Background
The term "Greatest Show on Turf" was not used to describe the Rams offense until several weeks into the 2000 season; initially the nickname for the Rams offense had been "The Warner Brothers," a play on the movie studio and a reference to new quarterback Kurt Warner, who'd assumed leadership from center after slated starter Trent Green was injured against San Diego in the preseason, and his receivers. The first appearance of the term came when ESPN's Chris Berman, preparing to cover highlights of a 57-31 win over the San Diego Chargers that year, said to television audiences, "Forget Ringling Brothers; the Rams are the Greatest Show on Earth." Over the following weeks, "Earth" was replaced with "Turf" to signify the Rams' artificial playing surface and how well it magnified and enhanced the Rams' already speedy offense. The term was retroactively applied to the 1999 team, as the offensive philosophy and key players were the same.
The Greatest Show on Turf was anchored by running back Marshall Faulk, NFL Offensive Player of the Year for three consecutive years from 1999 through 2001, quarterback Kurt Warner, 2-time NFL MVP, the receiving duo of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, as well as Az-Zahir Hakim and veteran Ricky Proehl. Together they formed the nucleus of the only team in NFL history to score 500+ points in 3 consecutive seasons. Quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk finished first and second in MVP voting each of the three years, also an achievement unmatched by any offense in NFL history.
The Rams went 13-3, 10-6, and 14-2 in those three seasons, respectively, and reached the playoffs every year. In 1999, the team reached Super Bowl XXXIV and defeated the Tennessee Titans to claim the first franchise championship in almost half a century. The Rams lost in the first round of the 2000 playoffs to the New Orleans Saints, but returned the next year to reach Super Bowl XXXVI, where they ultimately fell to the New England Patriots.
Though much less heralded, the St. Louis defense during those years modeled a praiseworthy unit and often outperformed opposing offenses that was essential to overall team performance. In 2000, when the Rams barely managed to reach the playoffs, the defense was ranked among the NFL's worst. In 1999 and 2001, when the Rams reached the Super Bowl, their defense statistically ranked among the NFL's best - and ironically enough, it was a last-second defensive stop known as "The Tackle" by Rams linebacker Mike Jones that sealed the Rams' memorable championship in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Read more about this topic: The Greatest Show On Turf
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment; that background which the painter may not daub, be he master or bungler, and which, however awkward a figure we may have made in the foreground, remains ever our inviolable asylum, where no indignity can assail, no personality can disturb us.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“In the true sense one’s native land, with its background of tradition, early impressions, reminiscences and other things dear to one, is not enough to make sensitive human beings feel at home.”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)
“... every experience in life enriches one’s background and should teach valuable lessons.”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)