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Keeping up with Jones Jerry's mellowed, but enough to hire Parcells? MaybePosted: Monday December 23, 2002 10:27 AM
OAKLAND -- This is what the courtship of Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells comes down to: They need each other. Jones needs to win, and he needs to win now. Parcells needs what Jones has -- a head coaching job that offers the chance to win pretty quickly (which, really, could include almost every team in the NFL) with a team that would give most anything to do so, including mortgaging its future. Jones loves the action the NFL provides. Parcells craves the juice of the sidelines. I talked with Parcells for 20 minutes Saturday. He has not taken the Cowboys' head-coaching job soon to be vacated by Dave Campo yet, and he swears it has not been offered, but I could hear it in his voice: He wishes Jones would offer it formally. Never say never with this guy, but my strong hunch is that this is not a flirtation for Parcells. He'll take the job if he and Jones can work out the money (of which Parcells will want a boatload) and lines of authority.
"In a perfect situation, would I consider going back?" he said over the cell phone from Connecticut, where he was preparing to be third-degreed by ESPN about his coaching interest. "The answer is yes." One other interesting point: My gut feeling is that Parcells has another team chasing him. Jacksonville, maybe. Or Detroit. I don't know. But Parcells said he has been to Teterboro Airport, the executive airport a couple of miles from Giants Stadium, four times during the past month for private meetings. I don't think he was there to look at the newest expensive jet models. I think he was there talking jobs with people. Jones called Parcells Tuesday night and asked if he'd meet privately with him Wednesday at Teterboro. They sat on Jones' plane for five hours. As Parcells has said several times, they talked about coaching philosophy, the Cowboys and the NFL. "He didn't offer me the job, and I don't know if he will," Parcells said. "But I'm a football guy." Dallas is a possibility because Jones is sick of losing. His last six teams have averaged 9.5 losses a year. I can just hear him on the plane, telling Parcells how the two of them have been so successful, and the big thing they miss is winning football games, and they could make beautiful music together. That last thing, about working well together, is what many people can't fathom. I can. You might think Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells is a match made in hell. I can see this working for two years, maybe three, because the Jerry Jones who nearly a decade ago chafed so badly at the end with Jimmy Johnson has changed a bit. He is no longer so much power-hungry as he is winning-hungry. Last spring I spent four days inside the Cowboys' bunker, covering their pre-draft and draft-day machinations. I went on a trip with coaches, scouts and Jones to Austin, where they worked out potential draftee Quentin Jammer. For two days I sat in on draft planning meetings. I followed word-for-word, war-room, draft-day dealings. What I learned is that while Jones may once have run this team as a dictator, and he may have told everyone in the Dallas draft room, "Hey, when the ESPN War Room Cam is on, make sure you talk to me so it looks like I'm making the decisions," he isn't a dictator now. Is he egoless? Absolutely not. But he's far more interested in making the right decisions to build a winning team than he is in standing up and bleating, "Hey, look at me! Give me the credit!" I told Parcells this story Saturday: When Dallas' early second-round pick came up last April, two players with first-round grades, Colorado center/guard Andre Gurode and Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Bryant, were the highest-rated players on the Cowboys' board. Dallas desperately wanted both. Jones loved the thought of having Bryant, a bit of a college bad boy who had a penchant for getting in trouble off the field, on his team. He could see the headlines: "Cowboys Pick Next Michael Irvin." Jones relished the thought that someday people would say it was the Cowboys who turned Bryant's life around, and the Cowboys who got the most out of a player no one really trusted. But as the clock wound down on the pick, Jones listened to the debate around the room from his coaches and scouts, who were split. One scout said Gurode would be an eight-to-10-year starter on the line, which needed to be rebuilt. One coach said that with Joey Galloway and Rocket Ismail getting long in the tooth, Bryant would be the franchise