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Feeling the echoes A quick trip reveals there's no place like Golden DomePosted: Monday November 25, 2002 9:34 AM
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Walking onto the Notre Dame campus, you can feel the difference Tyrone Willingham has wrought. It's a difference many NFL teams would love to emulate, especially given the pressure on the league to hire black coaches. But you don't see it happening, now or anytime soon, because it's just about impossible to re-create, anywhere in the United States, the atmosphere on this campus.
You're here on a quickie college tour with your daughter and her friend. The three of you walk into a pep rally on Friday night in the big basketball arena, the final one for Willingham's senior players, and you hear senior defensive standout Gerome Sapp explain how his coach issued one edict in preseason practice: "No whining." Willingham takes the podium, and every person in the place stretches two hands together, thumbs at a 45-degree angle and connected, into the "W" sign. The crowd of 10,000 or so bows in unison in an "I am not worthy" show of homage to Willingham. You see what happens to a man when he saves football at Notre Dame. And, listening to Willingham, you realize why everyone here loves him. He thanks the seniors, their parents, the cheerleaders, the pom-pom squad, the leprechaun -- real, legitimate thanks -- and the SID and the fans. The alma mater is played, the hats come off, and the fans sway with it. The merchandise flies off the shelves afterward, as it does for much of the 24 hours you're in town. This is the Yankees, Cowboys and Raiders rolled into one, folks. This is the mother of all licensing deals. This is what happens when the football team is rocking. Later, at a reception at the the athletic director's home, the Glee Club comes right into Kevin White's living room and sings Danny Boy, the fight song and about 10 others, all to rapt attention. The alums' faces are once again proud and excited. You ask White how he can keep the NFL from someday -- a month from now, 100 months from now -- coming to steal the coach who made the revival happen. There is, of course, the modern contract that includes a penalty if Willingham leaves early, but you know that is not going to stop anyone who really wants him. A realistic White says the right things about this being such a great place for any coach. Then he says: "I'll be going to the Grotto and lighting a candle to make sure he stays." The next day, leaving the hotel at 7:15 a.m., you see 12 different people lining the road already, offering to buy and sell tickets. For a game against Rutgers, for crying out loud! During a campus tour, the God Quad (the area with the basilica and the Golden Dome) is mobbed with tourists and fans. The band plays a pregame concert on the steps on one of the halls, and in tribute to Willingham, the crowd gives the "W" salute before the fight song. One guy is wearing a T-shirt with the words "In Ty We Trust" scrawled on it. Other shirts bear a green four-leaf clover adorned with a big "TY." The Willinghams, poised and professional, win the game easily 42-0. You like the fact that all the seniors apparently got to play, including a 5-foot-6 tailback, a Rudyesque fellow named Tim O'Neill, who had a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter. Flying east at dawn the next day, you pick up the Chicago Tribune at O'Hare. You read how starting left tackle Jordan Black was held out of the starting lineup against Rutgers. According to the story, it was Willingham's punishment for being caught with too many parking tickets. "I've got nobody to blame but myself," the Trib quotes Black as saying. You think about Notre Dame, and about how Willingham has restored the roar. And you think two things: One: Tyrone Willingham would be a great NFL coach. Two: You hope he stays at Notre Dame.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Kansas City RB Priest Holmes, for his tour de force game against Seattle: 23 carries for 197 yards; seven catches for 110 yards; three touchdowns. I remember Dick Vermeil telling me in training camp how he'd be happy if Holmes followed up his 2001 rushing title with 1,300 yards this season. Well, Holmes is 91 yards away from that mark, and he has five weeks to reach his coach's goal. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK New England defensive tackle Richard Seymour, for his six tackles, one sack, three pressures of Daunte Culpepper and blocked field goal. This is the dominating type of performance the Patriots grew accustomed to last year (and haven't seen enough of this season) from their first-round pick. He'll need to keep it ratcheted up for the Patriots to have a chance to hold opponents to scoring in the teens down the stretch. SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK Indianapolis K Mike Vanderjagt. Fitting that, on a day when the Grey Cup was contested, this former CFLer hit a 54-yarder in swirling snow to send the Colts to overtime against Denver, then hit a 51-yarder into a breeze to win the game. Good game management by the Colts. During the pre-overtime-kick timeout they sent an equipment guy on the field to clear a wide swath for Vanderjagt, so his footing would be better. COACH OF THE WEEK Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. I would wonder, if I were Kiffin, why when the employment line opens after every season I never get a call. Does this guy have the plague? His defense is a plague on opposing defenses. His guys define "swarm." Some of the faces change on this D, but the results never do. Let's recognize Kiffin for a job well done. GOAT OF THE WEEK Detroit clock-managers. I am going to assume it was Marty Mornhinweg who told his men that if they won the coin flip in overtime, they should give the ball to Chicago and make the Bears drive into a 17-mph wind. Now, let's see if we can figure this out. Here's one logical scenario for overtime, and probably an average one, even into a good wind if Detroit kicks off. Jason Hanson kicks to the goal line, and the ball is returned to the 21. Bears get one first down, then punt from their 37. Tough punt by Brad Maynard into the wind. A 31-yard net. Lions take over at their 32. What did the Lions think? That they'd block the opening kick of OT? QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"He's lucky I'm not 25, without kids and a conscience."
