Remember that blue Ram windbreaker he never took off?
If Ray coached today, he would be the talk of the sports world. Why? Here's one of many reasons. The Rams were going to play the unbeaten Dallas Cowboys in a regular season game and the reporters kept asking Ray "Dallas seems they can't be beat winning every game by an average of 22 points. How are the Rams going to handle this team?" Ray had enough and said this. "I don't give a damn what they have done, they haven't played us and were going to kick their ass." And they did. You don't think that wouldn't make ESPN top story?
I swear Ray would look like Rodney Dangerfield at those post game press conferences. Press would ask "why did you change QBs"? Malavasi would snarl "none of your damn business."
The best was on his 5 minute Monday morning show on radio. The host called and told Ray that they would be on after the commercials. Well Ray fell asleep put the phone on his chest, when the host came back he asked "Ray, you offense started to open up in the 3rd quarter was that planned." All you heard from Ray is his loud snoring.
But the fact is he is the first coach to get us to the big dance. In the 79 playoffs against Dallas, Ray and Def Coorindator Bud Carson invented the "quarter" defense----4 lineman 7 def backs. It made Staubach's shotgun ineffective.
Jack Youngblood and Ray were good friends and in the off season a couple of times Bill had to go and get them at 2 am in some Newport Beach Bar and they would be in a corner shooting the bull. I would ask what were they talking about. He said SB14 and Jack would say "maybe I shouldn't of played the entire game at 70% (broken leg) we should of used Reggie Doss" and Ray would snap and say "You're my end, shaddup about it."
That to me is awesome. That's loyalty.
I worked and became friends with Ray's son, Bill. I learned from Bill what the Rams did to his Dad when they fired him. John Shaw and Georgia make a slug look like Ghandi. LISTEN
|
Ram Pictures Tell A Story : Ram greats from our past |
First, they had to deal with the front office turmoil after Carroll Rosenbloom "drowned" less than 5 months of the 79 season.
Then, within 5 regular season games they lose 13 starters.
Their number one starting RB (Peacock) for the season.
Their number one wide reciever (jessie) for the season.
They have to start 4 different QB's.
And win the western division for a NFL record 7 straight times.
Ray Malavasi and Bud Carson had great defensive minds, but, you get these two together and they became a monster defensive coach.
For the Seahawks they created a defensive scheme called "delay-bim".
It was so effective that it held a explosive seahawk offense to -7 total yards for the entire game.
-7 YARDS FOR AN ENTIRE GAME. (that record might last for awhile.
They had to play two teams in the playoffs that beat them by a total of 51-12 in the regular season.
ON THE ROAD.
For Dallas, they created a defensive scheme called the "Quarter". (4 dl and 7 db's).
It was so effective that tom landry known for his halftime adjustments couldn't figure it out. And befuddled Staubach so bad that his last pass he ever threw was to Herb Scott (only trouble with that it was his offensive lineman).
One week later the ram defense turned in another gem shutting down the Bucs in the NFC Championship game.
The bucs only crossed the 50 yard line 2 times for the entire game.
Then in Super Bowl 14, playing one of the greatest teams ever. Only a blown assignment by eddie brown coupled with one of the greatest throws in a super bowl by Bradshaw along with the GREATEST catch EVER in a Super Bowl by Stallworth did we lose.
Even with that Rod Perry came within an inch (deflecting that pass) of us winning.
Those two truly never got their due.
And they deserve it