Frank Talk Provokes Vermeil

The St. Louis Rams hired Dick Vermeil to restore order to the franchise. Instead, according to wide receiver Isaac Bruce, they have chaos.

Bruce’s frame of reference is offense. That’s where the Rams have been at their worst, totaling little more than 300 yards in total offense the last two weeks. It’s been 10 quarters since their last offensive touchdown.

Bruce, sidelined for much of the year by a hamstring injury, questioned the team’s effort.

“It’s going kind of backwards for us,” Bruce said after Sunday’s 17-9 loss to Seattle. “We’re in a backpedal. The offense is not playing hard, the defense is playing hard sometimes.”

Vermeil said Bruce should have kept his remarks private.

“You’re always going to have someone that jumps,” Vermeil said. “It bothers you when it’s your so-called superstar. There’s no place in Isaac Bruce’s contract that says he’s a coach or a critic. He’s paid to play, that’s what he’s paid to do.”

Admission aids plaintiffs

An NFL owner testified Monday the only reason he changed his tune regarding the relocation of the Rams to St. Louis was the fear of litigation.

As it turned out, the move was approved and Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was in court anyway for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission’s $130 million antitrust lawsuit against the league.

“I voted in favor of the Rams relocation because of the severe possibility of antitrust litigation,” Bowlen testified.

His statement is significant because it shows someone on the NFL side believed there could be an antitrust violation.

Injured Lion retires

Harry Colon, who started four games at safety for Detroit, has retired at the urging of Lions physicians after X-rays disclosed a congenital problem in his neck.

Colon was injured in Sunday’s 26-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants and carried off the field on a stretcher after a head-to-head collision with Giants safety Brandon Sanders.