receiver the Cowboys would so desperately need in 2004 and beyond. I was sure Jones would go with the headliner. That was his way, wasn't it? The debate rolled on, until, with about 30 seconds left, Jones said: "You know, it's time to make a decision. I think we've got a bigger need on our offensive line right now. I think we've got to take Gurode. Everybody?" He looked around the room to a few nods and harrumphs, and looked to Dave Campo, who gave his approval, and Jones told his people in New York to turn Gurode's name in. "I've gotten to know [Jones] over the past few years," said Parcells. "And people don't really know him. I know he really wants to win." You can blame Jones for investing in two questionable -- at best -- quarterbacks in the past year, preventing him from going after ace Joey Harrington this spring. He bypassed stud linebacker Kendrell Bell last year to take quarterback Quincy Carter, and he spent a bonus of $3 million on rusty free-agent quarterback Chad Hutchinson last winter. Jones has been plagued by lousy drafting; only two of 67 post-Johnson picks have made the Pro Bowl. But I say he's looking for a way out of the wilderness. And if Parcells would go to Dallas, I think he would be a good hire. Now, Jones has to be very careful here. Ask previous employers; Parcells can be a nightmare. Parcells likes his owners to stay in the background and sign the checks, as Wellington Mara and the late Leon Hess did. He is a not a well-adjusted man when he coaches, and he can be a bitter loser. He can be capricious on and off the field. I can still hear him, on the phone with me in the first week of the new millennium, when he quit the Jets. "I've coached my last football game. You can write that on your little chalkboard," he told me. I can still hear him, on the phone, this time sounding distraught, 11 months ago when he backed out of an offer to coach Tampa Bay that the Bucs thought was sealed. "I'm finished coaching," he said. "There aren't going to be any more rumors about me returning to coaching. This is it. It's over." So while I would like to say something absolute such as "Parcells will definitely coach in the league next fall," I know better. There are no absolutes with Bill Parcells. On Saturday, I asked him about the constant waffling. "That's life," he said. "Life changes, opportunities change. Just like any other profession. You're with Sports Illustrated, but you've been able to do some different TV things, right? You were with CNNSI, then HBO." Right. But I never said, "Go write it on your little chalkboard: I'm never doing TV again." "Three years ago, when I left the Jets, I meant it," he said. "I was never coaching again. I didn't know these other things would come up. Last year, I think you now know, I was going through some other things [he was finalizing a divorce from his wife, Judy], and I wasn't ready to coach. When I said those things, I thought I was finished coaching." There is one small X factor, and not a sexy one, that will impact Parcells' decision. He doesn't have many "Parcells Guys" out there to fill out his coaching staff. Most of his old assistant coaches are retired or tied up in other contracts. Ron Erhardt is long gone from the game. Bill Belichick coaches New England. Parcells' other lieutenants all have jobs. Maybe he'll be able to get Maurice Carthon, his old fullback with the Giants and current offensive coordinator with Detroit, if the Lions clean house. I think if Parcells had his druthers, he'd love to hire Bill Muir to run his offense and Jim Johnson to handle the defense. But they're coordinators with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, respectively, and sure to be tied to those jobs with no chance of extrication. Maybe he'll have a shot at Tom Coughlin if Jacksonville fires Coughlin. If you're Coughlin, do you want to coach the Bengals or decompress for a couple of years out of the head-coaching spotlight running the offense under your former mentor, Parcells? That's probably a false hope for Parcells, but it's interesting to consider. The staffing choices, Parcells said, would weigh on his decision to stay a TV guy or coach again. "That's a decision I'll have to give some thought to," he said. "It's a very good question." I know for a fact that this staff-building issue concerns Jones, too. He'd love for Parcells to keep the Dallas defensive staff intact, because the defense has played so well over the past couple of years under coordinator Mike Zimmer. I'd be surprised if Parcells had the makings of a staff in mind. I think Zimmer would not only love to work under Parcells, but also that Parcells, in time, would respect Zimmer. The other issue, of course, is Parcells' Hall of Fame chances. He has been turned down by the 38-person group of electors because too many of them think he'll coach again and may sully his winning reputation. "Nothing I can do about that," Parcells said. He's right, even though I say he could go 0-32 over the next two years wherever he coaches and still not lose enough to diminish his Hall worthiness. So we'll see how this thing goes, and if Jones and Parcells can form an uneasy marriage. I think they'll surprise some people.