The public watches and waits.

The Rams failed to sell out three games at the outdated Edward Jones dome last season. Before that, they had only one non-sellout for 116 regular-season and playoff games since leaving Los Angeles for the Midwest before the 1995 season. The death of owner Georgia Frontiere has raised questions as to whether her children will sell the club, allowing it to be moved.

"We've got to get ourselves out of this," said Jay Zygmunt, president of football operations. "No one is going to help us. We have not been a good team. We really struggled last year.

"But I feel we're well-prepared to meet the challenges this year."

Zygmunt pointed to Linehan taking a more active role in the club's internal dynamics, a refurbished coaching staff, promising young talent brought in during the last two drafts and a noticeable increase in focus by the players in offseason work and training camp.

"Last year was bad for us, and it was good for us," veteran wide receiver Torry Holt said. "We got our (butt) whupped pretty good. Guys are looking at what they need to do to improve."

Linehan said last year does not enter his thinking. Linehan, entering his third year on the job, does not have to worry about enduring a similar experience. His job security is such that he might not make it to October if the club shows signs reminiscent of last year's 0-8 start.

"Scott has shown a lot of leadership," Zygmunt said. "Everyone understands the circumstance that we're in. It's a performance business."

The NFL is a sport of cycles. The elite organizations have long runs at the top. The Rams try to crawl from a rut of their own making.

St. Louis Rams News News » Rams look for ways to turn things around
Rams look for ways to turn things around
ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Rams opened training camp in Mequon, Wisc., before returning home to continue preseason work. As players stretched before the first full practice at the Rams' facility, an assistant coach shouted out like a preacher in the pulpit: "I've got good news and bad news. "The good news is Mequon loves you. "The bad news is St. Louis doesn't know you. You've got to make them love you." It will take more than sweet talk for that to happen. The Rams have had a steep fall from grace since winning Super Bowl XXXIV in the 1999 season and losing at the finish to New England two years later. The Rams have turned into a faceless team that borders on irrelevant both in its hometown and on the NFL landscape. "The last couple of years have not been good years around here," defensive end Leonard Little said. Best/Worst records, last three years