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Notes,
Quotes And Reviews
Of Sunday's NFL Pregame Shows
Coaching
Carousel, Greene Incident Highlight Sunday Shows.
By
George Stahl and Randy
Williams
Thoughts,
notes and observations while watching the Sunday pregame shows.
Grades will be given out at the end.
NFL
Grapevine:
The coaching carousel was the main focus of this week's NFL
gossip. Here is some of what was reported Sunday.
CNN's
Peter King
- Carolina
wants a disciplinarian coach such as Mike Holmgren or
Michigan State's Nick Saban; George Seifert is
the prime candidate to replace Ray Rhodes in Philadelphia; and
San Diego will look to hire an offensive-minded coach, such
as Minnesota offensive coordinator Brian Billick.
- Randall
Cunningham will begin 1999 as the Minnesota starter, if
he agrees to return for a reasonable salary.
- The Steelers
will pick a quarterback in the second or third round to compete
with Kordell Stewart.
- Dallas cornerback
Deion Sanders probably won't return this season.
- Carolina
owner Jerry Richardson wants George Seifert, Mike Holmgren
or Steve Spurrier. Mortensen said he probably won't get
any of the three.
On the
Mort Report at the 10:30 a.m. SportsCenter, he reported
that:
- Colt quarterback
Peyton Manning should be able get most of his incentive
money, practically guaranteeing himself the full value of his
contract ($46.5 million) in his rookie season. Many observers
had considered many of the incentives unreachable.
- Bill owner
Ralph Wilson gave quarterback Doug Flutie the $250,000
bonus that he would have received with the Patriot win that the
officials stole from him and the Bills. (Mortensen
also reported this on "Countdown.")
- Jet quarterback
Vinny Testaverde is taking backup quarterbacks Glenn
Foley and Ray Lucas to Hawaii with him.
- 49er owner
Ed DeBartolo seeks his active owner status back.
- The Eagles
have a long list of coaching candidates, including Steeler defensive
coordinator Jim Haslett; both Denver coordinators, Gary
Kubiak (offensive) and Greg Robinson (defensive); Jaguar
offensive coordinator Chris Palmer; Kansas State coach
Bill Snyder; and former 49er coach George Seifert.
Fox's James
Brown
- Many
referees polled by Fox favor bringing back instant replay.
- Suggested
George Seifert may be the next coach of the Eagles
- "Despite
public denials by Florida head coach Steve Spurrier, we
have learned that Spurrier will listen to head coaching offers
- that at the end of the season." ... At halftime of the
1 p.m. games, CBS' Jim Nantz said he wanted to clear up a
report made by "another pregame show" suggesting that
Spurrier was entertaining NFL coaching offers and was going to
go with "the highest offer." Nantz reported that Spurrier
has since denied that and said he was happy at Florida. While
CBS deserves credit for following up the report, the network
should get punished for taking a cheap shot at Fox and misinterpreting
its report. Another poor job in what is becoming an increasingly
ugly situation at CBS. (The quoted part at the top of this
note is all that Brown said on the Spurrier subject.)
CBS' Mike
Lombardi
- Packers coach
Mike Holmgren may end up in Carolina, where the money and
the job is what he is seeking.
- Said Panther
lineman Kevin Greene should have been suspended for the
last two games of the season, although he suggested that coach
Dom Capers, who was nearby during the whole argument, could
have done more to have prevented it.
- Redskins,
despite a confusing ownership situation, seeks to extend quarterback
Trent Green's contract, by using some of Gus Frerotte's
bonus money.
- Lions, happy
with Bobby Ross as coach, will hire a GM to help recruit
better talent.
Kevin
Greene/Carolina Panthers situation:
Fox's in-studio debate on Kevin Greene's attack of assistant coach
Kevin Steele was excellent television. The discussion was
lively and interesting as the foursome argued about the various
issues involved with the incident - preception, race and justice.
Long called
Greene's actions "unacceptable" and that "Kevin Greene
was wrong" but he thought the penalty was fair because it was
done in the heat of moment and just happened to be caught on television.
He added that similar incidents occur often in practice. Bradshaw
agreed, saying the fact that Greene and the assistant reconciled
so quickly on the sidelines made it less of an issue.
