Why would the OCTA go through this effort?
Because there was a period when the Los Angeles Rams, despite having "Los Angeles" in the name, were actually based in Orange County. (Rita Moreno of Arte knows the feeling.) Despite the two decades during which the Rams were in Missouri, apparently there are enough people in Orange County who still love the Rams, and are excited about boarding a Metrolink train that will take them to Union Station; the fans will then take Metro to the Coliseum to see their beloved Rams.
But Ram faithfulness has nothing on Raider faithfulness. I guess I never told the complete story about my trip to San Francisco for Oracle OpenWorld 2007. Oh, I alluded to it in a post at Ontario International Airport, and a follow-up picture post. In brief, that year I chose to fly to Oakland rather than San Francisco, and then take BART across the bay to the Moscone Covention Center area.
On a Sunday morning.
When the Oakland Raiders were playing on a Sunday afternoon.
You can guess who was on my Ontario to Oakland flight - it was me and the Raider Nation. This flight was a little more boisterous than your average airline flight, but it was fun.
Of course, this raises the question - if Orange County fans are taking the train to Rams games, and if Inland Empire fans are (or were) taking the plane to Raiders games, are any fans from St. Louis also making the trip to Los Angeles?
Probably not:
A year ago, a San Francisco 49ers touchdown run against the Rams would have been cause for despair at the Hot Shots Bar & Grill in suburban St. Louis. On Monday night, it was cause for celebration.
About 50 or so patrons cheered every Rams mistake and every 49ers success during the Monday Night Football game, the first since Rams owner Stan Kroenke took his football team back to Los Angeles after a 21-year stay in St. Louis.
And Brooklyn residents probably don't fly to Chavez Ravine either.
