Rams already on defense against 49ers -- by banning ticket sales to Bay Area football fans [View all]

San Francisco Chronicle / 1-23-22

You’ve heard about not counting your chickens before they hatch? The Los Angeles Rams were banning ticket sales to 49ers fans before the Rams even knew if there’d be an NFC Championship game next Sunday between the two teams.

Sunday morning, as the Rams prepared to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what turned out to be a 30-27 victory for Los Angeles, fans looking to snag tickets to a possible 49ers-Rams title game at SoFi Stadium on Jan. 30 were hit with a notification that warned ticket sales “will be restricted to residents of the Greater Los Angeles region.”

The notification stated that ticket buyers’ residency will be based on the billing address for the credit card used to make the purchase, and “orders by residents outside of the Greater Los Angeles region will be canceled without notice and refunds given.”

The unusual prohibition seemed to indicate that the club was trying to avoid a repeat of its regular-season finale against San Francisco when a large contingent of 49ers fans made the Rams feel like the visiting team — on their home turf.

Link (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Rams-already-on-defense-against-49ers-by-16798424.php

Background (from the link): 49er fans swarmed SoFi Stadium when the two teams played Jan. 9, a game in which San Francisco won 27-24 and made the playoffs. Sean McVay, Rams head coach, told reporters that the team was surprised by just how many Niners fans had filled the stands.

L.A. scalpers are thrilled.