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Johnson lost passion for coaching
Posted: Sunday January 16, 2000 06:53 PM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King talked to CNNSI.com's Bob Lorenz before the kickoff of Sunday's playoff action: Bob Lorenz: Peter, what happened in South Florida and do you think in any way that this tarnishes the Jimmy Johnson coaching legacy in the NFL? Peter King: Well, I think, in the last year Jimmy Johnson has simply lost his passion for coaching; he has lost his love for coaching. His team let him down, and his whole coaching demeanor let him down. He took the little things much too seriously. He got annoyed at the press far too much, and he took things so hard this year, harder than I have ever seen him take it before. In the end, Johnson just lost his love of coaching. As he told his team on Sunday morning, I just don't have anymore to give. I think a lot stems from when his mom died a little over a year ago he started to realize that human relationships should have a place in his life. He re-bonded with his sons, he got married, he told his friends, in life, that they meant a lot to him. And I think he couldn't muster up the constant grind that football had become. He couldn't muster up the excitement and the verve to come back week after week, thinking that this was the most important thing in the world. And as far as his legacy goes, I remember sitting with Johnson four years ago this month at his home in the Keys, showing him a salary-cap sheet of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who wanted to hire him and the Miami Dolphins who wanted to hire him. The Bucs were in great shape cap-wise and had a good young team. The Dolphins were in awful shape cap-wise and at the end of it Jimmy turned to me and said, "Peter, I know you are right. I know the Bucs are in better shape, but I've got to go with the Dolphins, Dan Marino over Trent Dilfer." And how ironic that Dan Marino, in the end, is the one who most let Jimmy Johnson down. BL: Eddie George is hoping to have a big day on Sunday for the Titans. Peter, you spoke to him this week. Every game we know is big, but what does this game mean to him? PK: Well, there is no question that, after talking to Eddie George, I saw a guy with the eye of the tiger or the eye of the Titan, whatever he has. Because he told me flat out, "Hey, I've been waiting for a game like this all my life," in terms of the playoffs and in terms of the role he is going to have in this game. He is going to run the ball at least 25 times. The one thing about this game, X- and O-wise watch for the Titans unexpectedly to unleash Steve McNair. He is going to throw the ball downfield today. BL: Peter, there are some rumors about another team in the AFC East, Bill Parcells pondering a return to the Jets. What is the latest there? PK: Well, Parcells met twice this week with new owner Woody Johnson, who is certain to be approved by the NFL as the new Jets owner, and he told Johnson, from what my sources tell me, he doesn't want to coach in the NFL again. He would prefer that Al Groh, the linebackers coach, take that job. So I think sometime in the coming days or weeks, it is most likely that Groh is named the next coach of the New York Jets. BL: In the meantime, Peter, we know that Jerry Jones has gotten rid of every head coach the Cowboys have ever had. Who's next, not to get rid of ultimately, but to be hired? PK: Well, Jerry Jones has a plan. I was told by someone very close to him this week, the first step on that plan is waiting to see if somehow, some way, Norv Turner shakes free from Daniel Snyder's grip of the Washington Redskins. That will not happen. So, then, Jones is going to have to go elsewhere. One of the guys he is studying and looking at and asking a lot of questions about is St. Louis offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who is going to be widely sought whenever the Rams stop playing football this season. But as I told everyone last week, Martz is being pursued by the Rams, as well, to sign a Bill Belichick-type contract. In other words, to sign a contract that, no matter who offers him what, he stays on and is the next coach of the St. Louis Rams when Dick Vermeil retires. BL: It is time to open up the notebook and Peter, on Saturday you told us about the Packers interest in Marty Schottenheimer as their next head coach, what is the latest? PK: Well, Schottenheimer will be interviewed by Packers general manager Ron Wolf this coming week. Wolf has three other guys on his hit list: University of Miami coach Butch Davis; Steve Mariucci, the former Packers quarterback coach and San Francisco 49ers head coach now; and he is also very interested in pursing Martz, as is everybody. BL: Let's move on to Seattle and the relationship between former Packer head coach, Mike Holmgren and receiver Joey Galloway. As we know is not very good this year in Seattle, what about their future together? PK: Well, recently Holmgren had a conversation with Wolf and he said, "Hey, listen, why don't we trade my guy, Joey Galloway, for your guy, Antonio Freeman?" Wolf turned it down, but it is something that Holmgren will pursue, trading Galloway in the pre-free-agency season. BL: And finally, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue gave Redskins linebacker Tre Johnson a $50,000 fine and a one-game suspension for next season because he hit a referee in last week's game. Is that the type of penalty Cleveland Browns lineman Orlando Brown might be facing for pushing Jeff Triplette? PK: Well, probably not right now, because sources in the league tell me that Tagliabue is going to go soft on Brown for a very simple reason: the mitigating circumstances of Brown getting hit in the eye with a penalty flag. I look for Brown to get no more than a fine coming into next year, no more suspension |
