Ram Reaction: Sighs, Shrugs : NFL: Team’s announcement elicits no surprise, only disappointment from people in O.C. sports community.

When Georgia Frontiere scrawled her signature on the document that promised the Rams to St. Louis, Vince Ferragamo’s thoughts returned to the 1980 Super Bowl.

Jack Snow remembered a blocked punt leading to victory over the Green Bay Packers in 1967.

Anthony Newman had only a moment to talk. He already had started packing.

From Rams Park to The Pond of Anaheim to Anaheim Stadium, former and current Rams and other Orange County sports figures were reacting with a collective sigh and a shrug.

They knew what was coming.

“We all knew this was probably in the works for quite some time,” said Ferragamo, who led the Rams to their only Super Bowl appearance and was quarterback of the team from 1977-80 and 1982-84. “St. Louis must have a lot of money. Maybe we all should move there. It’s mind-boggling that someone would put up that kind of money.”

Snow, a wide receiver from 1965-75 and a Ram broadcaster, watched the news conference on television. The sight of “St. Louis Rams” on the podium made him realize this was the end of an era.

“When I was at St. Anthony (High in Long Beach) I had two dreams,” Snow said. “I wanted to go to Notre Dame, then play for the Rams.”

Said Newman, a Ram defensive back since 1988: “Everybody knew about it. It doesn’t change anything for me. We were prepared for this for a while. I guess today everybody got to see her (Frontiere) say something about it on TV. It’s going to be interesting. It will be fun to see everybody wearing our colors and cheering for us.”

At The Pond, the Mighty Ducks suddenly find themselves Orange County’s only active professional sports team, with the Rams all but gone and the Angels on strike.

“I’m not attached to the Rams the way many people would be who grew up out here,” Duck Coach Ron Wilson said. “But obviously if you’re losing money, you have to leave.”

Duck trainer Blynn DeNiro worked for the Rams four seasons. He said of Frontiere: “She’s not a bad lady. I could never complain about not being taken care of. But the concept of how you should take care of the fans is not being taken care of.”

Don Andersen, director of the Orange County Sports Assn., said: “I’m very disappointed because I think it’s going to be difficult to get an NFL team back in this area.”

Longtime college basketball coach Bill Mulligan, now at Irvine Valley, said: “I think it’s sad, but what are you going to do? They didn’t put enough into the team. I have no big reaction to it. I didn’t go to the games when they were here.”

* Times staff writer Robyn Norwood contributed to this story.