Football Digest articles from December 2001

Football Digest archives from December 2001

Long live the games. (Kickoff).
December 1, 2001... ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, the NFL had its usual tight grip on the nation's sensibilities. The opening Sunday of the 2001 season had been completed, and spirited Monday-morning quarterbacking abounded. What's the problem with the Minnesota...

Run first. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... Regarding the "Kickoff" by William Wagner in the November 2001 issue ["The Best Way to Travel? By Air"], who is the star of all the teams with great receivers? A running back. Joe Raviola East Brunswick, N.J. Your point is well...

The moose. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... I'm glad you saw fit to do a story on Muhsin Muhammad ["The Moose Is Loose," November 2001]. Since he plays for the Carolina Panthers, who haven't been very good in recent years, he doesn't really get the attention he deserves. But that's what...

Harrison is no. 1. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... I really liked your article on the Wide Receiver Class of '96 ["Class Acts," November 2001]. However, I think Marvin Harrison should have been on your cover instead of Keyshawn Johnson. Harrison is 'far and away the best receiver who came into...

The pack attacks. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... The Green Bay Packers are back! Brett Favre has returned to MVP form, Ahman Green has developed into one of the best running backs in the game, and the defense is tough again. This can only mean one thing: The Packers are going back to the...

Down with the dynasties. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... William Wagner said he misses dynasties in his "Kickoff" in the September 2001 issue ["Remember the Titans?"]. I don't like dynasties. I really don't. I'm a longtime Minnesota Vikings fan, but I've always rooted for the underdog (the...

Run, Donovan, run. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... This is in response to your "Interview" with Donovan McNabb [November 2001]. He shouldn't downplay the fact that he is so great as a runner. That's what makes him one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the game. Personally, I'd much rather...

Re-charged revisited. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... You guys hit the nail right on the head when you put San Diego Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie on the cover of your October issue. With Flutie, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tim Dwight, and several other new players, the Chargers suddenly have become...

Down in Dallas. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... As a lifelong fan of the Cowboys, I'm just sick about what has happened to this team. It's hard to believe the Cowboys won a Super Bowl in 1995. So much has changed since then that it seems like decades ago. Jerry Jones needs to step back if...

Home rules. (The Fans Speak Out).
December 1, 2001... In your story on the toughest stadiums for visiting teams ["Home Rules," November 2001], you forgot one: Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I've been to several games there--as well as to games at some of the places you...

Desert bloom. (Rising Star: David Boston)(Cover Story).
December 1, 2001... DAVID BOSTON ALWAYS HAD potential. After setting 11 school records in his three years at Ohio State, the wide receiver was the eighth player taken in the 1999 draft, by the Arizona Cardinals. Boston's first two seasons in the NFL were...

School snapshot: the University of Texas.
December 1, 2001... * The University of Texas played its first game on Thanksgiving Day in 1893, beating the Dallas FootBall Club, 18-16. * Major Applewhite, who began the season as the backup quarterback, holds or shares 40 school passing records: *...

The beginning of the dynasty. (Uncovering the Past).
December 1, 2001... WHEN ARCHIE MANNING made his first appearance on the cover of FOOTBALL DIGEST, in the August 1974 issue, the headline read: "The Agony of Archie Manning." That pretty much sums up Manning's NFL career. If Manning hadn't spent most of his...

Lurking in the Shadows: the flamboyant cornerback is one of the league's best at his position--but try as he might, the spotlight eludes him. (Interview: Ray Buchanan)(Cover Story).
December 1, 2001... WHEN RAY BUCHANAN HALF-seriously guaranteed an Atlanta Falcons victory about one week before Super Bowl 33 and then showed up to media day a few days later wearing a studded dog collar, he was guaranteed of at least one thing: his fair share of...

True blue: after nearly two decades with the organization, there is no denying it: Bill Bates is the Cowboys. (Cover story).
December 1, 2001... BILL BATES' BASEBALL CAP has a star on it. His shirt is an official Dallas Cowboys gray practice T. He might as well have the star tattooed on his chest. Bates spent 15 years as a player with the Cowboys. Now he's in his fourth season as...

The manning dynasty: an inside look at the first family of quarterbacking. (Special Section: Family Ties)(Cover Story).
December 1, 2001... ELI'S COMING! THE THREE Dog Night favorite from yesteryear is a song many NFL scouts soon will be singing. For if there is one thing just about every pro football team is looking for, it's another Peyton Manning. And Eli's coming. Eli...

The chosen few: as the Shulas--Don and his son, David--showed when they were roaming the sideline, the coaching fraternity is as tightly knit as it possibly could be. (Special Section: Family Ties).
December 1, 2001... SONS FOLLOW FATHERS. Brothers join brothers. While the NFL isn't exactly one big, happy family, it certainly does have its share of kin working on the sidelines and in the front offices. And while some skeptics might shout about nepotism...

Never say die: Garrison Hearst's comeback from a devastating injury in 1999 offers an uplifting lesson in determination.
December 1, 2001... WITH EVERY PLAY, EVERY run, and every hit, San Francisco 49ers running back Garrison Hearst closed in on a goal that at times had seemed out of reach. Finally, with the game hanging in the balance in overtime, Hearst burst through a hole...

Running to the light: standouts like Aaron Brooks haven't yet received all the accolades they deserve, but it's only a matter of time before the spotlight shines on them. (Football Digest's All-Underrated Team).
December 1, 2001... ITS A MEASURE OF HOW INACCUrate the Pro Bowl voting can be that each year players who make all kinds of all-star teams (including FOOTBALL DIGEST's), and even will awards, somehow are excluded from the big game in Hawaii. Maybe the Pro Bowl...

Karl Mecklenburg: the former Broncos defender continues to marvel at what John Elway did to the Browns in the 1986 AFC title game. (The game I'll Never Forget)(Cover Story).
December 1, 2001... WHEN YOU HAVE JOHN ELWAY on your team, no game is everover, no deficit is too much. There's always enough time left on the clock, always another miracle in his arm. But here we were in the 1986 AFC Championship Game. There was 5:34 left,...

Brand names you can trust: the college game's most sought-after honor isn't the Heisman. It doesn't even have a name. And only fans decide who's worthy.
December 1, 2001... YOU SAY THE NAMES OF CERtain college coaches, and the their schools come immediately to mind. Paul "Bear" Bryant... Alabama. Eddie Robinson... Grambling. Knute Rockne... Notre Dame. It's the ultimate coaching honor. ...

Team-by-team single-season records. (Names and numbers).
December 1, 2001... Team-by-Team Single-Season Records ARIZONA CARDINALS Category Name, Year Record Rushing Yards Ottis Anderson, 1979 1,605 Passing Yards Neil Lomax, 1984 4,614 ...

NFL directory. (Names and numbers).
December 1, 2001... NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 410 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 (212) 450-2000 ARIZONA CARDINALS PO Box 888 Phoenix, AZ 85001 (602) 379-0101 Dave McGinnis, head coach Sun Devil Stadium 72,273 capacity, grass ATLANTA...

2001 NFL weekly schedule. (Names and numbers).
December 1, 2001... 2001 NFL Weekly Schedule Your Final Game Time (EST) Guess Score WEEK FIVE (Open dates: Buffalo, Jacksonville, Philadelphia) Sunday, October 14...

Quick quiz.
December 1, 2001... 1. The New England Patriots are opening a new stadium in 2002. What will it be called? 2. True or false: The last Buffalo Bill to rush for 1,000 yards in a season was Thurman Thomas. 3. Jamal Lewis rushed for 1,364 yards last season...