March 25, 2012; Palm Beach, FL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during an press conference at the annual NFL meetings at the Breakers Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

With the Rams being one of the worst teams in the NFL over the last several seasons, the issue of blackouts hits close to home for those of us here in St. Louis. I have to admit that the organization has stepped up to get us over the hump into sellout range numerous times in the last few years, but there was always a chance that those people who didn’t head over to the Edward Jones Dome wouldn’t be able to see the game. It looks like the NFL has finally realized that their blackout rule is ridiculous, because a report came out on Saturday saying that the league is willing to relax on the blackouts. According to the report in the Wall Street Journal, the league will give teams flexibility to to avoid television blackouts by allowing broadcasts with as few as 85% of tickets sold.

“The at-home experience has gotten better and cheaper, while the in-stadium experience feels like it hasn’t,” Eric Grubman, the NFL’s executive vice president of ventures and business operations told the Journal. “That’s a trend that we’ve got to do something about.”

I have had season tickets since the Rams moved to St. Louis, and I usually attend a bulk of the home games in a particular season. But let’s be honest: watching the game from home can sometimes be a much better way to spend a Sunday, especially if you are into fantasy football and/or you have RedZone or the NFL package. I enjoy heading downtown with buddies and grabbing some early-morning drinks before a noon kickoff, but there’s something to be said for HD televisions, every game at your disposal and only getting off the couch to head to the restroom. The league recognizes this fact, and it’s good to see they’re doing something about it.

Dec 12, 2011, Seattle, WA, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (8) hands off against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated St. Louis, 30-13. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

I know there are varying opinions about fantasy football out there, and while I’m a big fan of playing, I can understand those who aren’t as into it as I am. No matter what side of the fence you fall on when it comes to the issue, I think we can all agree that the 2011 version of the St. Louis Rams weren’t exactly loaded with prized fantasy talent. Yahoo! Fantasy has opened their “Juggernaut Index” rankings for the upcoming season, and they have the Rams checking in at No. 31 of 32 teams. For those of you who don’t know, this ranking system rates teams based on fantasy potential only. They aren’t trying to predict real wins and losses, they are just looking at a team’s roster and assessing the fantasy potential. With that being said, I don’t think the ranking is unfair at all. By the way, in case you were wondering, the only team ranked lower than the Rams is the Miami Dolphins.

The article doesn’t have much to say on the good side about the Rams, but they do acknowledge that Sam Bradford will likely be better this season. He probably doesn’t have much fantasy value, but he should be better. The most love on the offensive side of the ball went to Brian Quick (surprise) and Steven Jackson (not a surprise). Apparently, there is some buzz surrounding Quick in the fantasy world, so it sounds like we aren’t the only ones who are expecting big things out of him. I think his transition to the NFL could be a little tougher than people think, but I agree that he could be a nice late-round fantasy receiver.

SJ39 is always a solid fantasy performer, but it can be frustrating that he doesn’t get in the end zone more often. An improved offense could help him get in more often this season, and as long as he’s healthy he should put up fine numbers.Danny Amendola is a pretty solid PPR player, and he could be a nice value after missing so much time last season. The writer at Yahoo! isn’t a fan of Lance Kendricks, and while I wouldn’t draft him, he might be worth keeping an eye on over the first few weeks.

My biggest issue with this article (other than the picture of Bradford on his back captioned “Sam Bradford, in his usual pose”) comes on the defensive side of the ball, when I think this team will be much improved and worth a look in fantasy play. With the addition of Cortland Finnegan and a solid group of pass-rushers, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Rams’ D is worth owning. If Jeff Fisher gets these guys playing his style and they stay relatively healthy, this group may be a nice value pick late in your draft if you miss out on some of the upper-level defenses out there.

While everything I said above is certainly true, the bye week also offers a glimmer of hope for even the most disappointing teams. During the offseason every fan thinks his/her team has a chance when the season begins, and I kind of feel the same way about the bye. We might be 0-4, but there’s still that feeling deep inside of every fan that something magical is going to happen during the week when the team doesn’t play. It might be foolish, but I still feel that small sliver of hope. I know that reality is probably going to strike me down hard and fast when St. Louis takes to Lambeau Field to face the defending champs, but for now I need this. Hey, at least we here is the Gateway City still have the Cardinals.