ST. LOUISThe St. Louis Rams will play the St. Louis Rams in a scrimmage later this month, and folks here say, that’s entertainment.

By Gus Bode

Fans will pay $10 eachno breaks for kidsto watch Sean Gilbert shove aside Wayne Gandy at Kirkwood High School.

The cost for parking has yet to be determined.

They can get more than 10,000 people in there, and it will be full, said David Pierce, Maryville University athletic director.

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I had someone already ask for 2,000 tickets; people are nuts for football here.

If you paidthat’s paidLos Angeles area fans 10 bucks each to watch the Rams scrimmagewould they come?

This town is starved for football, said Mike Sigler, Parkway Central High School athletic director.

Ask me to name five Ram players and I wouldn’t have a clue.

But fans here don’t care who the players are; it’s football.

The fans of St. Louis, who have been without professional football since the Cardinals’ departure in 1987, are now hours away from seeing their new heroes step on the field for the first time.

A soccer camp at Maryville University, scheduled before the Rams move from Los Angeles, will force the team to open their training camp today at nearby Parkway Central High School.

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We haven’t even had a practice yet and people are excited to have us here, said Ram Coach Rich Brooks.

The enthusiasm is there; it’s up to us to keep it.

I know this, I’m not going to be a very happy football coach this year if we’re not in the playoffs.

Brooks and the Rams, of course, have done no wrong in St. Louis.

The local newspaper has covered the team as if it just won the Super Bowl.

Five TV stations were present for Brooks’ remarks Sunday, a repeat performance as he pointed out, after speaking to the same media gathering four days earlier.

(Quarterback) Jamie Martin may not be able to throw until the end of next week, Brooks announced, and the 10 p.m. news shows got its lead story.

There are Welcome Ram signs everywhere.

The Rams are still unpacking, but the fans are ready.

In anticipation of a large traffic jam Monday, a police escort has been arranged to guide the players from their Maryville dorms to Parkway Central.

Do we order concessions for 1,000, 3,000 or 10,000 fans? Sigler said.

The funny thing is, our high school marching band is going to the Rose Bowl parade this year, and the money we make off the Rams is going to send the band to Los Angeles.

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