Rams Owner Gets Stern With Scott Linehan

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While sports talk radio in St. Louis and the entire internet are abuzz with Scott Linehan dissenters, going back to this preseason and late in the year of '07, we hadn't heard anything at all of substance from the Rams' front office. That all changed yesterday. Owner Chip Rosenbloom, who took the reins when his mother (Georgia Frontiere) died this past January, has been forced to speak out after only two embarrassing weeks.

"It is the job of the head coach, Scott Linehan, to figure out how to motivate and give some urgency to this team," Rosenbloom told the Post-Dispatch on Monday. "I believe in these players and I believe in this coach."

That sounds like he's ready to start apologizing for Coach Linehan, but as he continued, things became a little clearer ... and it wasn't confidence-inspiring for any Linehan supporters.

"Obviously, the game of football is about winning," Rosenbloom said. "The level of play is not acceptable to me or anybody in the organization."

"Things will get better, and if they don't, changes will be made."

Will they get better? Well, it's hard to see how they could get worse than losing 79-16 in the first two games combined. The team hasn't shown any signs of life, though.

Let's check out the schedule. Until the bye, the Rams play in Seattle -- who isn't good, but likely will be a bit riled up after last week -- and host the upstart Bills. Then comes the bye. Let's speculate they are sitting 0-4, which is hardly a huge leap. At that point, Linehan's job could be in serious jeopardy. If not, the ensuing @Washington, vs. Dallas, @ New England stretch will surely seal his fate.

Dust off that resume, Scott. It will be needed sooner rather than later.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-16-2008 @ 11:53AM

john johnson said...

Just goes to show you, no one cares about the rams.

9-16-2008 @ 12:45PM

scott said...

I think that the rams should fire his ass. Im from St. Louis but am a Packers fan and what this guy is doing to this team is just horrible. If the organization was smart they would fire him now and try and get a better coach who knows what hes doing. Maybe Brian Bellick the old ravens coach. If they get first round pick in the draft next year. GET A QB. BULGER SUX

9-16-2008 @ 12:46PM

9-16-2008 @ 2:15PM

Rober said...

OK Chip, start acting like an NFL owner. This year is gone. Don't punish us any longer. Get rid of Linehan and his entire bunch of idiots including that moron Haslett. With enough money you can get Cower, Schottenheimer or Vermiel to take the reigns. Cower wants back to work and Schottenheimer was screwed in Washington. Get rid of the entire front office. Think about this one; they cut an offensive lineman named LeVoir who signed the next day with the the Patriots. If he is good enough to be a Patriot, he must be better than anybody you have on the OL right now. Jackson and Bulger are going to be killed if you let this go on. And, even though they are past their prime, there are two old warriors out there, John Lynch and Adam Archuleta, who can teach your secondary and defense a little bit about HEART, because your defense doesn't have a heartbeat left. You have good players who have lost the will to fight. That is coaching and field leadership. Your depth chart is miserable. Milford Brown signed the day after you cut him. Give the Schoenig and Greco kids a chance to play some ball. Get rid of some talented deadwood and trade for a couple of serviceable OL. Do something. Just don't make us suffer anymore. You have loyal fans. Show them you care. At least Georgia (Rest In Peace) got us a Superbowl. Right now the best thing you have is a toilet bowl.

9-16-2008 @ 3:31PM

NachoD said...

Scott Linehan needs to go. Bill Cowher would be an excellent candidate to come in and start putting fire under some these guys butts. The simple fact that we are in week #2 and he is still looking for leaders to emerge is an atrocity. With veterans like Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Steven Jackson, Orlando Pace, Randy McMichael, Dante Hall, Laroi Glover, Leonard Little, Will Witherspoon, Pisa Tinoisamo and Corey Chavous there is too much talent on this team for us to be looking for leaders.

We don't need to draft another QB just yet. Marc Bulger is still young and has the potential to return to the Pro Bowl. What we need is an offensive line that will stand up to the opposing D-Line and start throwing their weight around to give Bulger the time to find the open man downfield. Bigger, stronger and healthier offensive linemen will revive the offense and allow us to improve our ball control game.

The Rams receivers are too slow and are not getting open like they used to. Bruce never should have gone to Frisco. Drew Bennett is not the answer. Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton need to get into the rotation more often to give us a little more speed on the outside.

As much as we have been spending on draft picks and free agents, it just seems like we are going after the wrong people. Maybe we need to look at replacing the scouting and personnel evaluation team to see if we can start bringing in real talent.

9-17-2008 @ 8:40PM

Bill H said...

