When you are a legend in the football world, everything comes pretty easily. You’ve paid your dues and the team you played for generally welcomes you back with open arms.
In the case of Eric Dickerson and the Los Angeles Rams, the relationship is now on the rocks. Jeff Fisher seems to be the man in the middle of it all. Fisher has reportedly barred Dickerson from the sidelines due to criticisms the former running back has expressed in public.
Dickerson claimed on an L.A. radio that he was not welcome on the Rams’ sideline.
"Someone with the #Rams told me I'm not wanted on sidelines at games, that what I've said makes the players uncomfortable."-@EricDickerson
— Jason Stewart (@JasonStewart) November 28, 2016
This led the executive vice president of the Rams to clarify in a series of tweets that Dickerson was, in fact, welcome.
All Rams alumni, and especially @EricDickerson, are always welcome at our games and practices.
— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) November 28, 2016
I have reached out to Eric to see where a miscommunication may have occurred & to clear up any confusion over his presence at games.
— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) November 28, 2016
Then Fisher, on his radio show insisted he had no problem with Dickerson.
Fisher on Dickerson's supposed Rams-game ban: "I don't know where that's coming from. … We welcome the alums."
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) November 29, 2016
It started to become a “he said, she said” type scenario. After all of the dust settled, Dickerson spoke out again on The Jason Smith Show and gave some of the details regarding his conversation with Fisher.
“He talked to me and said we’re not going to [give you and your friends the passes]. ‘The players feel uncomfortable with you on the sidelines. As long as I’m head coach here, you can come to the games, but you’re not welcome on the sidelines. The players feel uncomfortable with it.’”
After reports completely contradicting what was said here, this could not look any worse for the Rams. They are getting in petty fights that shouldn’t even be worried about when the team is as unsuccessful as they are at the moment.
Dickerson wanted to make it clear to Fisher that he wasn’t looking for any handouts.
“I said ‘you don’t ever have to worry about me ever coming to a game again. I don’t want anybody feeling uncomfortable with me on the sidelines. I said, ‘as long as you’re the head coach, you don’t ever have to worry about me coming to a Rams game again.’ How dare you have the audacity to call me with that nonsense? Like I told him, I played for that team. That’s my football team.”
In the case of the NFL, nothing should surprise fans anymore. A team feuding with its Hall of Fame running back is just par for the course.