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK New York Giants QB Kerry Collins, whose productive day (23 of 29, 366 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions) under the kind of win-or-you're-out pressure in Indianapolis is what makes quarterbacks great. Collins leads all NFC signal-callers in passing yardage, and he needs 183 yards against Philly's tough defense next Saturday to reach 4,000 for the season. Collins' near length-of-the-field perfect strike to Amani Toomer for the touchdown that broke open this game shows what a great deep ball-thrower he is. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Green Bay DE Vonnie Holliday, for what has to be one of the best games by a defensive player in recent history: five sacks, three forced fumbles, five tackles. The Packers shut down a very good offense (Buffalo's) 10-0, and every time I looked up there was Holliday chasing Drew Bledsoe. SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK Minnesota K Gary Anderson. "He can't kick it that far," were the words that appeared to emerge from the lips of former teammate Cris Carter as the oldest player in the NFL, Anderson, lined up for a 53-yard field goal with the score tied at 17 and 17 seconds remaining in the Vikings' game against the Dolphins. All evidence suggested that Carter, now with Miami, was right. Anderson had converted only one field goal from that distance over the last 11 years, and his recent teams had taken to hiring a long kicker and kickoff man to make up for Anderson's weakness kicking deep and long. But after Hayden Epstein got hurt on a tackle earlier in the game, in came Anderson for the potential game-winner. The kick was a quasi-knuckler. It grazed the inside of the right upright about 18 inches north of the crossbar. Good! Anderson's not only one of the best guys currently employed in the NFL -- a decent, friendly, average-joe of a guy and a very good family man -- but also, at 43, he's threatening to stay in the NFL forever. COACH OF THE WEEK Seattle coach Mike Holmgren. It's a sign of a very good coach, one who hasn't lost his team even in the tough times, when he gets his team so ready to play that they outscore a dangerous Kansas City team 39-32; go down to the wire with the 49ers before losing 31-24, do the same before losing to Philadelphia 27-20; go on the road and beat a likely playoff team in Atlanta (in OT, 30-24); and then stay home to beat a similarly playing-for-nothing Rams team. I say Holmgren deserves another year in Seattle. GOAT OF THE WEEK Denver CB Lenny Walls. In what will go down in 2002 Broncodom as one of the biggest and dumbest mistakes of the year, Walls touched Raiders punt-returner Tim Brown as Walls ran by him on a fair-catch midway through the fourth quarter. Brown appealed for a penalty and got none. Walls then pranced up to Brown, got in his face, and taunted him over the play. Flag. Fifteen yards against Denver for taunting. Six plays later Oakland had the insurance touchdown. STAT OF THE WEEK Terrell "Lucky" Owens has 100 catches for 1,300 yards, a 13.0-yard average. With 13 touchdowns. QUOTE OF THE WEEK I
"Doctors said Herringbone's heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm before he was hospitalized."
QUOTE OF THE WEEK II
"I could get off this desk right now and cover."
I'm driving to Newark Airport at 5:30 Saturday morning, and I'm listening to New York's ESPN Radio affiliate. The host is interviewing Mike Gottfried, the college football announcer. Now, unless Gottfried's awake in the Central Time Zone at 4:30 a.m., which I doubt, I assume the interview was taped Friday night. And Gottfried says he hears that Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells are talking about the Dallas head coaching job. This is the NFL story of the week, maybe the month, and it's buried. I wonder if it's true, and I wonder what other nut is listening to this in the middle of the night. I also wonder why the host doesn't say, "Parcells? Back to the NFL? You're kidding!" But it just hangs there. Congratulations, I think, to Gottfried for the big story.
