The Rams on Saturday returned to training camp in L.A. for the first time in 22 years, and more than 10,000 fans "filled bleachers surrounding two makeshift football fields" at UC-Irvine, according to Bill Plaschke of the L.A. TIMES. Fans cheered during calisthenics and field goal drills, and "audibly gasped" when rookie QB Jared Goff "lost consecutive fumbles on bad snaps and let loose with a loud expletive." Former NFLer Jim Everett said, "This whole scene is amazing." Pro Football HOFer Jackie Slater said, "This is unbelievable. It's unbelievable how much everything has changed" (L.A. TIMES, 7/31). In St. Louis, Jim Thomas noted many fans "wore 'LA' Rams gear." There "were a lot" of RB Todd Gurley jerseys, with former Rams Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce and Kurt Warner "sprinkled in." A souvenir stand just inside the gate "even had a Torry Holt jersey for sale." The Rams "announced the attendance as 10,112." But over the last 45 minutes of practice, as the Rams "moved to the other side of the practice field, what became the far side of bleachers emptied as fans left early." There "were no sightings" of Rams Owner Stan Kroenke, but Lucia Rosenbloom, daughter of late Rams Owner Georgia Frontiere, "was in attendance" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/31). In L.A., Rich Hammond noted the Rams are being "followed by television cameras everywhere they walk on the UC Irvine campus" for HBO's "Hard Knocks." Goff said, "Walking on the field was cool, seeing all the people out here. ... It's awesome to be back in L.A. with what looks like to be a pretty big fan base" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 7/31).
HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE: In L.A., Sam Farmer noted what was once a "rigorous rite of summer -- a training camp in extreme elements -- is now closer to a business trip for NFL teams, who can hold only one practice per day in order to abide by the rules" of the CBA. Often, those trips "aren’t really trips at all; 20 of the league’s 32 teams hold camps at their year-round facilities." That is a "distinct change from 20 years ago, when all but a few teams relocated their headquarters to a remote locale, sometimes out of state, for camp." Teams stay home for "various reasons, among them to save money, as a marketing mechanism and for comfort and convenience." The Rams "are a bit of an exception." Staging their camp at UC-Irvine enables the Rams to "create a larger footprint in their return to Southern California, helping them reconnect with their Orange County fan base." It also affords the team "ample space at a school that doesn’t have a football team." Rams Exec VP/Football Operations & COO Kevin Demoff: "As teams have gotten smarter about marketing, it’s a really great opportunity to be in your market with your most fan-friendly product" (L.A. TIMES, 7/31).
