All day Sunday, outside of a smattering of security guards, the field at SoFi Stadium remained remarkably empty.
But based on the noise coming out of the famed Inglewood, Calif venue, it certainly was hard to tell.
The Rams played host to an NFC Championship game watch party as Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford and co. took on the Seahawks in Seattle for a spot in Super Bowl LX, and despite no Rams players kicking up pellets on the turf, their home arena was buzzing.
Thirty-thousand flocked to pack the upper levels of the stadium to catch the big game on the venue’s Infinity Screen, and it had all the feel of a real game day.
Lines at concession stands were long. High fives after big plays were plenty. And boos roared following missed flags, negative plays and the brief bout of technical difficulty.
There were even a handful of opposing fans in some seats.
Tickets for the event went for $10 for the general public and $5 for season ticket holders (all proceeds went toward charity, Rams officials said), and some in attendance told The Post the affordable price was a huge reason they lined up at the stadium several hours before kickoff to get a good seat and cheer on their favorite team.
“It’s not too often we get to come to SoFi, you know?” Jeff Palma said.
Following an early first-quarter Seahawks score, the crowd was quiet. Though when Rams running back Kyren Williams caught a nine-yard touchdown toward the end of the first half, the building erupted.
The back-and-forth of emotions continued all the way into the second half, and hit a boiling point when Stafford’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua cut Seattle’s lead to four.
At that moment, it was hard to recognize that everyone in attendance was merely watching the game on a screen.
The Rams, though, couldn’t complete their comeback against their NFC West foe, and went on to lose 31-27.
The final score had many attendance rushing to the exits with long looks on their faces, but some stopped to tell The Post how much they appreciated the festivities.
“This event was beautiful,” Nina Ross said. “It was beautiful for all the fans to come out and root on the Rams. And, hey, we still love them.”
Every fan who attended got a rally towel and had the opportunity to score some custom buttons, autographs and face paint. There was also a merch sale that offered things like Rams footballs, jerseys, memorabilia, apparel and more at a 50 percent discount.
“The whole event was great,” Luis Coyd said. “We didn’t get the win, but it was a really good time.”
As the lights dimmed following the game’s final whistle, a PA announcer asked exiting fans to participate the Rams’ trademark “Whose house?” cheer.
Every time it was asked, a thunderous “Rams house” response was given.
Then, in perhaps the most sobering moment of the night for Los Angeles fans, the MC’s tone lowered and he uttered five words no Rams fan wanted to hear Sunday night:
“We’ll see you next year.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