A wide variety of missives this week, plus the weekly share of why-do-you-hate-the-Saints stuff: GIVE TOM BRADY HIS DUE. From Jason Danahy, of River Edge, N.J.: "Tom Brady is not in your Top 13 for MVP? Hmmm, I think the lack of sleep at the Four Seasons clouded your otherwise superior brain. How's the Starbucks in the Rockefeller Center basement?" Excruciatingly slow. I don't recommend it. As for Brady, you might be right, but I don't see him above the guys I named. WE'LL STAY PASSIONATE FOR THE IGGLES. From Brian, of Philadelphia: "Loved your comments about the Vet last week. My family has been going there since it opened. One thing I have to disagree with, though, is your comment about the Eagles fans losing something when they go next door in 2003. I was at the Redskins game and the crowd around us was exchanging e-mail addresses and phone numbers in order to keep in touch with our fellow fans at the new stadium. The stadium is changing ... not the passion of the fans for a winning team." It's up to you guys in the stadium. Don't get fat and content. I THINK I LOVE YOU. From Sandra Janicki, of Grand Rapids, Mich.: "I don't have any complaints or meaningful questions, but I did want to say thank you. I've been a Packers fan most of my life, but never paid much attention to the rest of the league until I happened upon your column. Love it, and I'm watching football with a better eye now. Just wanted to let you what a refreshing and insightful read I find your column to be." Wow. That's a nice Christmas gift. HEY! WHY ARE YOU DOWN ON THE PATRIOTS FANS? From Mike, of Scotland, Conn.: "You mention Philly has the most vile fans west of Foxboro. What do the fans do that is so vile? I am a huge Pats fan and have been to three games in Foxboro and I have never seen boorish behavior. When the Pats won the title last year Boston didn't see a huge riot like other cities have seen." I harken back to a decade ago, when I was walking behind Lisa Olson on the field near the end of a game, after she'd accused some Patriots players of over-the-line locker-room harassment. I have never heard such vile treatment of a man or woman, such crude and incredibly hurtful language, language not even fit for drunken longshoremen. I also saw former Bengals coach Sam Wyche go after a group of fans who'd yelled some of the same type of stuff during and after a Cincinnati game there in the '80s. Maybe it has changed. But it has been pretty bad in the past. TICE WAS WRONG. From Steve Down, of Waterdown, Ontario: "I disagree with your assessment of Mike Tice's two-point conversion decision. If his team was contending or even trying to string together a .500 season, he doesn't make that call. It was a sandlot football decision." I respectfully disagree. Tice rolled the dice, yes, but look at the odds. If he goes for the tie and chooses overtime, he is taking a 50-percent chance that he'll get the ball to start overtime. If he doesn't win the coin flip, with that defense and with the Saints already having put up 31, there's an excellent chance the game's over. If he takes the game into his own hands right then and there, he figures that because they've been shredding the Saints' defense most of the day and Daunte Culpepper has them back on their heels, he has a much better than 50 percent chance of converting the two-point play. So he does it. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ABOUT RAY LEWIS. From Joe Spitalieri, of Cleveland: "I read the most incredible comment today in your column. 