Southern California is a hotbed for intense football fandom in support of its hometown universities, the University of Southern California and the University of California-Los Angeles. However, the region’s rich football tradition actually originated from the team people today commonly know as the St. Louis Rams. One organization, “Bring Back the Los Angeles Rams,” and its director, Tom Bateman, is working on bringing back the Rams to Los Angeles and giving Angelenos something to cheer about every NFL Sunday. 

The History

After the 1994 season, the Rams packed up their bags and moved to St. Louis, Missouri. The main reason behind the move stemmed from seeking more favorable stadium arrangements following the end of their 15-year lease at Anaheim Stadium. 

The Rams hosted their last minicamp in June of 1995 and made a quick departure shortly thereafter. Any trace of the long, 49-year history complete with an NFL championship in 1951 and several record-breaking seasons vanished in a blink of an eye. The move left many wondering when, or if, Southern California would ever have an NFL team to cheer on. 

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An L.A. Rams return became a possibility in 2010 when St. Louis Rams minority owner Stan Kroenke committed to purchasing the team when exercised his right of refusal after Shahid Khan, a prospective owner of the team, signaled his intent to keep the Rams in St. Louis. 

The expiration of the Rams’ lease at Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis is also paving the way for a return to L.A. There is a specific term in the lease obligating the city of St. Louis to provide a stadium up to the standards of what the NFL terms as a  ‘Tier One' venue at its own expense. For a stadium to be labeled as Tier One, it must rank in the top 25 percent of all venues in the NFL. The Rams organization has made it very clear to St. Louis that they will exercise all its options in the lease. If St. Louis does not make the necessary stadium upgrades by March of 2015, the Rams are free to vacate the lease. 

“That has led us to become first tantalized by the idea of the Rams coming to Southern California and then has snowballed into something that has captured the imagination of football fans in Southern California,” said Bateman.

The Beginnings Of A Rams Relationship

At first glance, Tom Bateman does not scream die-hard L.A. Rams enthusiast with a following of 39.5 thousand Facebook followers and 1.5 thousand Twitter followers. However, the instant he opened his mouth, decades and decades of Los Angeles Rams history poured out so effortlessly and without hesitance. 

Bateman’s interest in the L.A. Rams began when he was just a little kid. His first memory of the Rams was their Super Bowl XIV run in 1979. 

“I remember specifically the game against the Cowboys in the 1979 playoffs. Vince Ferragamo hits Billy Waddy over the middle and then he just blows by the Dallas defenders and wins the game. It was extremely exciting to watch that,” said Bateman. 

The personal connection that Bateman made with Rams players, who he described as extremely friendly and great, as a little kid was something he never forgot. Many summers were spent attending Rams training camps after they moved to Anaheim Stadium, a location just down the street from his childhood home. 

“They were the home team. It was easy to cheer for the home team,” said Bateman. 

When the franchise announced their move to St. Louis, Missouri after the 1994 season, Bateman was stationed in Japan as a member of the United States Marines. He remembers asking: Why would they do this?

“It was a head scratcher…it didn’t make sense,” said Bateman. 

Bateman’s physical distance from L.A. made it harder for him to invest himself both mentally and emotionally to the news of the relocation. Had he been closer to home, Bateman believes he would have been fully involved in the “Save the Rams” movement. 

“Why would you move from L.A. with all it has to offer to a small city in the Midwest? I didn't see any benefit for the franchise or the NFL. I thought it was a bad decision for everyone involved,” said Bateman. 

Getting Involved

Then University of California-Berkeley student and Orange County native Andrew Hogan founded “Bring Back the Los Angeles Rams” on November 13, 2009. Hogan grew up on the stories of famous L.A. Rams teams and players. The memories inspired Hogan to create a Facebook page to share and communicate with other fans about stories or to even speculate about a possible Ram’s future in L.A. 

Little did he know that it would turn into something so much bigger. 

Bateman and his brother, Dennis, came into the picture. 

Bateman and his brother started the Twitter account @losangelesrams in 2010. After confirming the Twitter name was still available, he remembered thinking, "We gotta jump on this," and instantly made the move to contact Hogan. 

“[Hogan] was very excited about it and was looking for someone in L.A. to help out,” said Bateman. 

Bateman was skilled with event planning after a seven-year stint in marketing, while his brother covered sports in Southern California for many years. The two brothers and Hogan joined forces to create an organization that has grown significantly beyond the original Facebook page of just 200 followers in 2009. 

Because Bateman is the only one of the three founders based in L.A., he is the most involved and considers himself at the center of all the organization’s happenings. 

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Like An Old Friend 

By February of 2010, the organization’s Facebook page had one thousand followers. Three months later, in May, the audience grew to two thousand. Fast forward four years later, and the number has risen to 39.5 thousand. 

Most posts on the “Bring Back the L.A. Rams” Facebook page are articles written by other news organizations, including ESPN or the Los Angeles Times. Most posts are viewed ten thousand to 20 thousand times. Some posts have even been viewed more than 50 thousand times. 

“People like what they see. People are sparked by the idea of the Rams coming back to L.A. It makes sense to them,” said Bateman. 

A part of the reason why? Nostalgia. 

Bateman could talk for hours about different fans that he has met over the years.  Many had been season ticket holders and can remember the exciting times they had when the Rams were in L.A.

The nostalgia is comparable to an old friend. 

“It kind of clicks with them. They remember a connection they had when they were a kid. Maybe cheering for the Rams or thinking, ‘Oh yeah, I remember Eric Dickerson’ or ‘I remember Jack Youngblood. It was great. Those were great days,'” said Bateman. 

For The Love Of The Rams

The Rams' fan base has remained steadfast and alive ever since their departure. 

Many have come up to Bateman expressing their support, with the exception of the occasional Raider fan.

“I had a Dodger fan grab me at the Angel game. I was wearing a Jack Youngblood jersey with a Rams hat, fully decked out. He shook my hand and said, ‘That just looks great. I totally salute you in what you are doing and believe in you,’” said Bateman. 

Bateman originally took on the huge endeavor of the organization because he was so passionate about and attracted to the rich history of the L.A. Rams, a topic that he often converses about with his brother. The Rams were the first NFL team on the West Coast. They were also the first NFL team with African-American players. 

“These are things that people don’t remember. I think that it’s important for people to remember, so that’s been a big motivation,” said Bateman. 

There is also the side of the Rams’ history associated with its location in what is considered to be an entertainment hotbed that Bateman finds interest in. 

 “The Fearsome Foursome. Deacon Jones. Bob Watterfield, who married movie-star Jane Russell. There was an instant synergy the Rams had with Hollywood - the glitz and glamour,” said Bateman. 

Visions Of An L.A. Rams Return

Bateman was once a little kid who grew up cheering on and admiring the Rams. Now, he has turned his passions into a cause worth fighting for. With all the talk about a possible move to L.A. - which is simply what it is, all talk - Bateman is nothing but confident in the decisions the St. Louis Rams organization will make in the future. 

For now, all that Bateman has are visions in his head of what could possibly be reality in a year’s time. 

“The thing I think about all the time is the day when the Rams run out of the tunnel in the Coliseum - just like old times,” said Bateman. 

 

Look for the second section of this three-part series next week.