They headed into the desert Friday night, escaping days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Everything seemed pretty normal for the Los Angeles Rams during Saturday’s practice at their temporary home on a bright afternoon in suburban Phoenix.
The music was loud, coaches were yelling, footballs were flying, and even palm trees were swaying in the background to give a southern California vibe.
Running back Kyren Williams said the Rams also had something they haven’t had in a few days: a clear mind.
“I felt at peace,” Williams said. “We didn’t really have to worry about anything except playing ball.”
The Rams are in Arizona this weekend preparing for Monday’s NFL playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at the training center of their division rival, the Arizona Cardinals. They headed into the desert Friday night, escaping days of devastating forest fires in the Los Angeles area.
Now the Rams know their families are safe and our hearts go out to those still affected.
“There’s a feeling within the team – this is for Los Angeles,” Williams said. “It’s for the hope at home that they can hold on to, that the Rams will be the ones to take them away from whatever they’re going through for a few hours on Monday.”
Los Angeles (10-7) will “host” the Vikings (14-3) at the Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium on Monday night. The league announced Thursday that the match would be moved due to the ongoing threat of wildfires and potential strain on public services.
The Cardinals opened their training facility in Tempe for use by the Rams, and there was a big banner that said “Welcome to the Los Angeles Rams” with the logo of the two teams on the front door. Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill sent two team planes to Los Angeles on Friday to help the team travel to Arizona. Rams players were allowed to bring their families — and even a few pets — with them.
“It was cool to experience this with my boys and with my wife,” Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp said. “Obviously being here, I’m very grateful to the Rams for the way they’ve been able to take care of the families in the organization.”
Los Angeles is still hoping for a sizable home-field advantage for Monday’s game, even though it’s about 375 miles and a six-hour drive from SoFi Stadium. The team’s season ticket holders purchased 25,000 tickets in the first hour of availability Friday and the team organized at least 15 buses to drive fans to Inglewood for the game.
Other travel aids are being considered.
In some ways, State Farm Stadium has been the Rams’ home away from home for a decade. Los Angeles won nine straight games in Arizona before the streak was snapped earlier this season. McVay said Los Angeles requested the visitors’ locker room Monday — even though they’re still technically the home team — because of their familiarity with the space.
“For the most part, we played pretty well in this stadium,” Kupp said. “It’s also grass, which is a big bonus.” I will take every chance we get to play on grass.
Only a few Rams employees had been directly affected by the fires until Thursday afternoon, when the Kenneth Fire broke out a few miles from the team’s practice complex in suburban Woodland Hills, sending smoke in the sky at an alarming rate.
Defensive lineman Kobie Turner said wide receiver Puka Nucua’s house was in an evacuation warning zone, so he came to sleep at his house one night. Turner said the tight-knit team became even tighter during the ordeal, looking out for each other.
The Rams have faced adversity on the field all season, recovering from a 1-4 start to win the NFC West. It’s just another obstacle.
And considering what so many people in Los Angeles are going through, they’re not going to complain.
“At the end of the day, it’s a playoff game,” Turner said. “You don’t get many.”
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Sports in Arizona
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home field, and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and Mercury. The Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL’s Phoenix Rising FC, which plays at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts several major sporting events each year, including the Fiesta Bowl and college football’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s busiest event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events every spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League spring training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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