- Joined
- Jul 3, 2011
- Messages
- 917
Shane Gray provides special Rams commentaries on 101sports.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ShaneGmoSTLRams.
In the end, an NFL franchise – like a franchise of any professional sport – is primarily judged by its historical performance related to postseason play.
For example, the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers are widely revered as the crown-jewel organizations of Major League Baseball due in large part to their extensive resumes of postseason success.
In terms of fueling the fan base, punching tickets to the playoff party gives supporters a chance to take pride in the team they love. Oftentimes, it is a team that represents the city and/or state that one calls home. Consistently qualifying for postseason action helps organizations build loyal, multi-generational fan bases. Furthermore, it gives fans a chance to revel in legitimate title dreams.
If qualifying for the playoffs is where the chase for a championship really kicks into go mode, then those failing to secure postseason berths were never truly in the race to begin with.
Sure, they took part in the regular-season festivities, but not one regular-season win – no matter how spectacular or meaningful it may have been – has ever advanced anyone through a single postseason round.
As one can see below, playoff appearance records would suggest that the only city that has endured worse football than St. Louis fans have since the NFL’s inception in 1920 is Phoenix. Ironically, it hosts the franchise that spent 28 years in St. Louis: the current Arizona Cardinals.
With St. Louis’ NFL tenure beginning in 1960, postseason qualifications from 1960 and beyond are listed for each city whose pro football affiliation goes back prior to that year for easier comparisons to St. Louis’ playoff resume.
Atlanta (1966-2013): 12
Arizona (1987-2013): 3
Baltimore
(1953-1983, Colts): 10
(1996-2013, Ravens): 9
(1960-2013): 17
(Total): 19
Buffalo (1960-2013): 17
(I hope each of you will enjoy the full column via link below with several observations on St. Louis thereafter. And happy new year to each of you! Thanks for all the support):
http://www.101sports.com/2014/01/13/st-louis-football-part-one-rams-cardinals-nfl-playoff-history/
In the end, an NFL franchise – like a franchise of any professional sport – is primarily judged by its historical performance related to postseason play.
For example, the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers are widely revered as the crown-jewel organizations of Major League Baseball due in large part to their extensive resumes of postseason success.
In terms of fueling the fan base, punching tickets to the playoff party gives supporters a chance to take pride in the team they love. Oftentimes, it is a team that represents the city and/or state that one calls home. Consistently qualifying for postseason action helps organizations build loyal, multi-generational fan bases. Furthermore, it gives fans a chance to revel in legitimate title dreams.
If qualifying for the playoffs is where the chase for a championship really kicks into go mode, then those failing to secure postseason berths were never truly in the race to begin with.
Sure, they took part in the regular-season festivities, but not one regular-season win – no matter how spectacular or meaningful it may have been – has ever advanced anyone through a single postseason round.
As one can see below, playoff appearance records would suggest that the only city that has endured worse football than St. Louis fans have since the NFL’s inception in 1920 is Phoenix. Ironically, it hosts the franchise that spent 28 years in St. Louis: the current Arizona Cardinals.
With St. Louis’ NFL tenure beginning in 1960, postseason qualifications from 1960 and beyond are listed for each city whose pro football affiliation goes back prior to that year for easier comparisons to St. Louis’ playoff resume.
Atlanta (1966-2013): 12
Arizona (1987-2013): 3
Baltimore
(1953-1983, Colts): 10
(1996-2013, Ravens): 9
(1960-2013): 17
(Total): 19
Buffalo (1960-2013): 17
(I hope each of you will enjoy the full column via link below with several observations on St. Louis thereafter. And happy new year to each of you! Thanks for all the support):
http://www.101sports.com/2014/01/13/st-louis-football-part-one-rams-cardinals-nfl-playoff-history/