Any real oldheads around, or anyone who knows what it was like being a Rams fan back in the 50s–70s?

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

Allen2McVay

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
10,339
Name
Jim
...

BTW a player from the 70's nobody ever talks about and maybe the most under rated player to ever play here is
DT Larry Brooks. Ended his career with 74 sacks in 11 years including 14.5 in 1976.

1755746330583.png
 

kmramsfan

Old School Ram Fan
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
751
Name
Keith
1965 is when I started watching. I would get to go to a game about once a year with season tickets that my dad would get from Northridge Lumber in the valley. We'd all meet up at a bar / restaurant in Encino known as the Rams Horn.
Every once in awhile there'd be a couple of retired players hanging out thee.
From there get on a charter bus and head for the Coliseum for the games. The coliseum had the undeniable fragrance of liquor and stogies back then. A real football game atmosphere. :laugh2:
No replay, so if you missed the play, you missed the play forever.
Great times to be an LA Rams fan.
 

Ground Chuck

Rookie
Joined
Mar 31, 2025
Messages
374
Name
JR
Born in 1966 my first fandom year really 1973 although I had an Uncle that was 5 years older that assisted in keeping me informed about our Los Angeles Rams. The 1973 season will always mean so much, but I just wish Chuck Knox had a QB back then. Just think if the Rams had Archie Manning, instead of wasting his talent with the Saints? If Archie was the Rams QB back then, it would be the Rams with all the Super Bowls and not the Steelers.

Maybe that is why I want his grandson so much.

Here since Hadl.
View attachment 72121

As good a place as any to tell this "It's a small world" story. I think I already shared it with a couple guys on this board through text.

This kid Logan grew up two blocks away and played sports with my boys. But Logan played his high school ball for a private school in the next town. I didn’t really know them then or follow him. His dad Bob and I talk here and there, walking dogs, etc. Good dude. But I had no idea…


Logan ended up quarterback at Middle Tennessee with our boy Bennie Cunningham! He is still good friends with Benny. He then spent a year as an UDFA with the Saints, under Asshole Face and Drew Brees
.IMG_4435.jpeg Then a few years in the CFL, including the Toronto Argonauts, here pictured with Benny Cunningham, who came to cheer him on.

He then began coaching, and eventually became….wait for it…




IMG_4436.jpeg
Offensive coordinator at Isador Newman, where he designed a special offense for some kid named Arch. Logan and by extension Bob have basically become honorary Mannings. :laugh2::sunglasses:

I won’t get into much more in respect for Bob’s wishes. :censored: And in respect to the Mannings privacy. But it’s pretty cool! And this coming year should be exciting! (And believe me boys, through six degrees of Arch Manning via Kevin Bacon I’m dropping hints with dad that Arch needs to go to the Rams!)





IMG_4434.jpeg Of course Logan was hired by Payton and is now on the Bronco staff. So add that to the possibilities with Sean Paytons, and Kilgore’s connections to the Mannings, in case this Nix guy doesn’t pan out, I can see Logan promoted to quarterbacks coach and the Broncos gunning for young Arch.

Just an interesting little tidbit. Thought I’d share with you gents. I just learned all of this around 2 months ago. About a kid from 2 blocks away, right under my nose.
 

Merlin

Damn the torpedoes
Rams On Demand Sponsor
ROD Credit | 2023 TOP Member
Joined
May 8, 2014
Messages
43,224
Asking if there's any oldhead bastards who want to relive the old days on RoD... :laugh3:

QXeN2.gif
 

Loyal

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Messages
31,877
What was it like to be a Rams fans in the 70's

I jumped on in the 1975 playoffs just in time to see the Rams lose to Dallas at home 37-7.

I lived in Hawaii. My 2 best neighbor friends liked the Rams too. We would go to the local swap meet and collect 1976 football cards and other cool toys. I remember us 3 opening the cards right there and looking for Rams. The most expensive card to come out of that series was Walter Payton's rookie and we got a few of him at 25 cents a pack.

Sports memorabilia shops wouldn't start popping up until the mid-80's. Back in the late 70's you could order a box of older football cards for around $25 a box. This was before cards skyrocketed. The ads for all the cools stuff would be in sports magazines.

We could also order posters from Sports illustrated and I got Youngblood, McCutcheon, James Harris, and Harold Jackson on my wall. Jerseys too, but back then they didn't have the player's name you could only order with your own or blank. I got Youngblood's for $40, with tackle twill numbers so it looks like the 1973 or 1974 season when they whore those.

When the holidays rolled around we'd look through a Sears catalogue called the Wish Book. I'd go straight to the toys. Parents let us make a list from that catalogue. There were some cool NFL items in there like kid jerseys, team caps, beanies, team pajamas, socks, jackets, bedspreads and many other stuff. I had a Rams lamp, a small trash can, and a standup to move helmet magnets around in the standings..

The Sunday ritual was to wake up early for the pregame. Brent, Irv, Phyllis, and Jimmy the Greek gave us updates and predictions. They also had some cool player interviews and player stories. Monday night was a delayed telecast. We could either listen on the radio or tell everyone not to say the score and watch at 6pm after the game was over.

Back in 1976-on I'd see about 8 Rams games on TV per year including playoffs. Imagine not being able to watch your team and looking at scores at the bottom, then waiting for halftime highlights and Monday night football highlights to even get a glimpse of any action.

