Can The Los Angeles Rams Steal This 46-Year-Old Title From Iconic Franchise?

Can The Los Angeles Rams be called “America’s Team?” Colin Cowherd thinks so.

Of course, that honorific moniker has belonged to the Dallas Cowboys since 1978, when NFL Films narrator John Facenda opens a Cowboys with the following introduction:

Los Angeles Rams: America’s Team?

“They appear on television so often that their faces are as familiar to the public as presidents and movie stars. They are the Dallas Cowboys, “America’s Team”.”

During the 1979 season opener, CBS’s great play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall introduced the team by the new nickname and it has stuck ever since.

The man responsible for the nickname, Bob Ryan, now Vice President and editor-in-chief of NFL Films, said he came up with the idea because of the number of the team’s fans in different markets that would show up to Cowboys ‘away’ games.

“I saw all these fans in away stadiums. Hey, they’re the most popular team in the country. How can I use that? Why don’t we call them “America’s Team”?”

Ironically, the Rams are more known as a team that can’t fill their own stadium with Rams fans, much less fill the seats of other stadiums around the country. But that isn’t Cowherd’s reasoning for the changing of the guard.

“I am today declaring the Rams the new America’s team. Yes. They win when America watches. They’re the most raided franchise, the most duplicated franchise, the most copied franchise, [They are] never in cap hell. They’ve changeed the way you treat players, how you practice without pads. Players want to be here. They come to rehab their image and leave. And when they leave they say things like “it’s the greatest two years of my life.” Cowboys Packers Steelers you’re never on TV in January.”

Cowherd changes the definition of what it means to be “America’s Team”, from most popular to most influential. Truth be told, the Cowboys remain the most popular NFL team, with 18.9 million followers across the major social media channels. While the Rams come in at 25th with 5.2 million.

Influence is harder to quantify, but Sean McVay’s coaching tree is vast, especially considering his short time in the role. The Rams are undoubtedly one of the most influential franchises.

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