Despite some doubt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NFL season is officially underway. The LA Rams topped the Dallas Cowboys, 20-17, in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season and first game in their new home, SoFi Stadium. Unfortunately, Rams fans may not be able to experience this brand new $5 billion stadium this season and Rams’ COO Kevin Demoff sent this letter to them prior to kickoff on Sunday:
A house becomes a home through memories, through shared experiences, through celebrations and tears.
As we open our new Rams House today, I will drive to Inglewood thinking fondly of all that our fans have done to help us prepare for this moment. I remember Tom Bateman and the 60,000 members of Bring Back the LA Rams who captured the NFL’s attention and celebrated with us at The Forum. I think of the goose bumps I felt getting off the bus in Oxnard for our scrimmage against the Cowboys and the roar of 91,000 fans when the Red Hot Chili Peppers kicked off our opener against the Seahawks.
I can picture our players celebrating with the Melonheads after beating the Vikings on Thursday Night Football, feel a city united in joy after Gerald Everett scored to beat the Chiefs, and hear the roar of the entire building when CJ Anderson dove in from the one-yard line on fourth down to beat the Cowboys in the playoffs. The “Cooooop” chants that punctuated the air following Cooper Kupp’s amazing catch and run against the Saints still reverberate. Our fans’ energy and excitement as they sent us off from SoFi Stadium to the Super Bowl continue to drive us. My lasting image of the Rams in the Coliseum is our smiling fans taking pictures on the field following the final game last season.
We all remember when we first became Rams fans. Maybe you became a Rams fan at the Coliseum in the 1950’s, watching Norm Van Brocklin throw four touchdown passes to “Crazy Legs” Hirsch to beat the New York Yankees. Maybe it was watching George Allen’s Fearsome Foursome dominate opponents and Deacon Jones invent the sack. Maybe it was at Anaheim Stadium as Eric Dickerson rushed for 248 yards to beat the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs or seeing the Greatest Show on Turf hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Maybe it was a moment on the couch with your family, playing touch football in the street or tailgating at the Coliseum.
All of those moments throughout Rams history that made us Ramily bring us to this day – opening SoFi Stadium, the first stadium built by the Los Angeles Rams for the Los Angeles Rams. Gone are the red seats and the feeling of living in a house that was designed for somebody else. Like all families, ours has grown and expanded, experiences have been passed down from generation to generation, and new space is needed for the future. The future includes all of us together in the world’s greatest stadium – from the largest video board to the closest seats to the field in the NFL to the first indoor/outdoor design to take advantage of Los Angeles’ envious climate.
While we won’t physically be together tonight, when the Rams take the field for the first time at SoFi Stadium, I hope you all take pride that you made this moment possible. Stan Kroenke had the vision – you helped it come to life. From booster club picnics to packed tailgates to high-fives in the stands, these all serve as a reminder of what we have built together and the power Rams football has to inspire one another.
Tonight will be our first memory, but not our last, as SoFi Stadium transforms from renderings to reality. Our new home is ready for the next generation of Rams memories, and it starts tonight against the Dallas Cowboys.
Thank you and Go Rams!
Kevin
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