LA Rams Les Snead’s ‘F’ Them Picks’ is trending in NBA

The LA Rams have not made a first-round selection in the NFL Draft since hiring head coach Sean McVay after the 2016 NFL season. Over the next five seasons, LA Rams GM Les Snead had invested those Day 1 picks into quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, defensive back Jalen Ramsey, and quarterback Matthew Stafford.

In the 2019 NFL Draft, the LA Rams held the 31st overall pick. But the team traded back, sending the 31st overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons, and claiming their 45th and 79th overall picks.  It was not a picks for star player scenario, but it had the same effect on the Rams draft. They traded out of the first round, and away from the highly compensated first 32 rookies off the board.

Good teams trade draft picks. In reality, a first-round pick that lands at 30th overall or later are just glorified second-round picks that are chosen on Day 1 and whose rookies are paid significantly more than Day 2  or Day 3 rookies. When you think about it, it only makes sense that LA Rams GM Les Snead has been associated with the “F*** them picks!” saying.

F’ Them Picks is universal?

It first showed up as an emoji on Twitter after he completed the trade for Detroit Lions veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. It popped up on coffee mugs. It even popped up on t-shirts and sweatshirts.

But you knew it was a ‘thing’ when it showed up on LA Rams GM Les Snead during the Super Bowl parade when he was wearing a shirt with the emoji plainly in sight.

Well, apparently that helped propel the Snead-inspired catch-phrase from the NFL over to the NBA. After a blockbuster trade by the Minnesota Timberwolves for Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, that Les Snead emoji began to show up, but this time attributed to Timberwolves President Tim Connelly.

I found myself both laughing and saddened at the same time. Laughing because it’s really just a silly stupid saying that makes me smile. Saddened because it felt like a Rams’ exclusive phrase was no longer under the Rams’ control, that other teams and other professional sports would now lay claim to that fun emoji.

Am I being too possessive? Probably. But after all the ridicule endured by the Rams organization and fans due to the lack of first-round picks in the NFL Draft, it just feels like the team should have a grace period of at least 12 months before other professional sports claim the “F’ Them Picks” for their own use.