It looks like the Rams have found a franchise quarterback.
Sam Bradford’s presence changes everything about the organization. He gives the team hope and ultimately he’ll win games and sell tickets. But for now Rams fans have been beaten down too much to vigorously support the home team.
Sunday’s paid attendance at the team’s home opener was 52,440, the fourth-lowest figure at the Edward Jones Dome in the last five seasons. It’s nearly 15,000 below the stadium’s capacity.
The game wasn’t blacked out because 9,500 unsold premium seats don’t count into the blackout equation. 4,500 regular seats were unsold, which the Rams made up for with a “combination of charitable donations and corporate partner Edward Jones.”
The tickets figure to be tougher to sell and the blackouts tougher to avoid as a home schedule without a lot of marquee teams wears on.