Do the math boys and girls,we won one superbowl with a great coaching staff.We lost the second superbowl becouse of bad coaching and we have been going down the shit shoot ever since.Im from Boston and I have been a die hard Rams fan since the 60s.Maybe the Rams ownership sould learn something from Kraft family on how to put out the money to get a return to winning another superbowl.I plan on sticking with you guys but its getting tough.

9-18-2008 @ 10:13PM

CB said...

Finally it seems like someone in the office has noticed we suck ... dump everyone and beg Dick to come back and steady the ship.

9-21-2008 @ 5:31PM

ray said...

I fully agree with Marshall Faulk that this team sucks. I have been a Rams fan for 35 years and I am ashamed of them now. Bulger looks like crap I would like them to give Green a chance he couldnt do any worse. The entire coaching staff needs to be fired NOW. I guess we can look forward to getting the Number 1 draft pick again Yea. I live in Texas and this is tough to take.

9-22-2008 @ 3:40AM

Scott L. Jinks said...

Chip wants to start acting like the owner, if it's not just talk while he waits for best offer out there for the team. Fire Shaw....period, forget Linehan(a scapegoat for a horrible,.... HORRIBLE organization!), or what ever reason people have why we suck, go right to the top. He(SHAW) finally made one good move, got Vermeil, maybe two, hired Armey, then when we do win a championship, what happens?, right away, he meddles with the Championship team(I heard through the grapevine they pushed VERMEIL out in favour of thier brainchild Martz, who had not one darn thing to do with building that awesome team!), and we turn all the way back to a pumpkin again. We have three people on our team from the greatest show days? Meanwhile we have a qb in Arizona that just threw his third perfect game, and pro bowl guys all around the NFL that once made up our S.B teams. We should have won two, or three S.B's(even with Martz as head coach, as bad as he was we would have won S.B 36, withought the cheating, and dirty tactics, ask the Colts about the dirty 5 yard rule battery!, ask Faulk!) if it was'nt for the cheating, dirty PATS, and Martz's petty fued with Brenda over a radio show remark she made. Martz is gone, but he's the second guy responsable fot this debacle, but he's gone, can't fire him anymore! This season is gone, put in the young guys like Gradkowski, or Berlin, play alot of Avery, look no disrespect to Green, but could he help for the future?, o.k maybe, if that's possible throw in Green, likable guy, and talented former pro bowl qb, maybee he could get hot, who knows, maybe the team will respond to the likable vet Green, anything but bungling Jeff George jr(Bulger) as I call him. And for Petes sake put Witherspoon, and Long in a 3-4, as rush LB's, and when Little comes back, have all three rush with that as blitzing LB's you know, with that extra cushion, why is a 6-3"-263 lb man down on the line(LONG)?, Haslett(from PITT no less) has lost his mind! Big problem too, Bulger is Jeff George Jr., lots of talent, terrible attitude, and personality, it's finally showing on the field, I'll never forget when Warner(benched, unbelievable!, two time MVP, and S.B MVP benched!, anyway....!) went to give Bulger a high five after he(BULGER) threw a td, and Bulger pushed Warner out of his way, or the famous "eyeroll" he gave Linehan last year, or the famous requesting coaches to assign a player to keep Warner away from him during games, as reported by Dr. Z , this stuff is now starting to show on the field, the bad character, like George, not going to win any Championships with this guy, unless he has a change of heart, maybe when he's older down the road with some other team, who knows?, not this year I'll tell you, but down the road, hey Bettis finally grew up, with us, he was a whiney baby, the coach(Brooks) then benched him for whining constantly about being traded to a winning team, it was sickening, man, I hated that guy, but he did grow up, I found respect for Bettis later in his career, he even stayed with PITT after a losing year there, and he could of got big bucks to go elsewear, but stayed in PITT, the kid grew up, I always respect change, or someone showing remorse for mistakes, I know I have made my share, but that's a whole different story!(look for it on the soap opera website!, ...YUUCH!) SGJINKS p.s Chip, want to show us your the big shot new owner, show us Shaw isnt your boss!, fire that jackass, I doubt you can pull that one off!,...SHAW OWNES THE RAMS, or might as well! p.s p.s ZYGMOUNT is just as aweful, a real master of the cap as they used to swear, us now with 3 guys left from our S.B teams, 4 if you count Jeff George Jr., way to go Jay!.....THE RAMMY WHAMMY WILL BE BACK!?????(someday....)

9-24-2008 @ 4:32PM

jessedramsfan said...

I am a true fan. the constant beat down by montana in the 80's the forgotten years of the 90's the champs of 2000. No one man is bigger than this most sacred of sports.. So i say to linehan & co, thank you for your valiant effort but your services are no longer needed in st. louis. we have the talent but no direction.we want to win now! not tomorrow. To the players; never let up! even when your down, keep smiling, its a game! Go out there and kick ass!!! greatest show on terf lives!!