However, Collinsworth
said the Panthers' slim one-game suspension on an attack by a white
player added to the NFL's racism
as perceived by black players, who feel there would have been more
of an outcry by the league and media if a black player was involved.
Collinsworth compared Greene's suspension to Panther running back
Fred Lane, a black man, who received a one-game suspension for making
an obscene gesture.
Brown agreed
with Collinsworth calling the one-game suspension and no league
action "very weak."
This discussion,
which was the best I heard all year on Fox, is another example of
why the network has the best NFL pregame show. The foursome
restrained from trying to be funny and seriously debated an important
topic, of which they had strong feelings. Great stuff.
The lack
of coverage by the other networks on this incident was surprising
and disappointing. CNN offered a very short piece about
players attacking coaches and talked about Pittsburgh's struggles,
in general. ESPN said precious little about the incident
but offered a Sal Paolantonio feature about Stewart's collapse.
CBS's Jim Nantz and Mike Lombardi said Greene should have
been suspended for the season. Lombardi also showed video of the
attack and suggested that Capers could have done more to prevent
it.
Best features:
1. ESPN's Greg Garber on the importance of the football.
2. Fox's Pam Oliver on the emotional week that the Falcons have
had.
3. Fox's Howie Long on his tough guys for this season. For
the most part, the players selected were predictable, but the whole
segment was enjoyable. Click
here to see a list of the players picked. (The list wasn't
up as of Sunday afternoon; however, Fox Sports Online promised that
it would be up shortly.) NEXT WEEK: Terry Bradshaw will give
out the Terry Awards.
4. ESPN's Chris Mortensen on the resurgence of Atlanta QB
Chris Chandler.
5. CNN's Jim Huber on 1972 Dolphins hero Earl Morrall.
6. ESPN's Ed Werder on the struggles of the Dallas Cowboys.
7. CBS' Jim Nantz's look at the relationship between Steeler
coach Bill Cowher and quarterback Kordell Stewart. The feature was
well done, except he never interviewed Stewart (or explained why
he didn't). Afterward, Jones said questions about Stewart's leadership
remain, Allen said the whole team - not just Stewart - has to pick
it up and Lombardi added that talks on extending Stewart's contract
past next year are on hold until Pittsburgh sees more from him.
8. CNN's Tom Rinaldi on Arizona's 16-year playoff absence.
9. CBS' Craig James on the Packers. It was slightly disappointing
and too melodramatic, especially with the background music.
Top game
tips:
1. CNN's Meyer said Dallas' Emmitt Smith will run for more than
173 yards against Philadelphia. Arizona's Adrain Murrell rushed
for 173 yards against the Eagles last week.
2. CBS' Marcus Allen said Patriots backup quarterback Scott
Zolak may go deep on the first play to loosen up the 49er defense,
while CBS' Brent Jones said the 49ers may blitz early and often.
3. CNN's Josie Karp said Cowboy defensive back Deion Sanders
is not expected to play Sunday but will be a game-time decision.
Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin, though, will play.
4. CBS
said Steeler backup quarterback Mike Tomczak got 40% of the offensive
plays in practice this week.
5. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported Cincinnati RB Corey Dillon
won't play.
Top stats/facts:
1.
Kansas City is allowing 30 points a game on the road - CNN.
2. The oft-repeated stat: St. Louis leading rusher is still
Greg Hill - and he hasn't played since week three - ESPN.
3. Jacksonville's Jonathan Quinn is the fifth of eight rookie
quarterbacks drafted this year to start. With Quinn's appearance,
the Jaguars are the ninth team to start three QBs this year - ESPN.
4. New England's Robert Edwards rushed for 195 yards last
week after gaining 191 in the previous five games - ESPN.
5. Scott Zolak's father was the high school coach of Joe
Montana, Fox's Dick Stockton.
CNN Predictions:
Denver/Miami - King, Lofton and Meyer
pick the Broncos
San Francisco/New England - King, Lofton
and Meyer pick the Niners
Green Bay/Tennessee - King foresees
Tennessee; Lofton, Meyer take the Pack
Other
Predictions:
1. CBS' Brent Jones said Arizona will get the No. 6 seed in
the NFC and that Detroit may cause problems for Atlanta today.
Fox's Bradshaw also foresees Detroit causing Atlanta problems.
2. Fox's Cris Collinsworth said Dallas will have tough time
against the Eagles today.
