The Rams organization relocated to Los Angeles ahead of the 2016 season following 20 seasons playing in St. Louis, disappointing many sports fans in the that area. For the city of St. Louis, it was the second time the city had lost an NFL team in the last three decades, bringing doleful and bitter sentiments to football fans and presented consumers with a decision whether or not to continue rooting for the Rams. Michelle Smallmon, former host at 101 ESPN in St. Louis and current co-host of UnSportsmanLike on ESPN Radio, has not adopted a favorite NFL team since that point and felt brokenhearted upon the exodus of the franchise.
As revealed on Tuesday, Smallmon is ready to commit to a new NFL team and dwindling down the 32 teams within a new segment based on the popular ABC television show The Bachelorette. Walking outside of the ESPN Seaport District Studios in New York City, she had roses and teased an upcoming day where she would abate her selections to six organizations. That took place on Wednesday’s edition of UnSportsmanLike, exhibited by helmets of all 32 NFL teams situated on the desk within the studio.
“I don’t have an NFL team to cheer for, and we know that the NFL is king when it comes to sports and everybody has a team, and I have some FOMO,” Smallmon said on Wednesday’s edition of UnSportsmanLike. “I feel very left out, so after a couple of years of mourning, I am opening up my heart and I’m ready to love again. So today, I am going to whittle down my selections to six teams, and then right before the first game of the regular season, I will find love with a team again.”
Co-host Chris Canty immediately asked Smallmon if the Los Angeles Rams would be eliminated, to which she concurred. Akin to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who are getting divorced for a second time, she articulated that she is learning from their mistakes.
“You can’t go back to your ex that did you dirty – you just can’t,” Smallmon said. “You can’t – it doesn’t work out.”
From there, Canty added that ESPN 1000 Chicago morning show hosts David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood said that they would be willing to lift a ban placed on Smallmon if the Chicago Bears made the final six. Co-host Evan Cohen added that he was texting with Kaplan yesterday about an unrelated topic in quarterbacks after he learned that the ban would not be lifted for him. Cohen serves as the vice president of content for Good Karma Brands, the company that owns the Chicago station, in addition to his role co-hosting UnSportsmanLike on ESPN Radio.
“I just want to thank so many great fans out there for reaching out to me making pitches for their specific teams,” Smallmon said. “That’s what makes this so fun and what makes me want to fall in love again is the passion that fans have for their teams, and I can’t wait to be a fan again, so thank you to everyone who’s reached out and told me why being a fan of their specific team is so great.”
Throughout the show, Smallmon eliminated teams and revealed that her final six consists of the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears. Ahead of the first week of the NFL regular season, which begins early next month, Smallmon will officially select her new favorite NFL team on UnSportsmanLike.
