It's early, very early Tuesday morning...and while restaurateur Dan Dierdorf may be "Thinking of a Steak"...me, in the wee hours of the morning following the Rams thrilling 41-36 season-opening Monday night victory over the Denver Broncos...well, I'm thinking of a hockey team--the NHL's Edmonton OIlers in particular.

I'm also thinking of the Edmonton Oilers' home rink, the Northlands Coliseum.

Wayne Gretzky made his name in the Northlands Coliseum in the early 1980's, when the Great One and the rest of his teammates obliterated the offensive half of the NHL record book.

The Gretzky-era Oilers were a team built for speed. Coach Glen Sather masterminded an attacking style of hockey that has never been duplicated...in part because the vast majority of today's NHL ice surfaces are oh-so-slow compared to the pristeen frozen pond that still exists in Edmonton.

Back in the Gretzky days, Edmonton's home rink and its shiny sheet of ice was the perfect playpen for Wayne and his mates. Heck, even ex-SLU Billiken Mike Krushelnyski looked speedy on its slick surface. Like Whiteyball in spacious Busch Stadium, Sather's Oilers were built for their environs.

Now back to football. Along with the Georgia Dome (the site of the Rams thrilling victory in Super Bowl XXXIV), the TWA Dome is widely regarded as the fastest track in the National Football League.

And the Rams, like Gretzky's Oilers, are built for speed.

Last night, the Rams and their opponents, the Denver Broncos, took advantage of the TWA Dome's lightning-fast artificial turf and put on a performance that, to these watery eyes (and ringing ears), served as a paid political announcement for the NFL's no-holds-barred offensive football, Y2K-style.

Heck, who needs the XFL when you have the (Marshall) Faulk, (Az-Zahir) Hakim, (Isaac) Bruce, (Torry) Holt and (Tony) Horne Quintet, ably conducted by Kurt Warner and Mike Martz?

In winning Super Bowl XXXIV, the Rams became the first Dome Team to win an NFL championship.

Last night, the Rams' offense proved that it is ready to defend that title, all-the-while playing an exhilirating brand of football.

It isn't outrageous to suggest that the Rams 2000-2001 offense may go down in NFL history as its most potent...EVER.

Move over West Coast Offense.

Step aside Smash Mouth Football.

Lightning on Turf is here to stay.