'Lewis hasn't done a thing to bring shame to his name. Moss has.' Are you kidding me? By no means do I endorse Randy Moss' antics on or off the field. Furthermore, Ray Lewis is the best example you can use of a player playing his heart out every play. But last time I checked, Moss was not a defendant in a doulbe-murder case. You really believe that Lewis did not bring shame to his name? That is one of the most deplorable statements I have ever heard. Two men died that night. Please do yourself a favor and make this your quote of the week!" If I wasn't clear enough, I meant that Lewis hadn't brought shame to his name since the double-murder. What I said was: "Two differences between Lewis and Moss over the past couple of seasons: Lewis, when not hurt, plays every play like it's his last. Moss doesn't. Lewis hasn't done a thing to bring shame to his name. Moss has." YOU CAN'T PREDICT YOUR WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG. From Bill Katt, of Washington, D.C.: "Unbelievable. Do you realize you've had an AFC team at the top of your Top 12 every single week of the entire season? Other than the Eagles' three AFC meltdowns that occurred weeks ago, tell me one AFC team that has beaten an NFC contender. Green Bay beat the two best AFC East teams. Tampa Bay hasn't lost to the AFC. I seem to remember the good-but-not-great 49ers marching into Oakland and handling the Raiders you're so impressed with. Green Bay easily dispatched Miami on a Monday night at Lambeau. You've had the AFC badly overrated all season. This has to be your absolute worst season of predicting and analyzing ever: Rams to win it, Wuerffel to be good, Skins a playoff team, Moss to have record season. Let me give you some prognosticating advice as the playoffs approach: Throw out the stats, forget who looks good on paper, ignore the coaches and venues. Pick the teams with the longest current winning streaks in each conference going into the playoffs. Those will be your Super Bowl favorites." Those are darned good, and mostly true, points. Let me leave you with a few of my own. The top AFC teams this morning are Oakland, Miami and Tennessee, in some order. The top four NFC teams are Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Green Bay -- in some order -- and then the 49ers. Oakland played the NFC West this year and thus played but one very good NFC team as it turns out, losing to the 49ers. Miami's had two bad NFC road losses, including Saturday's stinker in Minnesota. Tennessee had the NFC East and thus faced one good team (two if you count the Giants) as it turns out. Tennessee beat the Eagles and Giants. As far as crossovers the other way, Green Bay deserves mucho credit for its big AFC East wins over the Pats and Dolphins. You can't eliminate Philadelphia's loss to Tennessee and the dismantling by Indy; the Eagles are clearly one of the best NFC teams, if not THE best, right now. Until tonight, Tampa Bay has played no AFC team of consequence. San Francisco lost to Denver, lost to San Diego, and beat Oakland. How is the NFC so much better when Philadelphia's been awful against the AFC, Tampa Bay's played no one, Green Bay's been excellent, and San Francisco only so-so? I don't think much about conferences as a collective unit these days. The NFL's a one-world place. That's one heck of a letter, by the way. You know me better than I do. WE STILL THINK YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT OUR BELOVED SAINTS. From Chuck Apperson, of New Orleans: "I was not one of the 964 who wrote last week, but I want to say this: Saints fans complain about your coverage of the Saints because you do not give us credit for who we are and what we do well. You only complain about what we aren't and what we do badly. We know our defense is a sieve and we're frustrated about it, too. We're still 4-2 against teams that you rank higher than we are. We're a team on the rise, a team doing some good things. Mention that occasionally and you won't get as many e-mails from Saints fans." I promise I will not mention a darned thing about Bengals 20, Saints 13. OK?
Oh, enjoyable. Anytime you get to come to San Francisco, it's really a treat. I got to watch most of the Vikings win and all of the Dallas debacle in my Embarcadero hotel room, chasing the Parcells story at the same time. But I skipped most of the meaningless 49ers tussle to eat a terrific midday meal (grilled red snapper, garlic string beans, Sierra Nevada draft) at the city's oldest restaurant, the Tadich Grill (the original Cold Day restaurant, as they call it), founded in 1849, then to take a walk through a quiet Chinatown. What a job I have. What a country.