Dan Marino dressed up as Jay Fiedler on Halloween.
YOU ARE HIGH, IN MANY WAYS. From Diego, in Toledo, Ohio: "Oakland ranked higher than Green Bay? Are you on crack? Switch to a straight, hot double espresso. That will clear your brain. Stop writing about the NBA. The NBA is a joke. This is Monday Morning QUARTERBACK, not Monday Morning Point Guard. Stop writing about Montclair Field Hockey. We hate it. We all have kids too, we just don't beat people over the head with them week after week. While you are at it, stop writing about coffeenerdness, Australian Rules Football, rugby and your airport lamentations. Other than that, love your column." You know, it is so nice to get a warm, heartfelt compliment like that. STOP THE MADNESS. From Tibor in Columbus, Ohio: "Your column is great, but spare us the worthless details about your daughter's field hockey team. Does Tom Brokaw bore his listeners with tales about his home life?" I'm sensing a pattern here. STOP THE MADNESS II. From Kieran O'Shea in New York City: "I'm just glad that the Montclair field hockey girls choked so early in the playoffs. That means that the 50 percent of your column you've devoted to them might finally be filled with something like, hmm ... I don't know ... how about football?" Yup. That's a pattern all right. AND YOU DON'T KNOW QUARTERBACKS, EITHER. From Eric Lambert in Alexandria, Va.: "I noticed your listing of the top 12 quarterbacks in the NFL. Donovan McNabb at No. 12? Humor me for a second. Take McNabb off the Eagles and put any of the 11 quarterbacks listed above him on that team and tell me it isn't 7-3 after 10 games. I've always thought a lot of your arguments were baseless, but with this latest piece I'm convinced your arguments are garbage." When we made our lists, we based them on how each quarterback has played this year. Obviously, if the question was based on a player's career, McNabb would be no lower than fifth or sixth. But based on stats through nine games (we made the lists before his courageous game against Arizona), McNabb, playing in an offense in which Andy Reid values precision, was the league's 25th-most accurate passer and was 30th in average yards per attempt, a key stat for measuring quarterback efficiency. The accuracy thing bugged me. ANOTHER MCNABB FAN CLUB MEMBER CHIMES IN. From Neal Cordova of Abingdon, Md.: "If I'm the owner of a football team, and you, my GM, just told me that you were offered McNabb in a trade for Tommy Maddox straight up and you turned it down, I would give you a copy of the classifieds and tell you to clean out your desk." I wouldn't turn it down. And you'd be in pretty big trouble if I were your GM. CHRIS CHAMBERS? COME ON! From "Chris Chambers" in Portland, Ore.: "You blew me away with your comments on potential votes for your All-Pro ballot for wideouts. How in the world can you even give the slightest thought to selecting Chris Chambers over Hines Ward? Peter, It's all about PRODUCTION, not about speed, ability, etc. Check the numbers so far; Ward has more than doubled his receptions, more than doubled his yardage and has 10 touchdowns versus Chambers' two." Love Hines Ward. Great player. Worthy choice as a top NFL wideout. Here's my thing: Chambers has made two of the best three catches I've seen this year. I love his speed, size, run-after-the-catch ability and guts. I didn't say I would definitely vote for him. I said he's one one of my top candidates. Now, his lack of numbers will likely doom him. But I think he's one of the special players in the league." AND A MISSIVE FROM THE (FRIENDLY) COMPETITION. From Michael Bradley of Broomall, Pa.: Since I write about college football for The Sporting News, I love to read those who know what they're doing. As for your plea to explain this season, I believe there are two primary reasons. The league has always hoped to have the kind of parity that would allow all of its franchises to have relatively equal footing. Now with the salary cap firmly entrenched and free agency rampant, there is no continuity. Whether we want to admit it, the NFL in practice is like your beloved Starbucks. When the eggnog latte stinks at one location, it stinks everywhere. The NFL wants each of its franchises to be at the same level, the better to guarantee strong support and revenues everywhere." Good points. Two disagreements: I had a nice eggnog latte in South Bend, of all places, Saturday morning. And I don't think this brand of football, or this brand of competition, stinks. The object of team sports is to have two groups square off in a competitive game. And most weekends, the NFL has about 12 or 13 of them. This weekend, for instance, I thought only four games were easy to pick (St. Louis over Washington, New England over Minnesota, Pittsburgh over Cincinnati, Oakland over Arizona). That's pretty good for a 16-game slate. I don't buy a word of the we-need-a-dynasty talk when I hear it from my peers. Hogwash. We need great games. We have them.
