DBWI: What if the Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles?

mrbraingrayson

Ah yes,the Cleveland Rams,Northern Ohio's pride and joy since the late 1930's. They have one of the most loyal fan bases in the whole of the NFL,even after a dismal season in 2016.

I was reading an article a few days ago and it said that after the 1945 Season,the owner of the team was going to move the team to Los Angeles. Unfortunately,he died 2 weeks after the championship game and the successor decided to keep the team in Cleveland.

So I ask you; what if the Rams had moved to Los Angeles? How would the outlook of football and the NFL be different?
 

Landmass Wave

They had an AAFC team called the Browns. The Browns were better and more popular which was the reason the Rams wanted to move.

Since Cleveland wasn't big enough for two teams and the Rams invoked their territorial rights for the merger, the Browns were absorbed by the Bills, who came over with the Niners. The players from the Browns helped the Bills dominate the 1950s.

If the Rams move, the Browns become a marquee franchise instead of the Bills, and Buffalo probably becomes a charter member of the AFL.
 

Colonel Zoidberg

LA was going to get a franchise in any timeline. People were surprised it took the AFL to do it, but I wonder if the Chargers would have stayed in LA if the Rams were there. As it is, could you imagine another team playing in the LA Coliseum? That's almost hallowed ground for that team now. I mean, Bob Irsay was a shitty owner from a wins and losses standpoint, at least toward the end, but you can say two things to his credit. For one, his kid had the good sense to draft Peyton Manning, and LA finally brought home the Madden Trophy after years of suffering, and for another, that picture of him about ready to take Al Davis' head off for even considering moving the Raiders to LA. I don't know if the Rams, being an old-NFL team, would have stopped such a move.

Another possible wrinkle is which franchise the Bills would replace in the AFL. Maybe Oakland, which was the last addition. I know the AFL was really pleased to be in the Twin Cities, so probably not the Vikings, who are now an AFC staple. I hear the NFL made a run at them but they didn't bite so the NFL expanded into Miami, and the Dolphins have had a lot of success from that '72 team that won every game to the Marino teams in '87 and '93 that won it all to those teams around 2008-12 that took a real steaming dump of a 2007 season and turned it into four NFC championship appearances in five years but just couldn't get over the top. I really thought they had it in 2012 when they made the Super Bowl, but those Rams were just a team of destiny and Tom Brady was just going to get that elusive ring.
 

TonyA

Well, for sure, if you moved a pro football team into (gasp) Los Angeles from (groan) Cleveland, there'd be no way in Hell they'd ever, ever, even consider leaving! You could take that to the bank...
 

Colonel Zoidberg

TonyA said:
Well, for sure, if you moved a pro football team into (gasp) Los Angeles from (groan) Cleveland, there'd be no way in Hell they'd ever, ever, even consider leaving! You could take that to the bank...
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Look at how good the fans have been to the Chargers. You're damn right about that.
 

Somedevil

Could San Diego maybe get a team if the Rams may have moved to LA. I mean its the largest american city with out a NFL or MLB team all they have is the PCL Padres and the Clippers
 

Colonel Zoidberg

Somedevil said:
Could San Diego maybe get a team if the Rams may have moved to LA. I mean its the largest american city with out a NFL or MLB team all they have is the PCL Padres and the Clippers
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San Diego? A city that's half military and half beach-dwelling granola munchers? More people in Montpelier watched last year's Super Bowl than in San Diego. They barely show up for the Clippers, though in their defense, the Clippers suck year in and year out.

OOC: Just got back from San Diego. They do have a sports culture there, but it's far from as pervasive as in other cities. TTL San Diego could easily turn into a sports dark spot.
 

Somedevil

Colonel Zoidberg said:
San Diego? A city that's half military and half beach-dwelling granola munchers? More people in Montpelier watched last year's Super Bowl than in San Diego. They barely show up for the Clippers, though in their defense, the Clippers suck year in and year out.

OOC: Just got back from San Diego. They do have a sports culture there, but it's far from as pervasive as in other cities. TTL San Diego could easily turn into a sports dark spot.
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Yeah its a strange combo. Also being indoors is only attractive in real rainy years. The only thing keeping the Clippers in SD is that they know no one would show up if they say shared a arena with the Lakers or Warriors.

OOC: I totally know I went to HS there and had family there for decades. That's why I said the Padres only play in the PCL instead of MLB.
 

mrbraingrayson

See,I remember that before the Colts moved to Phoenix back in 1984,the owner was wanted to move to Indianapolis or Memphis but he thought Phoenix was better.

Then come the Cardinals. In 1986,they decide to move to Indianapolis and the RCA Dome. Finally,Hoosiers had a native football team to cheer on.

We all known things weren't that good until Brett Favre came along and led the Cardinals to victories on Super Bowls XXIX,XXXI,XXXV,XXXVII,and XL,cementing his self as the best quarterback ever. After "retiring" In 2008,he signed to the Seahawks,then signing to the Bears before he retired.

To be honest,football in Indianapolis had been thriving.
 

Zheng He

I am from Cleveland and honestly this is a common "what if" there. As much as we love our Rams, there are a number of people who think we would have been better seeing the Rams off to LA and embracing the Browns who would have been invited to joint the NFL in 1950. Paul Brown was so innovative and ahead of his time the thinking is that he would have achieved in Cleveland what he went on to achieve in Buffalo. When you look at what he did there followed by the brilliant job his family has done keeping Buffalo as one of the model NFL franchises we obviously wonder what might have been.

Sure we've had some success with the Rams (two Super Bowl appearances with one victory in 1983) but by and large it is one or two decent seasons every decade followed by several years of mediocrity.
 
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