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Catching up Posted: Thursday June 20, 2002 3:00 PM
Two readers have e-mailed, wondering where I'd been. OK, I'll let you in on the secret. This was a planned audience response test to see how many people would notice if I desisted from writing for a month or so. The total of two fell two short of the quota needed to keep me in business. Four responses would have done it, so it is now with deep regret that I must say... OK, OK, I was in New Zealand for vacation, all right? This is in direct response to the e-mail from Jerry in Montreal. Part 2 of his question: "How has your vacation been?" Only sensational. Somehow the Flaming Redhead and I just felt that this place might be great and it was even better than expected. Why? In two words, the people. Nicest people I've ever met. Not a mean streak to be found. I mean, I actually couldn't find a reason to get mad at anybody. And they're not just a bunch of simple folk; they're people who travel and get around. How many times did we meet some young assistant winemaker (we visited 35 vineyards) who wasn't 30 years old yet but was working for a winery in his fourth or fifth country? Back to football. The same gentleman from Montreal wants to know which teams did best in offseason moves. Next week, in my column, I'll break all clubs down, pluses and minuses, as a way of getting back into the swim of it. Right now, after logging all the moves that happened while I was away, I'd have to say that two QB deals could have a huge impact. Drew Bledsoe could give the Bills' offense the punch it lacked last year, and in Chicago, Chris Chandler, if they give him the call over Jim Miller, could provide the Bears with the only thing they need, really, to compete at the very top level, and that is a down-the-field passing attack. I think Dallas helped itself a lot, and so did Atlanta, and so did New England, believe it or not. As I said, I'll provide more depth of analysis next week. "I haven't seen any wine questions in a while," writes Dave of Milwaukee, "so I thought I would tender one your way." The question, of course, is something I get asked about 20 times a week: What's a good inexpensive white wine? A good inexpensive red (make that two questions)? Well, if it's New Zealand wines you want to know about, I can keep you busy for a day or so because nobody in Morris County, N.J. has tasted more than the Redhead and I have in the last month. Over there, the wines are very reasonably priced, but once they reach these shores, after the importer and distributor and retailer all have had a go at them, it's another story. Then again, it depends on where your tastes lie. OK, enough pussyfooting, I'll snap off two names for you. First one, B.R. Cohn 1998 Carneros Chardonnay. Nothing like wines from the last century, I always say. This won't be easy to find because they're selling the newer vintage now, but some of the '98 is around and they're dumping it off cheaply, for $15 or so a bottle. A terrific wine, if you don't mind a little oak. For a red, the Torres wines of Spain have been bargains for years. My advice to you, if you're trying to build a collection: Taste anything that's recommended, whether in print or by word of mouth, and keep a set of tasting notes. Then put them in better order than I keep mine, refer to them often and you'll be on your way. Thanks for your kind words, incidentally. One diversion while I'm thinking of it. Whilst in New Zealand, I caught a rugby test match on TV. All Blacks vs. Italy, won by the New Zealanders, 64-10. What's one thing that big-time rugby has in common with the NFL? The quality of the announcers. Within 10 minutes I was screaming at them. It was just so obvious what was going on. The Italians couldn't match the speed of the All Blacks' back line. Add to that the fact that they kept missing tackles. The result? 64 points. Slam dunk! But all I kept hearing from these TV guys was how this pass was too flat or how the inside centre was half a step out of position. Not one word about what was really happening out there. Made me homesick for NFL telecasts. And why, you ask, do I fancy myself such a rugby expert? Well, I did play it for 25 years. From Jim of Seattle: What is my favorite stadium ever? The old Kansas City Municipal Stadium. The press box was tiny, and I kept banging my head on water pipes, but once I managed to get into my seat it was the best view of the field I've ever had. I mean, I was right on top of it. I could see everything. Wrote better stories as a result. Question No. 2: All-time favorite NFL game? Jets-Oakland, 1968 AFL Championship. Question No.3: Why isn't Big Daddy Lipscomb in the Hall of Fame? Drug stories. Two guys (Donovan and Marchetti) on the same line went in ahead of him. Impossible situation once he became a senior, since only one of them gets nominated every year. Do I think he belongs? Yes, indeed. Larry of Indy wants my list of all-time best second stringers. Honestly, I'd like to oblige, but do you know how long it would take me to go through every roster from the 60 or so years that I've been watching the game (saw my first one as a child -- no I won't tell you how old -- in 1943)? I'll throw one name at you. Walter "Piggy" Barnes, offensive and defensive guard for the Eagles of the late '40s, early '50s. Always played better than the guys he came in for, but maybe I'm prejudiced because he coached the line at Columbia when I played there. For a pure second stringer, a great relief pitcher who probably wouldn't have been an effective starter, you have to go with QB Don Strock of the Dolphins. I don't, incidentally, feel that Kenneth Davis, the guy you mentioned, would have been a star for most teams. He was in the right spot -- backing up Thurman Thomas. Ted of L.A. can't understand what the knock is on Cris Carter. Well, in 2000 he was a great team guy, a calming influence on Randy Moss and all that. Last year he was labeled a disruptive force. Now no one will touch him. Yes, it is odd. I asked a few people around the league. They say