The Dallas Stars were trying to repeat as NHL Stanley Cup champions. The Stars qualified for the Finals by knocking off three Western Conference foes. Those in the know predicted that the Western Conference Finals would be the "true" championship.

Prior to the start of the Final round, the Dallas players, despite the concerns of their coach, were making themselves available for interviews and ready willing and able to chat with every microphone or talking head. Their opponents remained cloistered.

Even our own Post-Dispatch hockey scribe (who got a second chance at picking a Cup winner after incorrectly predicting the Blues to win it all last April) got it wrong: picking Brett Hull and Company to repeat as Cup Champions in seven games.

Last Saturday night; the Dallas Stars became ex-Stanley Cup Champions.

In a hard fought series, the New Jersey Devils defeated the Stars four games to two becoming the first Stanley Cup Champions of the new millennium and ending the two month National Hockey League Playoff Marathon. In so doing, the Devils skated hockey's Holy Grail from the June heat of Dallas to the June heat of the Meadowlands.

Earlier this spring, the Stars saw another defending champion from the Lone Star State fail to repeat. The San Antonio Spurs were sent to the golf course early in the National Basketball Association Playoff marathon, losing to Phoenix three games to one.

The New York Yankees (three world championships in four years) and Denver Broncos (two straight Super Bowl championships) are the exceptions to a trend prevalent in all professional sports: It is very, very difficult to repeat as a professional sport champion.

Are you listening out there in Earth City?

The Dallas Stars were trying to repeat as NHL Stanley Cup champions. The Stars qualified for the Finals by knocking off three Western Conference foes. Those in the know predicted that the Western Conference Finals would be the "true" championship.

Prior to the start of the Final round, the Dallas players, despite the concerns of their coach, were making themselves available for interviews and ready willing and able to chat with every microphone or talking head. Their opponents remained cloistered.

Even our own Post-Dispatch hockey scribe (who got a second chance at picking a Cup winner after incorrectly predicting the Blues to win it all last April) got it wrong: picking Brett Hull and Company to repeat as Cup Champions in seven games.

Last Saturday night; the Dallas Stars became ex-Stanley Cup Champions.

In a hard fought series, the New Jersey Devils defeated the Stars four games to two becoming the first Stanley Cup Champions of the new millennium and ending the two month National Hockey League Playoff Marathon. In so doing, the Devils skated hockey's Holy Grail from the June heat of Dallas to the June heat of the Meadowlands.

Earlier this spring, the Stars saw another defending champion from the Lone Star State fail to repeat. The San Antonio Spurs were sent to the golf course early in the National Basketball Association Playoff marathon, losing to Phoenix three games to one.

The New York Yankees (three world championships in four years) and Denver Broncos (two straight Super Bowl championships) are the exceptions to a trend prevalent in all professional sports: It is very, very difficult to repeat as a professional sport champion.

Are you listening out there in Earth City?

It has now been four and one-half months since the St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV. Since the parade ended on the last day of January, the Rams have been displaying new uniforms (that are available at your favorite retail outlet), receiving new big (and gaudy) rings, attending ritzy dinners, announcing a schedule which will bring Monday Night Football to the Gateway City twice, and raising ticket prices.

The team has also seen several of their assistant coaches leave town either in a huff or in search of greener pastures, seen offensive linemen leave town via free agency, draft a running back in the first round (who is still unsigned at this writing), and try to lock in a couple of their All Pros to long-term contracts (so far unsuccessfully).

Looking around the Conference, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were four minutes and five points away from playing in the big game in January, improved their offense by signing free agent wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to a contract. The Washington Redskins (who lost to the Bucs in the playoffs at the buzzer) got better with both the second and third picks in the entire 2000 NFL Draft and by signing Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith and others to long-term contracts.

Apparently most of the NFC are not in awe of the "Super Bowl Champion Rams" as our local media. I wish I had a nickel for every time a local talking head opened his sports story with that moniker during the past four months.

St Louis Rams, please meet the Dallas Stars. Rams, please meet the San Antonio Spurs. Both have a simple message for you: It is very difficult to repeat in professional sports.

The fall of 1999/January, 2000 was a wonderful time for our Blue and Gold football heroes. They proved many people (including yours truly) wrong with their performance while making this region proud. It was a great time to be a Gateway City Sports Fan.

But with that said please note the operative word: WAS.

In the past four seasons, Rams Management implored us to forget about the prior seasons of seven, then six, then five, then four wins. Now it my turn to implore the Rams to please forget about last season. It is OVER and its time to look toward the future.

The 2000 football season will be challenging. As "easy" as the Rams schedule was in 1999, it will be that much difficult in 2000. When you are the defending Super Bowl Champs, you suddenly become every opponent's "big game".

Also, St. Louis was quite fortunate in 1999, as they stayed healthy throughout the entire campaign. With the exception of the season-ending Trent Green injury (which made Kurt Warner a movie of the week subject) and that of Keith Lyle late in the season, the Rams were injury free. You can not realistically expect that to occur two straight seasons.

Mike Martz is now the Head Coach with Dick Vermeil back to Pennsylvania. He has a Super Bowl ring as an Offensive Coordinator. He also has a 0-0 record as a NFL Head Coach. Only time will tell if Martz is the next George Seifert or the next Buddy Ryan.

In roughly five weeks, the Rams will travel to Macomb to begin defense of their Super Bowl title. That gives the organization only five more weeks for dinners, book signings, speaking engagements and hopefully off-season workouts.

What a difference a year makes. It was this time last summer I asked the Rams to "Show Me". They did indeed and that WAS a good thing.

Now it's time to move on. I can hear that fabled chant now: "Gotta go to work".

Still, allow me to offer a second chant that is very popular today in the Southwest.

"It's very, very difficult to repeat".