Aaah, college life. The King traveling party was embarking on its tour of the Notre Dame grounds Saturday morning at 10, leaving from Gate A at the stadium and beginning our walk to campus. (A fine tour it was, by the way, led by stadium personnel coordinator Cappy Gagnon, a Notre Dame lifer.) As we walked, and as Gagnon began his reverential spiel, a husky 30-something man walking unsteadily three paces ahead of us vomited the previous night's meal and that morning's beverages torrentially onto the sidewalk. Cappy, being the cool customer he is, pretended not to see Mr. Vomit or the former contents of his stomach.
1. I think, after taking in Pats-Vikes, that the most telling stat of the New England season is this one: Tom Brady hasn't had a 40-yard completion since Sept. 15. He's had two of them all year, one in the first game and one in the second. Why do I mention this? Because the Vikings became the second straight team to so obviously overplay the screens and short timing routes that Brady, for about the last 35 minutes of the game, could get nothing of substance going. "Today," offensive coordinator Charlie Weis told me, "not throwing it downfield was wind-related." Maybe. But the problem's still there. Until Brady hits one or two of the deep posts to Deion Branch or a go to David Patten, Brady will have his field of vision mangled in front of him. He must make defenses respect his ability to throw it 30 yards downfield, and right now they don't. 2. I think these are my quick-hit football thoughts of the weekend: a. I am surprised, for as hard as he gets hit, and as often as he is on the receiving end of kill shots, that Troy Brown has made it this far and been this productive. The man has 250 catches in this century alone. b. Brett Favre's uneven play the last two weeks has left the MVP race wide open. I mean, who's the MVP right now? c. If you were going to say Drew Bledsoe, this wasn't really a good week to make that case, either. d. Carolina has lost two games to Atlanta by a combined score of 71-0 and two to Tampa Bay by 35-19. Meaning Atlanta might be pretty good. e. Word association: Chad Hutchinson ... Dividend-payer. f. What appears to be a Saints el foldo is rescuing St. Louis' playoff hopes. But the Rams' 3-5 conference record could kill them in tiebreakers. g. I think the Broncos might want to work on whittling the old clock down at the end of regulation a little bit better. h. Nice music -- heavy on U2, Springsteen and the Rolling Stones -- played by the Patriots' stadium crew during the Vikings game. i. Music to Raiders fans' ears, or should be: Garner/Wheatley, 29 carries, 182 yards in the desert. Oakland 41, Cards 20. 3. I think Randy Moss deserves some more tough love, Mike Tice. I do not make this up: On the final play in Foxboro Sunday, a desperation pass, Moss lined up wide left, took one jogging step off the line, and quit. This guy must WANT to be hated. 4. I think anyone who marked the game in Houston as an automatic win for the Giants is nuts. There are no automatic wins for this Giants team. They even win in excruciating ways. That's another way to say they win ugly. They lose uglier, which is how the snippets of the game I saw looked. 5. I think these are my personal thoughts of the week: a. I don't see it ending well for LeBron James. High school senior basketball player. Games on pay TV. Simple scrimmages draw 1,000 people. When he's 37, he's either going to have $178 million in the bank (which I hope for but doubt) after a great NBA career, or he'll have had a marginal career because he was too famous too fast. I hope I'm wrong. I hope he won't turn into some pathetic hanger-on in 20 years, jobbed by people he thought were his friends. Early fame is most often a bad thing. b. You have to see Bowling for Columbine. Whether you agree with guerrilla documentarian Michael Moore (and I do), you have to admire his brassiness. The kids-and-guns problem isn't going away, and for two hours, Moore made you think hard about it. An aside: Charlton Heston sure doesn't look very good without a script, or a practiced speech, in front of him. c. Coffeenerdness: Homage to Zingerman's of Ann Arbor, Mich., the greatest deli in American history, for a carefully made latte to top off a terrific meal (Arkansas BLT, voluminous garden salad). It's nice to see a place where quality, even in a rushed atmosphere, still means something. And they take exact temperature of the steamed milk, which I haven't seen in a long time. Good espresso, too. d. Glad to see NBC is counter-programming the first NFL game Thursday, Patriots-Lions, with a dog show. (No, I did not call that a dog game.) The network will go to the dogs from noon to 2 p.m. by showing the oldest canine show in the land, from Philadelphia. No offense to Joey Harrington, but he has to understand that I'll be flipping when the Golden Retrievers invade the place. e. Montclair (N.J.) High Field Hockey Note of the Week: We have a bye for the next 40 weeks, which, judging by my e-mail, is either a sad occasion or isn't going to break a lot of hearts in this great nation. We do, however, have the banquet to look forward to next week. And I'm not sure, but I may do some bowling or mock trial updates in this space. I'd be interested to know if you care, or if you'd like, as our e-mailers to the north contend, me to stick the Montclair stuff in a drawer for the rest of the year. (Or forever. But that's not going to happen.) f. MMQB is pulling hard for you, Sophia Gault. Fight like your old man. 6. I think Chris Hovan is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. Playing on a defense as lousy as Minnesota's tends to get a guy buried. But he had a beautiful sack of Tom Brady on Sunday, beating right guard Joe Andruzzi to the outside, then playing off the block of right tackle Kenyatta Jones to down Brady. Great motor. Consistently hard worker. Admirable player. 