that Carter became a whiner and bitcher when things started going bad last season (he complained about not getting the ball enough, etc.). Plus he commands more money than people want to pay for a wideout who can't shake the coverage the way he once could. Mark my words, some time this season, whether it's in camp or once the season begins, a keynote wideout on a contending team will go down and the call will go out for Cris. Whether he'll choose to come back will be up to him. From Troy McGinty of Denver: "I never write to you anymore because I think Jimmy has some sort of agenda against me." This is serious stuff, so I asked Jimmy if it were true. Sadly, it is. And what does he have against you? Your first name. How can you be named after the team the Greeks beat? Not only that, but Jimmy dropped a bundle on Hector, taking the points, against Achilles. But you got through this time, so I'll answer your question, which is pharmacological. How will the league enforce the ephedra ban when the substance is in a bunch of over-the-counter medications? Let's go back to the 1972 Olympics when the American swimmer, Rick DeMont, lost his medal because he tested positive for ephedrine, which he was taking for asthma. We all hollered in print and at the press conference run by the IOC's medical person, Prince Alexandre de Merode of Belgium. No, the prince didn't storm out in the midst of all that yelling, he merely pointed out that the drug was on the list of banned substances, and the U.S. officials should have known that. As indeed they should have, but our Olympic people were so screwed up in those days that it's a wonder they didn't foul things up worse. The answer to the ephedra thing is for the players to know what's on the banned substance list, have their personal doctors get said list from the league, and act accordingly. Gary of Natick, Mass., wants to know who the movers and shakers are among the NFL owners. Are you talking about league guys, people who find their way on the important committees, or football guys, those who have the know-how to make football decisions? Personally, I'm more interested in the latter, and in that area I'll name two, Jerry Jones and Al Davis. Say what you want about Jerry as a meddler, but he did win a Super Bowl with a coach he got off the street, Barry Switzer. Davis has coached, walked the sidelines as a scout, in short, done it all. As far as the league guys whose voices carry weight in the meetings, oh, Art Modell, Wellington Mara, Lamar Hunt, Dan Rooney, is that enough? Thank you, Gary, for your sentiments about my work. Ditto to Jonas of Copenhagen, and before I answer your question, which concerns the Titans' chances, let me ask you a Copenhagen question. You ever run into a guy named Ib Hansen? Very slick scam artist. Conned a poor GI on leave named Paulie Z. out of $28, which wasn't easy to do because that was all the money I had at the time. I've been looking for him ever since, but considering that was 45 years ago, I don't like my chances. Still, you never know. The Titans' chances? This will be discussed next week, but right now I'll say that replacing Blaine Bishop with Lance Schulters is kind of a wash because they're the same type, big stickers who battle injuries. Greg Comella was a fine pick-up. Very underrated player. Robert Holcombe is a better backup for Eddie George than they've had, but if George stumbles through 2002 as he did last year, forget it. Don't want to reveal too much more and upstage my column for next week. Michael of Spencerport, N.Y., wants me to compare the brand of football played in Arena League, CFL, NCAA and NFL Europe, with a note on which would I prefer to cover and which do I watch. When I can, I watch college ball, but seldom with the charts because I simply don't have the time (the NFL eats it all up). But I will chart the big games. I love the college action and wouldn't mind covering it, if I had to. The others? Nope, gotta take a pass there, except for the Grey Cup, which I'll watch -- recreationally. Why? Because my feeling is that I'll tune in to any sport if the stakes are high -- World Cup, women's NCAA hoops championship or semis, you name it -- but there simply isn't enough riding on Arena League or NFL Europe action. As to who would beat whom, oh, I guess an NFL Europe team would beat a top-flight college team, but I'm not so sure the Europes would whip last year's Miami Hurricanes outfit. Phil of Rainy River, Ontario (how can rain come from a river?) would like my take on the Chargers-to-L.A. talk and how this will affect their season. Not at all. I mean, is a guy going to do a better job on his blitz pickups because the team might travel? Same old story. Alex Spanos holding up the taxpayers for dough to build him a stadium or he'll take his marbles north. The rich making the non-rich pay for their toys. Makes me sick. John of Levittown, Pa., has moved from the Bay Area to Austin, Texas, and lives next to a winery. How would I rate the Napa merlots against the Austin Hills reds? I actually think the Napa Valley has a chance to catch up to and even overtake them. Reminds me of a luncheon I once attended given by the Texas Winegrowers Association. Their wines were OK, clean and all that, but they were safe little mousy things. Everyone was afraid to make one in the big, bold style. It was like a lineup of all singles hitters with no one taking a shot at the fences. I don't know, maybe things have changed. A question, John, or just chitchat? Oh, here it comes. The Eagles' chances. How dull, compared to the previous conversation. Yeah, they'll contend again, I guess, but who have they picked up compared to the guys they've lost? Looks like LB Shawn Barber and a much-wounded Blaine Bishop, or have I missed something while I was tasting the Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc in New Zealand? Warren from the lettuce patches of Salinas, Calif., doesn't mince words. "Are the Raiders headed for tough times?" he asks. Yes. They're too old. In this high-speed era you can't get so old in so many places. |
