Watch Amazon rework a 92-year-old diehard soccer fan’s house into a wise, immersive fan cave

There are superfans, after which there’s Lewis Lazarus. At 92, he has supported his beloved Los Angeles Rams for eight many years—together with two when the workforce performed in St. Louis—and has gone to some fairly astounding lengths to verify he didn’t miss their video games.

As a soldier within the U.S. Military, he as soon as snuck out of his base in Fort Collins, Colorado, raced to LA in time for kickoff, after which returned for roll name on Monday morning. He has cheered on the Rams at 19 stadiums, and he and his late mom routinely made 150-mile spherical journeys to house video games.

“Generally after I’m struggling to go to sleep, I attempt to depend again by means of all of the locations I’ve seen them play,” he mentioned.

In February 2022, Lazarus was above the top zone on the Rams’ house, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, shouting “Hallelujah!” as his workforce scored a Tremendous Bowl-sealing landing. The victory was additionally a becoming conclusion to his game-going days.

“The stadiums as of late are simply so big,” Lazarus mentioned, “and I can’t fairly get round like I used to.”

However that doesn’t imply Lazarus must cease watching video games in fashion, raucously celebrating each landing and turnover.

In a metropolis stuffed with celebrities, Lazarus is arguably the Rams’ No. 1 fan. His devotion to the workforce earned him a profile within the Los Angeles Occasions and attracted consideration from Amazon, which begins streaming Thursday Evening Soccer this week on Prime Video.

Amazon teamed up with rapper and TV persona Xzibit to trick out Lazarus’ fan collapse his Santa Monica residence. Xzibit, a LA native and soccer fan himself, spent years tricking out vehicles, and is a grasp of turning the mundane into the fabulous. In August, he confirmed up at Lazarus’ door with a lot of the most recent Amazon units to carry the superfan’s recreation expertise to a brand new stage.

“I attempt to keep away from issues I’ve already completed earlier than, however this was proper on the nostril of what I get pleasure from,” Xzibit mentioned. “It’s about bringing pleasure to somebody, and after I heard Lewis’ story, after I heard that he considers the Rams his household, I used to be all in.”

Along with showcasing his lifelong dedication to the Rams, and to his late spouse and kids, Lazarus’ sun-splashed residence can also be a comfy memento of a life effectively lived. Whereas lengthy journeys to see the Rams are now not doable, till lately, Lazarus was an athlete himself. Dozens of his tennis trophies fill area between pictures of household and associates. Within the kitchen, beneath pictures of Yosemite Nationwide Park—one in every of Lazarus’ favourite locations—placards memorialize his three holes in a single.

However Lazarus didn’t have Wi-Fi, his tv was small, and he had no solution to take heed to the jazz music he loves. That’s the place Xzibit, his helpers, a truckload of Rams’ memorabilia, and Amazon units got here in.

With Lazarus at a set in a close-by resort, Xzibit and his workforce started working upgrading his fan cave. They helped set Lazarus up with a Wi-Fi router and Amazon units, and ensured the router would be capable of deal with all Lazurus’ streaming and bandwidth wants by putting in an eero TrueMesh Wi-Fi system. They eliminated the outdated TV and changed it with an Amazon Hearth TV 55” Omni Sequence 4K UHD good TV with hands-free voice controls with Alexa. Additionally they put in glass show circumstances—creating a brand new house for Lazarus’ favourite trophies and pictures.

They added Philips Hue good lights, and an Echo good speaker landed on a brand new stand in order that Lazarus can simply ask Alexa to play his favourite jazz cuts, management appropriate lights, and play sports activities updates. Additionally they put in good plugs, which permit Lazarus to make use of Alexa to manage on a regular basis units like his espresso pot, and mounted an Echo Present 15 on his wall to maintain him up to date on upcoming Rams video games with the month-to-month calendar.

These units type Amazon’s imaginative and prescient for the good house, the place Alexa works with appropriate good plugs, thermostats, lights, and extra to make Lazarus’ house smarter, easier, and extra handy. Sensible house units like those Xzibit and his workforce put in in Lazarus’ fan cave will assist him to simplify day by day routines and root even more durable for his Rams.

However the makeover wasn’t nearly know-how. Xzibit and one of many designers spent weeks at flea markets and classic shops round LA buying Rams memorabilia from the final 80 years: game-worn jerseys, autographed footballs, and a signed photograph of Lazarus’ favourite participant, Rams legend Elroy “Loopy Legs” Hirsch.

After an extended day of labor, it was time to carry Lazarus again. Xzibit greeted him outdoors the residence constructing, and because the two sat to briefly chat by means of the small print of the reveal, Lazarus, who usually sits with relaxed, slumped-back poise, couldn’t assist however lean ahead, keen and excited to see his new fan cave.

The 2 walked down the alleyway to Lazarus’ door. Xzibit stepped in first, holding it open for Lazarus to enter, and … effectively, you’d forgive the neighbors for considering the Rams had simply received one other Tremendous Bowl.

“Holy Toledo! I can’t imagine this!” Lazarus shouted, his eyes darting from the modern new Hearth TV on the wall to the accessible lounge chairs, fantastically smart-lit show circumstances, and classic Rams gear. As he slowly examined the finer particulars of the room, Lazarus grew quiet, even emotional.

“It’s lovely. It’s lovely,” he murmured. “Hallelujah! You guys are actually one thing!”

However Lazarus was solely starting to know how really tricked out his residence was. Xzibit nonetheless wanted to point out him how one can use Alexa.

“Alexa, when’s the subsequent Rams recreation?” the rapper requested.

“The Rams will play the Falcons at house subsequent Sunday, September 18 at 1:05 p.m.” replied the AI-powered voice assistant.

“Woah!” exclaimed Lazarus. It was time for a crash course.

So Xzibit bought Lazarus snug on the sofa, requested Alexa to play them some jazz music from Lazarus’ new Echo system, and walked him by means of all of the methods Alexa can assist make his life extra handy, and his soccer fandom even stronger. He advised Lazarus all about Alexa Options, and most significantly for Lazarus, that each one he has to do is say, “Alexa, play Thursday Evening Soccer,” and his new good TV will serve up the sport and not using a click on of a button.

For somebody who didn’t even have Wi-Fi earlier than Xzibit stepped in, Lazarus picked all of it up actually rapidly. He turned to Xzibit, and requested, “Am I going to get up now or what?”

Laughing, Xzibit and his crew mentioned goodbye, and left Lazarus extra ready than ever to root his Rams to victory.

“I can’t imagine this,” he beamed. “I can’t wait to carry my associates over to allow them to see it!”

Try Lazarus’ response to his new fan cave beneath:

Be taught extra about Prime Video’s unique protection of Thursday Night Football and find out when your team plays.