Rams Were Real Disappointing On Sunday, But Who is at Fault?

**Randy Gardner photo**

By Randy Gardner

Every Sunday is a new day in the NFL and we saw that with the Rams— they looked terrible. This team was not prepared to play at all last Sunday against Washington. They were flat the entire game and then when they had a chance to get back in the game they fell apart.

Who do you blame this on, is it the players or coaches? As a player, after a big win against Seattle you know the next team is looking to destroy you and that is what happened.

To me as a soccer coach, I tell my kids after a big win that you are only as good as your last game. This sort of proves my theory.

The Rams, I think, got a bit too big for their britches thinking that they knocked off Seattle and that they would cruise against Washington, but the ‘Skins came to play. The Rams looked like a scared junior football team on Sunday. I actually feel sorry for Jeff Fisher sometimes, I think he is a great coach but I think the players are in the situations now where they make so much money that they don’t truly care as much.

I heard a former coach of a professional organization speak about how the players have negotiated their way into not being as good. He said there is no substitute for hard work and training and with this last NFL agreement the players negotiated fewer practice days and less time. They want more money but not the practice.

This flows over into life with our society. Right now, everyone wants more for less. What has happened to work ethic? How do we teach our kids to work hard when they are seeing that the ordinary is enough to get by?

Practice What You Preach

I hope that this attitude changes over the coming years and generations because if not we are all in trouble. I want to leave you with the thoughts of practicing what you preach and I find myself in that situation right now.

I am a constant preacher of taking a chance and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. That’s how you become great and get somewhere and get something you want. Although I am the first to be afraid of taking a chance. How does that happen?

I can visualize myself in a situation and the outcome but I can’t actually take that step and conceptualize it and make it happen. This is something I want to work on this upcoming year. It can be my New Year’s Resolution. At least, I have a couple of months to prepare though.

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