The Rams played their final game at L.A. Memorial Coliseum yesterday ahead of their move to SoFi Stadium, and the team "accomplished what they set out to do over the four seasons they played in their temporary home," according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. TIMES. The Rams "aren't the Lakers or the Dodgers, but they aren't the Chargers either." Hernandez: "They matter." The stands yesterday for a "meaningless" game against the Cardinals were "about three-quarters full." Rams Exec VP & COO Kevin Demoff: "We went a long way to building a fan base. ... To have the crowd that we had today be loud, be into it, no visiting fans, was a great way to go out." But Hernandez notes as L.A. has "gradually learned about and embraced them, the Rams have lost their sense of identity on the field," missing the playoffs for the first time under coach Sean McVay. The Rams at the Coliseum were "renters but nonetheless managed to establish their presence in the market." They "elevated their brand and gave the city an idea of who they were." Now, as owners of a new home, they will "have to figure out who they want to be on the field" (L.A. TIMES, 12/30). In L.A., Gary Klein notes the Rams' victory yesterday provided a "bittersweet farewell to the Coliseum," with "festivities and accoutrements that included a nostalgic field design and a postgame fireworks show" (L.A. TIMES, 12/30).
SO LONG TO THE SILVER & BLACK: In S.F., Ann Killion writes it has been an "empty and anticlimactic farewell for the Raiders" in Oakland ahead of their move to Las Vegas. Killion: "The standoff in the spring over where the team would play. The grudging return to the Coliseum. The tease of three straight home wins to bring the team to the brink of relevancy." Yesterday's loss to the Broncos in Denver "marked the end of an era." More Killion: "The end of a brand. The end of a unique bond between city and team. ... Now, the Oakland Raiders are no more. And whatever the franchise is in the future, it will never be the same" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/30).
