it forced upon them?

Were they led kicking and screaming into the nearest NFL shop and told under gunpoint, pick a team NOW.

Somehow I don’t see a court case where the proto typical NFL fan stands in the dock bawling his eyes out because the Head Coach of his chosen NFL team decided not to play his most valuable assets in a meaningless pre season game.

And how would Ram fans feel on Tuesday morning, if Kurt Warner was to end up sidelined with an injury after playing 2 quarters against the World Champion Bucs?
Would it make them feel better if he had been playing with the style he played in the 1999 season and was threading every ball? Would it make them feel better or worse that he would now be sidelined for 6 to 8 weeks? Would it? I doubt it very much.

In fact, I can almost guarantee that the Martz bashers would be out in force on Tuesday morning telling everyone who would care to listen to them that they had said all along that the pre season was just that. A meaningless period of time before the regular season, designed to draw even more dollars from Joe Fan.

And is that not what those sensible fans are saying now?

Its pre season, it does not count for anything.

Please bring on the regular season so we can get back to our other arguments …….. Who should be starting at QB? Sigh, its going to be a long season.



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