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The Chargers and Rams will meet on the
in General Discussion Tue Aug 13, 2019 4:56 amby panxing18 • Farseer | 334 Posts | 3340 Points
field on Sunday Deacon Jones Jersey , but both teams are trying to achieve a common goal off it — trying to reignite Los Angeles' passion for the NFL.The progress so far mirrors the tour of the LA Stadium at the Hollywood Park site in Inglewood — a slow build."The wheel is starting to spin faster, and it is heading in the right direction. We understand that it is going to take time," said Chargers chief marketing and strategy officer Jeffrey Pollack."The live NFL experience took a 20-year hiatus from Los Angeles. What we both share is trying to reignite the love for the live NFL experience."Sunday's game at the LA Memorial Coliseum marks the sixth time that two Los Angeles teams will meet. The previous time was Nov. 13, 1994, when the Raiders defeated the Rams 20-17 at Anaheim Stadium.Both teams cite increased season ticket and single-game sales, but the TV ratings remain low. The Nielsen rating for the Chargers' game in Buffalo last Sunday was 7.9 while the Rams' game against the Cardinals drew a 5.6 locally.That was a big drop from Week 1, when the Monday Night game against the Raiders drew a 16.7.The Chargers averaged a 6.0 locally last season in their first season back in Los Angeles. The bigger concern might be the Rams, who averaged a 9.0 when they moved to LA in 2016 but fell to 8.0 last season despite winning the NFC West.For both teams, the ratings aren't close to what they averaged in their former homes. The Rams had a 19.7 rating in St. Louis in 2015 and the Chargers a 24.4 in San Diego in 2016.Both teams though are quick to point out that the television measuring audience in LA compared to the other two markets is more than five times as large.Despite the low TV ratings, Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff sees signs of growth elsewhere. He pointed out that attendance at training camp in Irvine increased this season and that fans were more engaged at last week's Cardinals game despite the Rams putting it away at halftime."Whether it is seeing more T-shirts at the farmer's market or hats at the beach it is great to see this team growing in the collective subconscious," he said.Both teams are building their hopes toward 2020, when they move into the new stadium. Tuesday's tour was the first opportunity reporters and most team executives got to see construction from the floor of the stadium, which is half completed. Installation of the massive roof panels has already started.The new stadium will seat 70,240, including 260 luxury suites and 13,000 premium seats."It looks like a stadium now http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-sean-mannion-jersey ," Chargers President of Business Operations A.G. Spanos said. "To be inside the bowl and see the shape of it you can visualize what it is going to look like."Sunday's game between the Chargers (1-1) and Rams (2-0) at the LA Memorial Coliseum will be another barometer in how much growth remains not only for the rest of this season, but in being able to draw fans to the new stadium.Both teams are considered playoff contenders, and it's possible they could meet in Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta.In a sports marketplace that will only get more crowded next month with a probable Dodgers' postseason appearance and LeBron James debut with the Lakers, Rams coach Sean McVay sees room for everyone."I think there's a lot of opportunities because of the fans and because of all the different resources at our disposal that there's enough room for two good football teams," he said."That's what we want to try to do — continue to try to put out a product that our fans can be proud of and something that they want to come out and support."Follow Joe Reedy at joereedy GLENDALE, Ariz. — Larry Fitzgerald took a backward pass from Josh Rosen, shuffled a couple of steps right and set his feet.Arizona’s all-time leading receiver cocked his right arm back and let a not-quite-a-spiral fly into the desert air. The ball landed softly into the hands of Cardinals running back David Johnson, hitting him stride for a 32-yard touchdown.The Cardinals may have lost 31-9 to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but Fitzgerald added another highlight as Arizona fans celebrated what could be the final home game of his storied 15-year career.“It’s awesome,” Rosen said. “This town loves Larry, he’s an unbelievable player. The fans were looking for something positive and that was a fun one.”Fitzgerald hasn’t decided if he will return for a 16th NFL season and the Cardinals still have one game left, next Sunday at Seattle.Arizona’s first season under Steve Wilks was a huge disappointment, possibly sending the Cardinals (3-12) toward a coaching search for the second straight season by New Year’s Eve.Amid one of the worst seasons in franchise history, Fitzgerald showed he’s still got it, even at 35.Entering Sunday’s game, Fitzgerald was Arizona’s leading receiver with 59 catches for 645 yards and five touchdowns. He caught six passes for 62 yards against the NFC West champion Rams (12-3) Womens Aaron Donald Jersey , extending his streak of games with a catch to 226 straight — second all-time to Jerry Rice’s 274.Fitzgerald holds the NFL record for catches with one team and is third all-time overall with 1,299. He’s second all-time with 16,252 yards.Fitzgerald also is one of the most respected players in the NFL and in Phoenix sports history, both on the field and off.“I can’t really speak enough about Larry, not only what he brings to this organization, but to the shield itself, the National Football League,” Wilks said. “Just a true pillar of this league.”Arizona’s home finale felt like the end of the line for Fitzgerald, even if he hasn’t made a decision yet.Fitzgerald stood alone in the Cardinals’ inflatable helmet at the end of pregame introductions and ran onto the field to the first of many chants of “Larry!” from the home crowd.Throughout the game, the video boards showed highlights of Fitzgerald’s career to the Christmas-inspired song “Twelve Days of Fitzmas.”The Cardinals kept his receptions streak alive by targeting him early and often. Fitzgerald then did something he had never done before, lofting his first career TD pass into the hands of Johnson, setting off another “Larry!” chant.“It was a great throw. He threw it up there,” Johnson said. “I didn’t have to slow my stride or anything.”The Cardinals had the Fitz pass in the playbook most of the season, insisting it wasn’t put in just because this might have been his final home game.Even so, when Fitzgerald came to the sideline after his first TD pass, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich got a massive chest bump from the veteran receiver.“I guess it’s like a layup in basketball; you can’t miss John Sullivan Jersey ,” said Fitzgerald, 2 for 4 for 53 yards career passing. “I just wanted to put a little air under it. It came out a little wobbly, like (former teammate) Kurt Warner’s ball. But, like Kurt Warner’s ball, it was effective.”As the clock wound down on another Cardinals’ defeat, the few remaining fans started a chant “Larry!” — maybe for the final time.When it was over, Fitzgerald found himself surrounded by photographers, following his every move as Rams players and coaches lined up to congratulate him on the field.Even after 60 minutes of pounding each other, the respect was there for one of the greatest receivers — and people — in NFL history.“I play a team sport. I’m not Michael Phelps or Tiger Woods. Those guys do individual things,” Fitzgerald said. “Everything I’ve done has been in the context of a team setting. It’s a little uncomfortable to be singled out. There’s 11 guys with me and I wouldn’t be able to do my job without every single guy doing it. It’s cool, but still, you never get used to that.”
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