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Rams Mad on the Future
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Rams Nation writer - - Don Ackerman
GridIronGateway.com

Jul 23, 2002

Today, the Saint Louis Rams made another great move to keep themselves on top of the NFL for years to come. More importantly, the Rams have said that they are an organization with stability. In a league of change, the Saint Louis Rams have decided to be different. In the NFL coaching merry-go-round where coaches have a one- or two-year lifespan, the Rams are sending a message that they are a stable force with which to be reckoned.

Rams Mad on the Future
by Rams Nation writer - - Don Ackerman

Today, the Saint Louis Rams made another great move to keep themselves on top of the NFL for years to come. More importantly, the Rams have said that they are an organization with stability. In a league of change, the Saint Louis Rams have decided to be different. In the NFL coaching merry-go-round where coaches have a one- or two-year lifespan, the Rams are sending a message that they are a stable force with which to be reckoned.

So what did the Rams do? They signed their head coach to a five-year $15+ million deal.

Think about it, in the NFL there is no stability. The coach with the longest tenure is Bill Cowher (and if you've paid attention, fans have called for his head for years until last year). The average lifespan of an NFL coach is slightly longer than the average American's attention span - in other words to quote Jerry Glanville, NFL stands for "Not For Long."

So the Rams have put their stake in the ground. And why not? The Rams have all the building blocks in place. Why mess it up with an unstable organization? Look at Minnesota. The Rams locked up Martz for the same reason the Minnesota Vikings took a chance with Mike Tice - continuity. In a league where the name should be applied to football jerseys with Velcro, some teams have determined that constant change may not build a winner. But the Martz move may also be a way to keep the all-star talent in Saint Louis.

The Rams have a lot of talent they want to keep around. And constant change is a great way to send a bad message to young players. If you show them that you believe in the group you have and you show commitment to keeping the pieces together, you have a better chance to keep the core group of winners you want around.

So will the move work? We have until 2006 to find out. Until then, buckle up, the Rams are making all the moves to return the trophy to Saint Louis.

Ram on,
Don