As far as league fandom, I knew kids who liked the Vikings, Cowboys, Raiders, Patriots, and Dolphins. Those were the most popular teams back then. The Jets, Saints, Giants and Bucs were the worst. The Bucs and Seahawks were new expansion teams.

There was no social media of course so we'd troll each other's teams in person either at school or among friends. Funny I only knew one kid who was a whiner fan and I teased him mercilessly. I didn't even like them back then!

Since there was no internet, on the day after the game we had to get the newspaper and look through the sports section for pics and stats. Imagine not having anything to see until the next day. How did we survive????
I'm from LA, but lived in Houston during "Earlers" time in the sun with HC Bum Phillips, Dan Pastorini, Earl Campbell, Billy White Shoes Johnson. The only time I ever saw the Rams in those years was by the off chance that the Oilers played the Rams in LA or my Dad took me to a game in the Astrodome. I lived by the Monday sports page blurb about Rams games (very small paragraph).
 

LARams_1963

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jun 29, 2016
Messages
3,195
Name
greg
Started watching around '69/70. I remember players like Roman Gabriel, Jack Snow and Willie Ellison. I was so happy when the new unis came out in '73 (I thought the Blue/Whites were boring AF). At the time I was in San Jose, surrounded by Whiner and Raider fans and the only Rams fan around. I didn't actually get to attend a game till I was an adult around '82
 

den-the-coach

Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
24,017
Name
Dennis
I'm from LA, but lived in Houston during "Earlers" time in the sun with HC Bum Phillips, Dan Pastorini, Earl Campbell, Billy White Shoes Johnson. The only time I ever saw the Rams in those years was by the off chance that the Oilers played the Rams in LA or my Dad took me to a game in the Astrodome. I lived by the Monday sports page blurb about Rams games (very small paragraph).
No wonder you love that Oiler Blue Font!
 

den-the-coach

Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
24,017
Name
Dennis
It was "66" for me Packers/Rams game, I've been hooked on the horns ever since ! -- the Fatboy
Just to be clear was it 1966 or 1967? The 1967 game was the block punt in the final minute of the game that the Rams won 27-24?
1755782472958.png
 

Selassie I

H. I. M.
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
18,848
Name
Haole
What was it like to be a Rams fans in the 70's

I jumped on in the 1975 playoffs just in time to see the Rams lose to Dallas at home 37-7.

I lived in Hawaii. My 2 best neighbor friends liked the Rams too. We would go to the local swap meet and collect 1976 football cards and other cool toys. I remember us 3 opening the cards right there and looking for Rams. The most expensive card to come out of that series was Walter Payton's rookie and we got a few of him at 25 cents a pack.

Sports memorabilia shops wouldn't start popping up until the mid-80's. Back in the late 70's you could order a box of older football cards for around $25 a box. This was before cards skyrocketed. The ads for all the cools stuff would be in sports magazines.

We could also order posters from Sports illustrated and I got Youngblood, McCutcheon, James Harris, and Harold Jackson on my wall. Jerseys too, but back then they didn't have the player's name you could only order with your own or blank. I got Youngblood's for $40, with tackle twill numbers so it looks like the 1973 or 1974 season when they whore those.

When the holidays rolled around we'd look through a Sears catalogue called the Wish Book. I'd go straight to the toys. Parents let us make a list from that catalogue. There were some cool NFL items in there like kid jerseys, team caps, beanies, team pajamas, socks, jackets, bedspreads and many other stuff. I had a Rams lamp, a small trash can, and a standup to move helmet magnets around in the standings..

The Sunday ritual was to wake up early for the pregame. Brent, Irv, Phyllis, and Jimmy the Greek gave us updates and predictions. They also had some cool player interviews and player stories. Monday night was a delayed telecast. We could either listen on the radio or tell everyone not to say the score and watch at 6pm after the game was over.

Back in 1976-on I'd see about 8 Rams games on TV per year including playoffs. Imagine not being able to watch your team and looking at scores at the bottom, then waiting for halftime highlights and Monday night football highlights to even get a glimpse of any action.

As far as league fandom, I knew kids who liked the Vikings, Cowboys, Raiders, Patriots, and Dolphins. Those were the most popular teams back then. The Jets, Saints, Giants and Bucs were the worst. The Bucs and Seahawks were new expansion teams.

There was no social media of course so we'd troll each other's teams in person either at school or among friends. Funny I only knew one kid who was a whiner fan and I teased him mercilessly. I didn't even like them back then!

Since there was no internet, on the day after the game we had to get the newspaper and look through the sports section for pics and stats. Imagine not having anything to see until the next day. How did we survive????


Small world Brudda. I started in 74 or 75 (I can't remember lol), and I grew up in Pearl City. The Ram games were televised there more than other teams for sure. The games came on in the morning time on Sundays mostly. Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday morning Ram games. That's how I got hooked.
 

Allen2McVay

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
10,339
Name
Jim
First Rams playoff game 1974 vs Redskins. 80,000 fans. Isiah Robertson sealing the game with a 58 yard interception return to seal the game and give the LA Rams their first playoff victory since 1951.

Watching that game as a 13-year-old (but already a die-hard Rams' fan) from NYC on an 18" Black & White-TV, it looked like one of the most physical, hard-hitting games I have ever seen.

Of course, that could just be the memory.