1. I think that was as embarrassing a loss as you can have in a Week 16, the Saints' 20-13 defeat at previously 1-13 Cincinnati. That's 19 games in a row in which the Saints have allowed at least 20 points, dating back 13 months. Still, you must be wondering how the Giants, who won their first game against a team with a winning record (Indianapolis) yesterday, and who have the same 9-6 record as New Orleans, have the tiebreaker edge. So did I. They didn't play head to head, and they have identical 7-4 conference records. So the tiebreaker goes to common games, minimum of four. Common foes are Washington, San Francisco, Atlanta and Minnesota. The Giants are 3-2 in those games (wins over Washington, Washington and Minnesota, losses to San Francisco and Atlanta). The Saints are 2-3 (wins over Washington and San Francisco, losses to Atlanta, Atlanta and Minnesota). At the end of the day, any team that has losses to Cleveland, Minnesota and Cincinnati -- two of them at home -- has no business in the playoffs. 2. I think these are my quick-hit football thoughts of the weekend: a. No ifs, ands or buts, Cris Carter: You have to make that catch in the end zone. b. In case you missed it, Miami was down 17-14 in the fourth quarter, in field-goal range but wanting more, when Jay Fiedler threw slightly behind a stretching Carter in the end zone. Tough catch, but a grab Carter has made 300 times in his life. Carter reached just behind him and the ball went through his hands. c. Ricky Williams, 15 carries? Geez, what a horrible bit of strategy, Dolphs. d. How much does Reebok love Emmitt Smith for wearing its cap during introductions on national TV for what is likely his last game ever at Texas Stadium? Think Emmitt sold a few thousand caps for Christmas with that 20 seconds of TV time? e. The Cowboys are 5-11, 5-11 and 5-10 in Campo's three years, and they've scored 14 points or less in 10 of 15 games this year. They've lost by 30 and 24 points the last two weeks to division foes, and I think I heard Joe Theismann talking about "a lot of changes that don't need to be made on this football team." He's right ... if the Cowboys want to be a bad team for a long time. Watching that game Saturday night was a painful, painful thing. Dallas is one of the worst offensive teams in memory. f. What is all the more amazing about Tennessee still fighting for AFC home field advantage is that Jevon Kearse got his first sack of the year on Dec. 21. g. That was an idiotic sack Drew Bledsoe took in the third quarter on Sunday, pushing the Bills back from a 22-yard field goal attempt in a strong wind to a 33-yard field goal in a strong wind. Mike Hollis missed it, and the Bills exited the third quarter with a 3-0 deficit. h. You can't stop the Bengals. You can only hope to contain them. i. Ladell Betts and Kenneth Watson both rushed for more than 110 yards in Washington's 26-10 win over Houston. The 'Skins went 46 rushes for 247 yards on the day, a remarkable total for a team that has run so inconsistently all year. Is it possible that Steve Spurrier, who swore before the opening game to me that he didn't care whether he won by running or passing, is starting to mean it? j. What is it about the Giants coming up big late in the season? That was a tour de force game in Indy, folks, tremendously well played on both sides of the ball by the men in Jersey blue. k. I can't believe I called Mike Shanahan a numbskull (an exaggeration) for drafting Clinton Portis. Portis is the genuine item. l. Marvin Harrison needs 13 catches against the Jags at home Sunday to reach 150 on the season. m. Marc Bulger is either injury-prone or incredibly unlucky. n. That Mike McMahon flipped-touchdown-pass in one of the funniest I've ever seen. o. Word association ... San Diego/December. Oil/water. p. I really admire the job John Fox is doing in Carolina. His guys come to play every meaningless Sunday. q. Can't wait to see Julius Peppers' 19-sack sophomore year. 3. I think, other than Harrison shattering the single-season receptions record, there is not a better individual feat in the NFL this year than A.J. Feeley, the third-string quarterback of the Eagles and the 155th player picked in the 2001 draft, winning four straight starts by an average of 13 points. It's hard not to be very, very excited watching him play the quarterback position. Good kid, too. I spent time with him last week in Philadelphia, and I learned that one of the reasons he has been able to succeed to this level is because he doesn't treat it like it's the seventh game of the World Series. He approaches every down like he's just out there playing. No pressure. 4. I think, to Mike Tice, Saturday's performance was exactly the kind of game he wants to see out of Randy Moss every week. Seven catches for 110 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass on a reverse that led Minnesota to a 20-17 win over Miami. While everybody rips Moss for not breaking the receptions record in this ballyhooed season, let's keep in mind he did make his 100th catch on Saturday, more than he'd ever made in his previous three great seasons. And his 13-yard touchdown pass to D'Wayne Bates gave the Vikes a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter. 5. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week: a. I chortle at the Atlanta Braves' reconstruction of their pitching staff. Not that they've blown it; obviously they haven't. But every voice out of Atlanta I've heard says the Braves have done this brilliant bit of overhauling while at the same time getting so much younger. Huh? Forget the setup men; they change from year to year, and who cares if lefty geezer Mike Remlinger is swapped, in effect for a cheaper middle-aged southpaw version, Ray King, ex-Brewer. I'm talking about starters. Greg Maddux and Jason Marquis are the two holdovers from last year, so they don't count. Let's look at the current ages of last year's three other starters and this year's projected trio:
The Braves actually aren't any younger from one to five on the pitching staff. Not a whit. They're eight years younger at the No. 2 starter, five years older at No. 3, and four years older at No. 4. They traded one of the best pitching prospects they've come up with in years (Moss). They did accomplish what they wanted to, I suppose, in shedding the big salaries of Glavine and Millwood. But it's silly to suggest they're younger. b. Hey Mike Davis: There's a rule against losing your mind on the basketball floor. c. Coffeenerdness: In search of the perfect eggnog latte, I traveled to two different coffeehouses in downtown San Francisco. Sampled one at Tully's, which did not even vaguely taste like eggnog. Brutal, awful drink from the coffee rightsholder of the Seattle Mariners. Four sips and that monstrosity was in the trash. Then I walked over the Torrefazione Italia, which has outlets in Seattle, here, Boston and probably other places, and which is consistently one of the best coffee places in the Unites States. I was not disappointed. Half eggnog, half whole milk, carefully brewed by the punky barista chick. Perfect. Starbucks, you have a target to hit. d. I can't think of any TV show -- other than Curb Your Enthusiasm -- that I'd rather watch than a Seinfeld rerun. 6. I think Oakland would be an interesting team with Deion Sanders. The Raiders were being politically correct about the potential acquisition after their big win over the Broncos when I happened upon Tatum-esque safety Derrick Gibson in the locker room after the game. "If we got Deion," said Gibson, "we'd be cheating." Huh? What he meant, he said, was that if Sanders came, "We'd have an all-time secondary, a legendary secondary. Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson, Deion ... Who's ever been better than that?" 7. I think if they were all healthy, I'd agree re: Deion. But just remember what happened to Sanders when he last played. A foot injury rendered him mortal, and he was regularly picked on late in his Washington career. Deion was not Deion in 2000. I have no idea, then, why he'd be Deion again two years later. 8. I think all you naysayers need to ease up on San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci. For human decency, for heaven's sake. Last week, with the 49ers ensconced in their fourth postseason spot in Mariucci's six years, he was asked by a reporter about the rumors regarding his job security. Justifiable query, because there are legitimate questions about whether Mariucci will return to the 49ers in 2003 as a lame duck. "Do you think any other coach who's just clinched a division title has to answer questions about that?" asked Mariucci. On Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a letter from a Mike Mitchell of Magalia, Calif., that said, in part: "I have been a 49er fanatic since the late 1950s -- they have been the love of my life ... [But] this is a boring football team, and I don't care much about them any longer. If Mariucci continues beyond this season, I will never again waste my money to see this football team." Stat of the year, Mooch-bashers: Bill Walsh averaged 9.2 wins per regular season in 10 years, playing with Joe Montana and Steve Young; Mariucci has averaged 9.5, playing with the latter-day Young and Jeff Garcia. The man, with help from the front office, has presided over the rebuilding of a once-great team that is now good. He has won 13, 12, 4, 6, 12 and 10 (with one game left) games in his six seasons. That should be acceptable, Mike Mitchell. Having praised the man, I now send this one message: Go get a new kicker, Mooch. Jeff Chandler will kill you in the playoffs. 9. I think I'd like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays. 10. I think a Happy New Year, too.
A year ago, Jerome Bettis steamrolled Tampa Bay. Why can't I see that happening again? Even with Shaun King subbing for Brad Johnson tonight, I like the Bucs, 20-13. Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King covers the NFL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Monday Morning Quarterback appears in this space -- no kidding -- on Monday mornings. Click here to send him a comment.
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