7. I think Kirk Ferentz, the University of Iowa coach, would emerge as a candidate for some NFL head-coaching job this year if enough of the darned things would open up. I can't see that happening. Maybe Cincinnati would be interested in him, but then I don't think he would be interested in the Bengals. Ferentz has six kids, and he and his wife are happy about raising them in Iowa City. Now, if a good team calls? Ferentz would have to think about that. 8. I think I was glad to see Steve Spurrier ground-chucking it against the Rams. Stephen Davis needs 26, 28 carries to get his momentum going and to take over games. I still think, despite my negative tone about Spurrier this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, that he'll win big in the NFL. Why? Because he's not going to throw it two-thirds of the time if he finds that keeps losing for him. 9. I think these are my college football thoughts of the week: a. It's been a while since a score surprised me as much as UConn 37, bowl-eligible Iowa State 20. In Ames. Maybe you'll really fill that new stadium in East Hartford next year, Huskies. b. My State's University put on one of the worst displays in football this century, losing 42-zip at Notre Dame. Here's my suggestion for Greg Schiano's post-season project: Recruit 535 offensive linemen. c. One of the funniest things I've heard all season: Rich Eisen doing his best Thurston J. Howell III impression in voicing over the Harvard-Yale highlights Saturday night. What a funny, with-it guy Eisen is. d. "What's going on here?" Eisen said at one point. "All of a sudden everyone needs to rush the field and tear down goal posts?" What a right-on comment. e. Hard to imagine, even to a passive college football watcher like me, a fairer vote than Larry Johnson of Penn State for the Heisman. Guys don't gain 2,000 yards very often, and this is the most vanilla year for the Heisman I can remember. 10. I think -- and I'm never really sure whether fans care about this stuff or not, but I do believe it's indicative of the type of people we're talking about here -- that this is the difference in class between a great player like Barry Bonds and a great player like Emmitt Smith: Earlier this month, when Bonds joined a traveling American baseball team for a goodwill tour of Japan, New York Daily News columnist Filip Bondy accompanied the team on the trip. One of Bondy's assignments while in Japan was to ask Bonds one single question: "What was it like for you when you knocked a ball over the fence for the first time in your life?" Interesting question. I wish I could hear the answer to it. But Bondy attempted to ask Bonds this question for seven days and simply could not get to the man. When Bondy did get close to Bonds at one point, in Osaka, writer approached player and asked: "Barry, one question?" Bonds looked right through him and said nothing. A month ago, after Smith broke the NFL all-time rushing record, he, Dallas owner Jerry Jones and Dallas PR man Rich Dalrymple, decided to personally thank each and every one of the 268 media people who've covered Emmitt more than once or twice in the course of his illustrious pro career. They created a special card with Smith's photo on it, and Smith signed and numbered each one of them. The card was then encased in acyrlic, boxed up and sent to the media members with a note that read, in part: "Jerry felt it was important to send a reminder of this milestone to many of the members of the media who have covered Emmitt throughout the majority of his career. Emmitt echoed those sentiments and graciously helped us create this unique item. A member of our staff sat with him as he signed all 268 of these photos. We have all had a unique opportunity to witness this moment in NFL history, and the Dallas Cowboys would like for you to be able to remember this accomplishment for years to come." I know what you're going to say: Another case of the Cowboys buying off the media so they'll write nice things about Emmitt and the team. Believe me or don't. But I think it's a case of human decency. Barry Bonds will never be appreciated by America the way a guy like Emmitt Smith is because of just this kind of example.
Part of me would love to pick Philadelphia here. And I think the Eagles can win. I really do. That's a very good defense, and it'll be fired up to show that it can win a game without McNabb. But San Francisco would win even if McNabb were as healthy as a horse. Jeff Garcia makes enough plays ... Detmer plays surprisingly competently ... Kevan Barlow gashes the Eagles just enough ... and the 49ers win, 24-13. 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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