Jeff Fisher kept us waiting, and all credible reporters depicted him as being evenly torn between becoming the next coach of the St Louis Rams, or the Miami Dolphins. NFL.com’s Albert Breer summed it up like this:
@AlbertBreer: My sense of it, talking to folks who know him, is the football side pulls him to St. Louis, the lifestyle side to Miami.
Today, Peter King and Adam Schefter report that Fisher has made his choice: and he’s not ready to put his feet up in the Florida sun just yet. Fisher Chose The Rams.
Right now, Rams fans are elated on two fronts: for one, Fisher brings with him an establish mode of doing business, something that has been missing from Rams park since… really, since Dick Vermeil’s heyday. Mike Martz was a learn-on-the-job head coach, as was Scott Linehan and Steve Spagnuolo. In Billy Devaney, Spagnuolo at least had a willing partner, but despite undergoing a successful culture change, the results did not justify a long-term stay.
So Fisher inherits a team with a few cornerstone talents, but otherwise has a clean slate to impose his blueprint upon.
Secondly, as far as a comparison of cities, Miami holds nearly every advantage over St Louis. We accept that. So to have Fisher choose us — based on the potential of our team and only that — over a palm treed paradise… to have Fisher choose the “girl next door” over “the hot chick” … well, it feels mighty good.
Thirdly, if I can add a third point, I think this move demonstrates that Stan Kroenke is willing to do what it takes to get his man, and that he is willing to commit fully to this team. Jeff Fishers don’t come cheap. With a renewed boost of local pride in the team, and with a renewed sense of commitment between team and community, suddenly I feel just a little bit better about the prospects of the Rams finding a way to stay in St Louisl ong term.
