Rams' Martz to take leave of absence; Vitt interim coach.
Mike Martz is out indefinitely as coach of the St. Louis Rams with a bacterial infection of the heart.
Martz, 54, was told by a specialist Monday that his condition, which kept him out of two practices last week, had worsened. He has been ill for more than a month and was tested for endocarditis, a bacterial infection of the lining of the heart or a heart valve.
The antibiotics that Martz began taking on Friday didn't seem to help, Shaw said, but he didn't know if any additional procedures would be necessary. Severe cases of endocarditis can require open-heart surgery.
Assistant head coach Joe Vitt will take over as coach. Martz told his players during a brief but emotional team meeting that he would step aside, Vitt said.
"The team is his concern," Vitt said. "His health is our No. 1 concern."
Martz spoke with a raspy voice after Sunday's game but sounded optimistic about his health. Still, he said that in retrospect, he should have allowed offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild to run the show.
Endocarditis affects 10,000 to 20,000 Americans each year and in some cases can cause require open-heart surgery, according to Dr. Arthur Labovitz, director of cardiology at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Martz did the right thing by stepping down, Labovitz said.
"It's a very serious condition," Labovitz said. "There can be some serious complications that are probably influenced by how you take care of yourself once a diagnosis is made."
Vielleicht erklärt das so einiges aber bestimmt nicht alles. Was mich die letzeten 2 Spiele gewundert hat war eigentlich das die entscheidenden Fehler immer dann stattgefunden haben als Speiler auf dem Feld waren die eigentlich gar nicht vorgesehen waren.
Jackson anstatt Faulk beim Pitch und jetzt wechselt sich Terry Fair einfach gegen McDonald aus.Katastrphe.
Hoffentlich gibts nächste Woche mal ein Ding ohne Fehler. Da waren die ja in der Preseason schon besser.
Gruß ramsi