3. CNN's Meyer said Dallas' Emmitt Smith will run for more
than 173 yards vs the Eagles. Arizona's Adrian Murrell rushed for
173 against Philly last weekend.
Best interviews:
1. ESPN's Joe Theismann, covering tonight's Minnesota-Jacksonville
contest, with Vikings coach Dennis Green.
2. CBS' Jim Nantz with Keyshawn Johnson.
Unanswered
questions:
1. Why does CBS go around its game sites twice, often repeating
the same information? The second time, at 12:30 p.m., really stops
any momentum that the show may have developed before that.
2. Why doesn't CBS keep Craig James at the desk with Jones
and Allen for the whole show? It is clear that the banter and the
excitement improves when he is there.
3. Why does Fox try to do too much when it is on the practice
field? Although the segment is usually entertaining, it isn't always
easy to understand the football point given the silliness among
the hosts.
Glitches:
1. As
CNN's James Lofton introduced a graphic, the footage never appeared.
2. During one of Peter King's segments on CNN, a practice
version of "The Star Spangled Banner" nearly rendered his comments
inaudible.
Boldest
statements:
1. CNN's James Lofton said Green Bay QB Brett Favre is having
a "horrible" season. Favre has thrown 27 touchdown passes and
21 interceptions.
2. "The Redskins are the best team in the NFC East,"
CBS' Jones.
Good
lines:
1.
"That sound you heard was a bunch of ABC sports executives leaping
from their office windows," said ESPN's Berman, discussing ABC's
despair after the Broncos lost to Giants hurt this week's Monday
Night Football matchup.
2. Fox's James Brown said Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe
couldn't play because he had "a finger as crooked as a politician."
Huh?:
1. Beasley Reece suggesting that Raven coach Ted Marchibroda
and Bear coach Dave Wannstedt could related to impeached President
Clinton because all three may lose their job soon.
2. Marcus Allen tried to explain how Tennessee was going
to get the sixth seed in the AFC, which may be true but it was
hard to follow what he was trying to say.
Hmmm:
1. Rather than watch to see how many Green Bay RB Dorsey
Levens carries the ball in his return from injury, ESPN's Jackson
said he will focus on how often the Packers run Levens' signature
screen play.
2. CBS' Mike Lombardi said that if the season ends as it
is now, both Atlanta and the New York Jets are sitting pretty
as the No. 2 seeds. He said the Jets are on track to play a banged-up
Jaguars team and then, with a win, would play the Broncos, whom
they could beat. Meanwhile, the Falcons would play a banged-up
and old Cowboys team and then, with a win, would play the survivor
of Green Bay/San Francisco vs. Minnesota.
3. Collinsworth and Bradshaw said the Jets and the 49ers
are the two hot teams going into the playoffs.
4. Both ESPN and Fox used names of Santa's reindeer to
introduce their announcers.
Unique:
1. CNN's "letter" from a Pittsburgh fan about
the struggles of the Steelers.
GRADES:
CNN: B-.
Average.
ESPN:
C. ESPN delivers the best features of any pregame program,
but the "Sunday NFL Countdown" analysts rarely provide true insight
into the game, a consequence of the overcrowded studio.
Berman spends
more time clowning around than talking football; Tirico, the show's
top host, is stuck in the corner; Jackson, the show's brighest
analyst, doesn't get the floor often enough; and Sharpe says very
little for a man who talks so much.
Furthermore,
Mortensen isn't allowed to relay as much information as he could
(how come ESPN can't fit the three-minute Mort Report on its
two-hour pregame show?); and Kelly is so bad he could learn
from CBS' Jones. By the way, Jones shouldn't take that as a compliment.
Randy's
advice: Cut Kelly and send Mortensen to game sites where he
can deliver informational tidbits like CNN's Peter King.
CBS: C.
Despite all the plugging - getting rid of Seifert and the silly
"Around the League" segment - CBS' NFL Today ship is
still taking in water.
FOX:
A. Again showed that it is consistently the most interesting
and entertaining pregame show.
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Return to main NFL page
Click here to see a review
of CBS' The NFL Today on Saturday.
To post a comment on the review, go to the Speak
Out page.
To e-mail your opinion to George, click
here.
To e-mail your opinion to Randy, click
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