Football Digest articles from June 2004

Football Digest archives from June 2004

Fully stocked ... yet again.(Kickoff)
June 22, 2004... IT SEEMS LIKE THIS TIME EVERY year, we write about the Washington Redskins and their dazzling array of acquisitions. Then the season starts, and there isn't a need to write much more about them as they fade into mediocrity. In 2000, Daniel...

Yes, America's Team.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
June 22, 2004... In response to a letter in 'The Fans Speak Out" in the Spring 2004 issue ["America's Team?"], the reason the Dallas Cowboys ate called America's Team has nothing to do with the importance of a team to a local area. As a Cowboys fan in an area...

Master of deception.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
June 22, 2004... In reference to the article on Peyton Manning ["The Perfect Touch," Spring 2004], Jim Bates, the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator, mentions the fact that Manning changes calls at the line. I am not an expert at what is taking place on the...

Brett's finest hour.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
June 22, 2004... I have never written a letter to a magazine in my life, but the person who criticized Brett Favre for playing in the Oakland Raiders game is uninformed ["A Different Take," "The Fans Speak Out," Spring 2004]. Green Bay Packers fans knew Brett's...

Super coverage.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
June 22, 2004... You guys did a great job with your coverage of Super Bowl 38 in your Spring 2004 issue. I loved your cover of Tom Brady--there is no question he's the most handsome player in football--and the article on the New England Patriots also was...

The right pick.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
June 22, 2004... As a fan of the Chicago Bears, I applaud you for digging a little deeper and recognizing cornerback Charles Tillman as your Defensive Rookie of the Year ["In Their Corner," Spring 2004]. Since the Bears weren't any good in 2003, a lot of people...

A glaring omission.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
June 22, 2004... This letter is regarding one of your picks on your 2003 All-Pro Teams [Spring 2004]. While I agree with most of your selections, I think New England cornerback Ty Law should have been on your First Team instead of your Second Team. He was...

The stat sheet: draft busts.
June 22, 2004... [1] The number of players drafted ahead of quarterback Ryan Leaf in 1998. The Indianapolis Colts took Peyton Manning at No. 1 overall, then the San Diego Chargers selected Leaf, who failed miserably in the NFL. Manning, meanwhile, has become a...

His time is coming.(Rising star: Alonzo Jackson)
June 22, 2004... ONE WAY TO MAKE YOUR REPutation in the NFL is to play outside linebacker in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 3-4 formation. Traditionally, that's the spot where a player can find the tackles, the sacks... and the glory. In the 2004 season, the...

Back in the Saddle: the ever-enthusiastic Cowboys owner sees nothing but good times ahead for his beloved team.(Interview: Jerry Jones)
June 22, 2004... JERRY JONES CAN'T HELP IT. Whenever the Dallas Cowboys owner gets excited, he emphasizes his point by banging the Super Bowl ring on his finger against something. Needless to say, there is a whole lot of banging going on these days at the...

Into the pressure-cooker: we examine each of the seven new NFL head coaches and tell you which ones have the best shot at succeeding.
June 22, 2004... A CAREER AS AN NFL HEAD coach shouldn't be a goal for anyone who likes job security. Seven of the 32 teams changed coaches this offseason. Among the most high-profile victims: Bill Callahan of the Oakland Raiders, who was in the Super Bowl...

Youth movement.(2004 NFL Draft Preview)
June 22, 2004... THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S draft? Youth will be served. Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was the catalyst for that. Clarett challenged the NFL's three-year eligibility rule (three football seasons after high school graduation), and on...

The next in line: Eli is the latest Manning quarterback to enter the NFL--and he may wind up being the best of them all.(2004 NFL Draft Preview)
June 22, 2004... ELI MANNING CHOSE THE SAME position (quarterback) and college (Ole Miss) that his father, Archie, did. And someday soon, they may rename the stadium in Oxford. Miss., The House That Eli Refilled and Expanded. They already have an 18-mile...

Off to the races: thoroughbreds such as Larry Fitzgerald will make the biggest splash on draft day.(2004 NFL draft preview: offensive analysis)
June 22, 2004... ONCE AGAIN, QUARTERBACKS and playmakers will hog the spotlight early in this year's draft. With the inclusion of underclassmen, thanks to Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett's successful challenge of the NFL's eligibility restrictions, more...

The secondary is primary: the main attractions this year are the cornerbacks and safeties, headlined by Sean Taylor.(2004 NFL draft preview: defensive analysis)
June 22, 2004... LAST APRIL'S DRAFT WAS FOR the behemoths, with 11 defensive linemen going in the opening round. This year, cornerbacks and safeties figure to be the most popular players. While there are once again several Excellent prospects on the...

Pick 'em: prized prospects like Ben Roethlisberger will be in heavy demand as the 32 teams gear up for their offseason bonanza.(2004 NFL draft preview: team needs)
June 22, 2004... IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT makes the New England Patriots the early favorites to win a second straight NFL rifle, start with the draft. Only one team has more than a single pick in the opening round. Guess who. Yep, the Patriots, who...

Wall-to-wall coverage: ESPN, gearing up for its 25th draft, has played a key role in creating a weekend-long drama that rivets NFL fans.(2004 NFL Draft Preview)
June 22, 2004... EVEN PETE ROZELLE, A VISIONARY ABOUT so much else when it came to pro football, failed to recognize the potential of the NFL draft as a television spectacle. When executives from the new cable network ESPN approached the league in the fall of...

A sight to behold: Orlando Brown--who battled for nearly four years to get back onto the field after suffering a major eye injury in 1999--exemplifies the power of perseverance.
June 22, 2004... BALTIMORE RAVENS RIGHT TACKle Orlando Brown was gone so long, some people forget he ever played in the NFL. Before September 2003, Brown had been away from the sport for nearly four years, ever since a freak accident in December 1999 in which a...

Steve Tasker: the events of Super Bowl 25 gave the Bills' special teams ace a whole new appreciation of what it means to be an American--and not because of anything that happened on the field.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
June 22, 2004... I WAS AT MY KID'S LITTLE LEAGUE football game last year and was standing on the sideline next to Mark Kelso, who had been my teammate on the Buffalo Bills. Before the start of the game, a recording of the national anthem was played, with...

All-time first-round draft picks.(Names and Numbers)
June 22, 2004... All-Time First-Round Draft Picks (since 1970 NFL-AFL merger) 2003 No. Player Team Position College 1 Carson Palmer Bengals Quarterback USC 2...

Quick quiz.
June 22, 2004... 1. True or false: Since Brian Billick became head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in 1999, they've never had a losing season. 2. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin was the NFL's most explosive rookie in 2003. In which round did the...