This die-hard Rams fan has nothing but respect for the Patriots

Sunday could be Ryan Smith's time to shine ... and maybe even gloat a little.

Smith, of New Bedford, is a lifelong and die-hard Los Angeles (and St. Louis) Rams fan, and Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between his Rams and the New England Patriots brings back haunting memories of 2001.

"That was a tough year for me," said Smith, 41. "The Rams had won it (two years before) against the Titans and they were a 14-point favorite against the Patriots. I didn't think the Pats had a chance."

As we all know around here, Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal as time expired gave the Patriots the improbable 20-17 victory, beginning a New England Super Bowl dynasty that continues today.

Smith is hoping the beginning of the end of that dynasty happens Sunday.

"I'm a Rams fan, but I'm a sports fan," said Smith, whose son Aiden, 12, follows closely in his father's footsteps as a die-hard Rams fan. "As a fan of football, you have to admire the Patriots. They are the blueprint for what teams want to be. I'm a Brady fan and I have nothing but respect for him and that team."

Smith also has two daughters Makenzie, 20, and Avery, 7. Makenzie is a Patriots fan, while Avery is torn between the two teams.

"She doesn't want to hurt any feelings so she cheers for both," Smith said of Avery.

Smith's allegiance to the Rams began during his youth football days when he became a huge fan of running back Eric Dickerson. Dickerson, an All-Pro running back for the Rams, rushed for 2,105 yards in 1984.

"It's pretty much because of him," Smith said of Dickerson making him a fan of the team. "When I was a player in Pop Warner, Dickerson was the player I looked up to. I fell in love with the running back position and he was the one I wanted to be like."

Since then, it's been all Rams for Ryan and Aiden.

The Smith house contains a Man Cave, complete with Rams memorabilia, jerseys, blankets, photos, tables and more. There's clearly no bandwagon-jumping going on.

Smith's looking for a little bit of revenge from 2001 and he's predicting a nail-biting Rams victory. He thinks there might even be a little bit of fate going on after the blatant no-call on pass interference in the Rams' win over the New Orleans Saints that helped get his team into the Super Bowl.

"There were a lot of calls that didn't go our way, too," he said. "We still had to come down and score. To come back the way we did and kick a 57-yard field goal ... maybe it's all in our favor. I feel like we're the next dynasty. (Rams coach, Sean) McVay is something special. I do respect the Patriots, but this is a game where I think we are evenly matched. I'm gonna say 30-28 Rams."

No matter what happens Sunday night, at least Avery will be happy.

Mike Thomas is the sports editor of The Herald News. Follow him on Twitter @NostraThomasHN.