The Jeff Fisher Hire Wasn't Just a Hire; It Was A Statement

by 3k on Jan 13, 2012 2:30 PM CST in St. Louis Rams Hire Jeff Fisher

For a team that's won just 15 games in the last five years, the St. Louis Rams seem to have been awfully close to relevance. A week 17 playoff play-in. A popular pick to win the NFC West before the 2011 season. We've been on the precipice.

When Stan Kroenke took over the team, it was a move from concern for financial readiness to market and competitive dominance - a move well explicated by Bryan Burwell on Wednesday. With that move came a need to make a statement to the competition that the Rams are no longer a joke of a franchise.

We're no longer a team that's searching for a post-GSOT identity. We're not led at the top by a reluctance to pull the trigger on big moves, something that people repeatedly criticized ex-GM Billy Devaney for. Regardless of whether or not you "like" the hire, no one can argue that Fisher was the marquee hire here, the most experienced, most respected, most prepared option for teams looking to fill their head coach vacancies. And the Rams got him.

So what should we expect? That's hard to say. Many people will try to suggest that the nature of Fisher's personnel management both in-game and out will apply to the Rams. I'd disagree. He's smart enough to know that you can't smash a square peg into a round circle, and the Rams and his Titans teams just aren't the same shape. There are two things you can expect, though:

- Yelling. Fire. Balls. Emotion. Maybe the one thing that coalesced Rams fans against Steve Spagnuolo, a coach so bereft of emotional displays that the Pope told him to bring it up a notch.

- League-wide respect. Behind the curtain, players, coaches and executives know which teams, which guys are a joke and who's biding their time before taking their looming demotion. That's not the Rams anymore.

We may not make the playoffs next year. Or 2013. There's too much that's going to change for this team between now and the first preseason game of the 2012 season, so it's pretty stupid to predict any win-loss results in the wake of this hiring.

But people are going to pay attention to the Rams. They are going to take us seriously. Teams are going to respect us.

And if that's the only thing Jeff Fisher brings to the Rams, then that's a hell of a step in the right direction.

(UPDATE: This headline shows the statement was received from local media. That was quick...)

9 recs | 108 comments

Comments

great post and rec'd.

VTramsFan - January 13, 2012 reply

thanks homie

but credit the brass for getting it done.

3k - January 13, 2012 reply

Definate statement hire!

Cool.
Go Rams!

look closer - January 13, 2012 reply

I've got goosebumps.

Joe Mazzi - January 13, 2012 reply

you were screaming bloody murder just a day ago hahahaha now you got goosebumps what a funny guy you are

Rammon105 - January 13, 2012 reply

I cannot recall a single post in which 'phetamine was screaming bloody murder.

Quit trolling.

FailureDrill - January 13, 2012 reply

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

best day of this terrible season. a new beginning a new hope. i want to go to a mountain top and yell FREEDOM lol

G unit Rams - January 13, 2012 reply

Best post...

This is the best post I have read on here in quite some time. 3k, you hit it on the head. The identity that we have lacked will now be displayed. Not as a powerhouse but, as a team not to be taken lightly, the St. Louis rams are here to stay and we will welcome any opponent that takes the field against us. Side note, Courtland Finnegan just said on 101 he would be willing to come here. I will take a plate of nasty, with a side of punch Andre Johnson in the mouth!

Ramrocker - January 13, 2012 via mobile reply

I think Finnegan's comments

were indicative of the power of this hire. Big momentum move. Going to be interesting to see how this franchise runs into draft season.

3k - January 13, 2012 reply

Right on the money!

For all the negatives with Fisher, we know what we’ll be getting. That, to me, is better than again treading into the unknown and hoping for success. The team will have a definable identity, and the Rams fans now know that Stan is committed to building a quality product. We should all be excited!

mcihaelT - January 13, 2012 reply

It will be interesting to see how quickly things progress now.

I read in one of the many posts during the waiting game that Fisher already had his Assistants lined up. How quick will they move on a GM now? Does it narrow the candidates because they have to answer to Fisher, or expand the field so they can work with him? There is still a lot to be played out, but with the biggest piece of the puzzle in place, it should start happening fairly quickly now.

David5264 - January 13, 2012 reply

Anyone that uses the word - explicated - correctly in a great post like this gets my vote! Great Job 3k! Rec'd

Douglas M - January 13, 2012 reply

*swiped for "Words With Friends" use later on

VTramsFan - January 13, 2012 reply

But is this making a marquee move for the sake of making a marquee move?

I just don’t feel like Fisher is a marquee head coach, merely a decent/good coach who had perfect timing.

Eric Nagel - January 13, 2012 reply

Would this move warrant so much publicity if Cowher or Gruden returned to the sidelines?

Probably not.

Joe Mazzi - January 13, 2012 reply

Ill take Jeff over both Cowher and Gruden he is a more rounded and better HC IMO

Rammon105 - January 13, 2012 reply

Um no not at all

maybe gruden maaaaaaybe

Seal Clubbing - January 13, 2012 reply

What I think of is the players he'll sway when they are making FA move decisions. I think we've missed out on a few FAs in the last few years because of the vague future the Rams presented

Douglas M - January 13, 2012 reply

Agreed

Fisher has been overrated and I hope he can see that we need offensive playmakers in a bad way.

RG31 - January 13, 2012 via mobile reply

could be to a degree

but I guarantee the players see more in it than that. It’s not marquee in the sense of stock, but in the sense of experience. And that’s more valuable than the “hot hire.”

3k - January 13, 2012 reply

I agree that he's probably not a marquee coach.

But I hope he becomes one for us.

Pekka for Predator Pontiff - January 13, 2012 reply

+1

Ramfan4life - January 13, 2012 reply

Evan Silva

UFAs drafted by Fisher Titans who may interest #Rams: CB Finnegan, DT Jason Jones, S Michael Griffin, DE William Hayes, WR Lavelle Hawkins.

Joe Mazzi - January 13, 2012 reply

Congrats guys.

Kevin Nogle - January 13, 2012 reply

I wish more people on sbnation

acted like the dolphins fans have been acting cough eagles fans cough

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