Bitter pill

Rams' fans realize dynasty talk was premature

A Rams fan looks on in disbelief while watching the Super Bowl at a St. Louis sports bar. AP

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Call off the talk of a dynasty.

Losing the Super Bowl is doubly tough when your team goes in as a 14-point favorite, rallies from a big deficit in the fourth quarter and still loses. That's what St. Louisans found out Sunday as the New England Patriots' Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal with no time remaining to beat the Rams 20-17.

The loss spoiled what many fans here figured would be a coronation. Few experts gave the Patriots much of a chance against St. Louis, which had the NFL's best record (14-2) in the regular season.

The loss left St. Louis fans downcast that their team didn't win its second Super Bowl title in three years.

At The Cafe sports bar in south St. Louis County, raucous cheers after the Rams tied the game with 1:30 to play hushed a little more with each New England play over the final moments. When the field goal sailed through, there was dead silence.

"Very disappointing ... very disappointing," patron Gerald Schaeggy said. "I thought we had them. But you have to hand it to New England. I thought the Rams played the game that New England wanted."

Civic leaders had planned a rally and parade for Monday afternoon, but only if the Rams won. Instead, it will be a lonely trip home for the NFC champions. Because of tighter security following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, even fans wishing to greet the Rams at Lambert Airport won't be allowed to.

The day began with promise -- sunny, unusually warm. The mood before the game seemed jubilant.

In grocery store lines, convenience stores, even churches, fans were decked out in the home-team blue and gold, often in official replica jerseys. Seemingly every car or truck had a small Rams flag attached to the window.

Flag poles in yards -- many that went up in the days after the terrorist attacks -- flew Old Glory at the top, with Rams banners right below.

Temperatures around 50 degrees meant that many Super Bowl parties spilled outside, creating a tailgating-like atmosphere on driveways and lawns across the region.

In the front yard of one home in St. Charles County, a little boy wearing a plastic Rams helmet was a one-man game, snapping the ball to himself, tossing it in the air, making the catch, even providing the play-by-play.

"Kurt Warner drops back, he's got Isaac Bruce open, TOUCHDOWN RAMS!"

That didn't happen. In fact, the New England defense dominated a St. Louis team that averaged 31 points during the season.

St. Louis police had extra patrols out Sunday night -- anticipating, like most everyone else, celebrating crowds -- but there were no reports of problems.

"It's quiet," police spokesman Richard Wilkes said. "I think most people are too much in shock."

At The Cafe, Lori Wagster thought her pregame prediction -- Rams by a field goal in overtime -- was about to come true.

"Very heartbreaking," she said. "But, you know, there's always next year."

 

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