[Elvis]

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/ ... 82faafbe64

Ex-St. Louis Rams fans ready to root for Titans

John Glennon, [email protected] 5:58 p.m. CDT June 10, 2016

In the beginning, there was only mourning and bitterness.

Who could blame St. Louis Rams fans for feeling that way? Their hometown NFL team announced last January that it would be packing up and moving to Los Angeles, ending a 21-year stay that included a Super Bowl victory.

“After the Rams left, we didn’t really talk football for a while,” said St. Louis native Brad Bernsen, 32. “We were kind of over it. This is probably the first year I didn’t even watch the draft. I didn’t care.”

Only weeks ago, however, things began to change for Bernsen and his band of 20 to 30 football buddies in St. Louis. They decided that they still wanted a hometown team of sorts.

Their choice, after careful consideration of the four teams within a moderate drive from St Louis? The Tennessee Titans.

Since then, Titans jerseys, caps and even yard flags have been ordered, a Twitter account — @StLouisTitans — has sprung up with more than 140 followers, and hotel reservations have been made for the Titans’ game against the Colts at Nissan Stadium in October.

“People can’t say we’re bandwagon fans because we’re taking (the Titans) off a three-win season,” said St. Louis native Matt Wiseman, 34. “We think there’s a lot of potential with these guys and they’re making some moves to improve things. Nashville is an exciting, cool town with friendly people, so hopefully they’ll welcome us with open arms.”

“We think there’s a lot of potential with these guys and they’re making some moves to improve things. Nashville is an exciting, cool town with friendly people, so hopefully they’ll welcome us with open arms.” -Matt Wiseman, St. Louis native who is now a Titans fan

The Rams-to-Titans fan movement isn’t limited to this group of St. Louis friends.

Three months ago, Missouri resident and former Rams fan Tommy Bohnert had some fun on Twitter, announcing in a short video clip that he’d transferred his allegiances to the Titans. That prompted a congratulatory note from Kenneth Adams, a member of the Titans ownership group, who sent a football autographed by linebacker Brian Orakpo.

“Welcome to the Titans family!” Adams wrote on the note, which was posted on Twitter. “We cannot wait to see you at Nissan Stadium!”

As an organization, the Titans are considering a number of ideas to court former Rams fans, including the possibility of expanding the team’s radio network westward and gauging the St. Louis-area’s interest in having Titans preseason games aired there.

Bernsen and his St. Louis-based friends considered three other teams — Chiefs, Colts and Bears — in addition to the Titans. Kansas City, Indianapolis and Chicago are also within a four- to five-hour drive from St. Louis.

But since the pals are also big St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans, they figured they’d have a hard time rooting for NFL teams in the same city as Major League Baseball rivals like the Royals and Cubs.


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And what about the Colts, who reached the playoffs in 12 of the past 14 seasons?

“There’s nothing wrong with the Colts,” Bernsen said. “They’re just kind of a boring team is the way I described it to my friends. We were looking for a little more excitement, an up-and-coming team.”

Other intangibles favoring the Titans included the presence of former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, as well as Music City as a destination.

“We had to have a cool city to go to, which Nashville obviously is,” said St. Louis native Brian Biederman, 31. “We just had a bachelor party there a couple of months ago or so, and I guess it was probably right around the time that we decided to (support) the Titans.”

The St. Louis-based Titans fans have been hard at work learning about their new team, sending one another story links or trivia questions on group texts. They’re also working on a deal with a St. Louis bar — Hotshots — to show every Titans game this season, since the local CBS affiliate is more likely to broadcast the top AFC game.

“It’s been exciting so far,” Biederman said. “We’re all in on this. This is our team going forward.”

Reach John Glennon at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @glennonsports.

[OldSchool]

Soon we'll see them doing this, when they're not even playing LA.

[Snow Man]

Good for them, they were just wanting a place that was a relatively close drive. Didn't seem like they were dissing the Rams. If they wait for another home town team it may not happen in their lifetimes.

OR maybe after Stan dies (which will probably be in 15 or 20 years), Josh will move them back to St. Louis again!

After all, doesn't the letters NFL stand for Not For Long?

[Ramzee]

Good for them, they were just wanting a place that was a relatively close drive. Didn't seem like they were dissing the Rams. If they wait for another home town team it may not happen in their lifetimes.

OR maybe after Stan dies (which will probably be in 15 or 20 years), Josh will move them back to St. Louis again!

When the Rams left LA, I had friends, family, even strangers all telling me how they couldn't follow the Rams after being scorned by them leaving. I couldn't have cared less. Once they stopped being Ram fans, they became just another fan of a competing team. If you're not with us, you're against us.

I just couldn't ever see myself becoming a Chargers fan just because I didn't like Georgia and her sole decision to move the Rams. Using ANY of the logic these people are using in this story. I couldn't relate to them then, I can't relate to them now. Chargers fans, Titans fans, Colts fans, 49er fans, I don't care for any of them. I don't care what city they reside in.

[snackdaddy]

To each his own. Some might find the switch ain't so easy. When you give your heart and sole to a team going with another team won't feel the same. For the ones who make an easy switch, well, I would doubt the Rams were that big a deal to begin with.

[Snow Man]

How about this scenario? Fisher leaves the Rams and takes the Titans head coaching job.

The Rams win the NFC championship.

The Titans win the AFC championship.

The Titans and Rams meet in the Super Bowl AND this time Fisher beats the Ram. With the draft picks they got for trading the 2016 top pickl!

Never happen? Who thought that after the Rams beat the Titans that some day Fisher would be coaching the Rams?

[Hacksaw]

I was mad after the team left. As hard as I tried I couldn't find the passion for another team. so when I came upon this team in StL I got revved back up again. Sorry, I doubt these guys will feel the same passion as they did for the Rams (or Big Red). If they do then they are extremely fickle or didn't really have the passion in the first place. And the Titan Oilers as a replacement for the Rams. The ONLY reason for that is proof that these guys are StL first and foremost, team brand 2nd.

[Hacksaw_64]

Well the Titans shouldn't count on the ex-St Louis Rams fan base to travel very well, considering they could barely make it to the home games...

[Snow Man]

Well the Titans shouldn't count on the ex-St Louis Rams fan base to travel very well, considering they could barely make it to the home games...

I think they probably just got tired of watching losing football.

[Elvis]

When the dust settle i have to figure a lot of St. Louisans will stick with the Rams and a lot won't. A lot like how it went down here in '94...