Bears get vocal support from fans at St. Louis
Nov 24, 2008 - 10:08:32 CST
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The announced crowd at the Edward Jones Dome Sunday was 61,994 but it hardly felt like a home game for the St. Louis Rams.
Chicago Bears fans packed the stands and loudly cheered on their team to a 27-3 victory over the Rams, who have lost their last five games and have won only once at home this season.
“It did seems like a home game, yes,” said Bears coach Lovie Smith.
Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton agreed.
“We came down and had a lot of fan support with us so that’s always good,” Orton said. “It seemed like it was more loud for our side than it was for theirs so that’s big, obviously.”
When the Rams fans did get loud it was generally to boo their team’s performance, which wasn’t lost on the players.
“To walk out of the tunnel and to get booed by your own crowd and to walk back in (the locker room) and be chastised. It’s horrible,” said Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa. “I’ve watched the ’99 films when the crowds were wild. Definitely, it’s disappointing but it’s understandable how they feel.”
St. Louis didn’t give their fans much to yell about.
The Bears jumped out to a 21-0 lead while six of the Rams’ first eight plays resulted in negative yards. The Rams only points came from a field goal while a second 40-yard field goal attempt by Josh Brown went wide right.
In addition, St. Louis was called for numerous false starts, raising the question of whether the visiting fans were making it hard for the home team to hear the snap, something the Rams denied.
“They were loud but it wasn’t anything you couldn’t get a snap off of,” said center Brett Romberg, who was starting his first game of the season and was called twice for false starts.
Offensive guard Richie Incognito criticized the fans Thursday for being quiet and not knowing when to cheer. He backtracked on the statements on Friday but was roundly booed when he was called for a false start in the second quarter.
Incognito declined to comment after the game.
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Chicago Bears fans packed the stands and loudly cheered on their team to a 27-3 victory over the Rams, who have lost their last five games and have won only once at home this season.
“It did seems like a home game, yes,” said Bears coach Lovie Smith.
Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton agreed.
“We came down and had a lot of fan support with us so that’s always good,” Orton said. “It seemed like it was more loud for our side than it was for theirs so that’s big, obviously.”
When the Rams fans did get loud it was generally to boo their team’s performance, which wasn’t lost on the players.
“To walk out of the tunnel and to get booed by your own crowd and to walk back in (the locker room) and be chastised. It’s horrible,” said Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa. “I’ve watched the ’99 films when the crowds were wild. Definitely, it’s disappointing but it’s understandable how they feel.”
St. Louis didn’t give their fans much to yell about.
The Bears jumped out to a 21-0 lead while six of the Rams’ first eight plays resulted in negative yards. The Rams only points came from a field goal while a second 40-yard field goal attempt by Josh Brown went wide right.
In addition, St. Louis was called for numerous false starts, raising the question of whether the visiting fans were making it hard for the home team to hear the snap, something the Rams denied.
“They were loud but it wasn’t anything you couldn’t get a snap off of,” said center Brett Romberg, who was starting his first game of the season and was called twice for false starts.
Offensive guard Richie Incognito criticized the fans Thursday for being quiet and not knowing when to cheer. He backtracked on the statements on Friday but was roundly booed when he was called for a false start in the second quarter.
Incognito declined to comment after the game.