Jeff Fischer Can Lead The Rams Back To Respectability

The hiring last week of former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher as the new head coach of the St. Louis Rams is good news on several fronts.

First, it shows that Rams owner Stan Kroenke is serious about fielding a competitive team in the National Football League.  Billionaire Kroenke has a reputation as a man who strives to be the best in business as well as sports, knows what it takes to win and is willing to pay the price for that success.  Kroenke’s teams in the NBA and NHL (which he has removed himself from operating), both located in Denver, and his Arsenal soccer team in England all do what it takes, financially and athletically, to keep their teams in the hunt for championship trophies.

Second, it demonstrates that Kroenke is diligent in pursuing his goal once he has decided it has value.  It’s no secret that Fisher was considered the top ‘prize’ in this year’s pool of available talent for head coaching jobs.  He was rumored among possible contenders in Tampa Bay and Oakland as well as speculated for the lead post in Indianapolis. He was pursued most aggressively, though, by the Miami Dolphins, whose owner Steve Ross wined and dined Fisher in an ardent attempt to woo him to the glamour of South Beach.

Kroenke methodically persevered, however, in his pursuit of Fisher.  Apparently, he was more able to satisfy Fisher than was Ross about non-economic factors such as personnel, training facilities, Fisher’s involvement in draft and free agent selections, etc.

Many fans point to Fisher’s reluctance to relocate again as he did when the Houston Oilers moved their franchise to Nashville several years ago, forcing head coach Fisher and other team employees to acclimate to a new environment and new surroundings.  They say that the fact Fisher signed on with Kroenke indicates that the Rams are here for the long haul.

Don’t be swayed by those feelings, though.  While loyal Rams fans crave a return to the glory days of “The Greatest Show on Turf,” the cold, hard fact remains that the Rams have an ‘out’ in their contract with the City of St. Louis that allows them to leave after the 2014 season if their stadium isn’t in the top one-third of all NFL venues.  That’s far from a certainty at this point, and Kroenke likely won’t be making false assurances to the fans, the media or local politicians.

What’s more probable is that he has reassured Fisher that, in the event of a franchise relocation, the head coach will be handsomely remunerated with a bonus of sorts.  Just a guess on my part, but I think it has as much credence as a ‘guarantee’ by Kroenke to St. Louis that the Rams aren’t even thinking about moving.

In the meantime, Fisher is a proven leader and a fiery competitor who will do his best to rally the forlorn forces at the Edward Jones Dome into a competitive force in 2012 and beyond.

Evan Makovsky
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