Everybody has them. Unless of corse you've had some major Anoplasty surgery, in which case, (although still relevant to this analogy),  it's probably best to steer clear of all the unpleasant possibilities. 

 Yes, the Rams had a shortened off season due to the lock out. Yes, the Rams schedule makers did them an injustice by putting all their divisional games at the tail end of the year. Yes the Rams have been decimated with injuries.            More excuses. A receiving corp that can't catch. An offensive line that hasn't gelled. OLB's that can't tackle. Special Teams that give up the big play.

Rebuttal's and solutions : The other 31 teams had the same off season. Some with even larger obstacles than the Rams. Solution; Better Coaching. The divisional part of the schedule is perplexing at best. But not enough to be used as an excuse for poor play. The other excuse that gets thrown around and is in direct relation to this is "we've got a tough schedule". Sorry, I'm not buying it. If you've watched this game long enough you come to realize that the terms "any given Sunday" and "that's why they play the game" are so often used. ( The Saints game is proof of that ). Not to mention that we honestly should have beaten the Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Cardinals. Solution; Better Coaching. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. And for the most part you have to be prepared. Depth at certain positions is key. And having the back up player prepared is essential. I believe the Rams lack both these elements. And, again most teams face this situation every year and still come out looking like a professional football team. Solution; Better GM and Better Coaching. I will not argue the fact that we have, most likely, the worst receiving corp in the league. Although it has shown signs of improvement it's far from divisional championship caliber. The 2 TE set that everyone was so excited about, whether or not it was actually ever going to be implemented, never really panned out. And for all intensive purposes looks like it never will. Also, the fact that a guy like Laurent Robinson can go to another team and produce only strengthens the forgone solution that's soon to follow. Solution; Better GM and Better Coaching. The offensive line play that was to improve this year has shown us just the opposite. IMO, Jason Smith has been walking the tightrope since he came here and has only proven that he is in dire need of a safety net. As far as the rest of the OL play is concerned... Solution; Better Coaching. Our OLB corp, the last I looked were professional football players. Some, even veteran football players. If for whatever reason they can't understand an assignment or remarkably forget how to tackle, then there is a serious problem with are player assessment process. Solution; Better GM, Better Coaching.  Our Special Teams have been doing shit like this for as long as I can remember. My personal pet peeve with our ST's is the lack of an actual threat at Punt Returner or Kick Returner. It seem like we concentrate on getting the best Punter and Kicker we possibly can and yet, throw caution to  the wind when it comes to getting good field position or stopping our opponent. Solution; Better GM, Better Coaching. 

  To break it down as simply as possible....   This year: with the exception of our 1st play from scrimmage. A couple series in the Giants game. And the St. Louis Cardinals inspirational Saints game, we have looked like the most unprepared dysfunctional EXCUSE for a football team that anyone one has ever seen. Even the Colts and Dolphins piss poor play does not compare to the ugliness the Rams display when they are at their worst.

There are a few good points to go along with this so far dismal season..  Steven Jackson is exceptional. He is a team player. And an inspiration. Chris Long has finally come around as the player we hoped he would be. And Robert Quinn is the real deal. And not only should he be playing as much as possible. But he should have been in the line up since day one.

 Here's hoping the Mr. Kroenke doesn't use to may excuses when it comes to making a decision as to what needs to be done.

Because, let's face it, as a fan, it's all about our opinions. No matter how much one varies from another. Oh sure, we could stop going to the games or turn the channel. We could stop buying merchandise. And as effective as those thing may be, they are not as satisfying as expressing your opinion. Besides, if you're a true fan, your most likely to continue going to the game, even if you should leave before halftime to catch the score on TV and later on,(sometime in the future), purchase that Rams item that catches your eye. Also, if you were to completely stop those thing, you run the threat of relocation. Which I suppose in some cases,(for all you fans in LA), wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Whether you live in St.Louis or anywhere in the States or even across the Atlantic, bottom line, if you're a true fan, old or young, you love this team and you're stuck. Good or bad.

We have no control of what seems to be the slow and tedious process of rebuilding this team. We have no control of who we should pick in the draft. We have no control over who should be our Head Coach. If any of us really entruly wanted these responsibilities, then we should sit down with Mr. Kroenke,  negotiate a price and buy the team. Which leaves us with our opinions.  

I've been living and breathing this Team for over 45 years now. And in that time I've formed  a lot of opinions. In the late 60's throughout the 70's, we had some great teams. And we walked away being totally disgruntled by the likes of Dallas, Minnesota and Pittsburg. In the beginning of that time period, George Allen was the Man. We started to have moments of the total ineptitude your witnessing now, if my memory serves me correctly, during the Tommy Prothro (short lived,1971-1972) era. Sure he faced a challenge of coaching an older team through some tough competitions. But it was clear he wasn't Head Coach material and was soon replaced by Chuck Knox. During Knox's tenure, we flourished. He never took us to the promise land. But he was an exceptional leader.  During the 80's Coach Robinson had his moments. All in all, with what he had to work with he tuned out to be a Very Good Coach and maybe even a better motivator. I remember complaining on a few occasions but most of the venom I spewed was direct at Georgia Frontiere and it became stronger when she hired Rich Brooks. Between the two of them I thought we were doomed. Georgia redeemed herself when she brought in Vermeil. Say what you will about Dick being a cry baby. But there is no doubt that he could get his team to "Rally around Kurt Warner and play GOOD football". Mad Mike Martz turned out to be a much better OC than a Head Coach. Man, he used to piss me off with some of his lame ideas. Not the least of being the way he totally disregarded our special teams. 

By now, you all should see where I'm going with this. Whether or not I needed to take a trip down memory lane is really irrelevant. Todays Rams leadership was constructed by Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriquez. Two people, who i am sure had very good intentions, yet, both had interests in other things besides football. They bought into a product that most of us thought was the right thing to do. And in doing so, figured that they would leave a legacy and feel confident that the Team was in good hands. The hiring of Steve Spagnuolo seemed to be a no brainer. Coming off an impressive Super Bowl victory not unlike other coordinators in past history, hyped by the Media, fans and so called experts alike, this guy was the right choice. Well, in my humble opinion, it's time we all came to the conclusion that he's not the answer. Say what you will about Devaney, draft choices, injuries, Offensive Lines, Jason Smith, Justin King, talented player, non talented players, when it comes to the way we look on Game Day, the buck stops on Spanuolo. And I'm sorry...but we look like shit.