Fisher Introduced By Rams

New Rams head coach Jeff Fisher was formally introduced on Tuesday, and I think it’s safe to say he made an excellent first impression. Most new coaches look good at their introductory press conference, but I was overly impressed with this one. Fisher came across as a no-nonsense type of guy who wants to win and, more importantly, know how to. The Rams have been a team without an identity for the last few years, but that isn’t the case anymore. This team will be hard-nosed and tough, and anyone who isn’t won’t be around for long.

Here are a few quotes from Fisher: “My decision was very, very simple,” Fisher said. “It was based on the vision, the collective vision shared by Stan and Kevin (Demoff) as far as the future of the franchise. And more specifically, it’s restoring this franchise to a place of significance. Significance, by that I mean, it’s an opportunity to take another trip as champions to the White House. This is a tremendous opportunity for this franchise, for our fan base, to get the football team back on the map and once again get back on the winning track.”

And on the week of indecision: “Despite reports, never was there a situation where one club was leveraged against another,” Fisher said. “That was not true. It was the non-economic issues … what we’re going to do with the coaching staffs and front office staffs and those type of things.”

I know we’ve all been here before, but it really felt different today. There is hope, like always, but there is also a sense of certainty with what we are getting. It’s one thing to hope you found the next great head coach, but it’s quite another to know you are getting a great coach. That’s not saying Fisher will certainly bring the Rams back to the Super Bowl, but it is saying that, if the organization gives him the pieces, he is capable. I don’t think we have been able to say that since Dick Vermeil left town.