Football Digest articles from November 2002

Football Digest archives from November 2002

The tortoise and the hare. (Kickoff).
November 1, 2002... FOR THOSE WHO DON'T THINK Emmitt Smith is fully worthy of being the NFL's all-time rushing leader, consider how difficult it is to stick around as long as he has. Consider the sad saga of Terrell Davis. The way Davis' career with the...

Right team, wrong player. (The Fans Speak Out).
November 1, 2002... I am an Eagles fan, so when Jeremiah Trotter left Philadelphia for one of our rivals, the Washington Redskins, I was devastated. To know that my team would now have to face him twice a year was more than I could imagine. But then, to see...

Long live Emmitt! (The Fans Speak Out).
November 1, 2002... John Mayo's letter about Emmitt Smith not deserving to break Walter Payton's mark was way off base ["The Fans Speak Out," September 2002]. A record is a record. It's broken when someone exceeds the old mark--not when someone comes close,...

Lost in the shuffle. (The Fans Speak Out).
November 1, 2002... I know Isaac Bruce has been to the Pro Bowl, but I still think he is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. The Rams have so many weapons on offense--Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt--that he doesn't always get his due. But what...

Why Moss? (The Fans Speak Out).
November 1, 2002... Why would you put Randy Moss on the cover of your October 2002 issue? Couldn't you think of any other players who were more deserving of that honor? Let's face it: The Vikings are going nowhere. I'm sure Moss will finish the year with his usual...

Patriots ponderings. (The Fans Speak Out).
November 1, 2002... I liked your article on the 10 most intriguing stories to follow in 2002 ["As the NFL Turns," October 2002]. But you left one out. How about New England's quest for a second straight Super Bowl title? The Patriots shocked the NFL by winning the...

Man of steel. (The Fans Speak Out).
November 1, 2002... After reading your "Interview" with Kordell Stewart in the October 2002 issue, Will Stewart go down as the best QB in the history of the Steelers? His statistics from last season say it is possible. I have to say that I am really impressed...

School snapshot: Louisiana state.
November 1, 2002... * The Tigers are out to win their first national title since 1958. * LSU averaged a school-record 90,491 fans last season, the fifth-highest total in college football. In fact, a school-record 92,141 fans packed into Tiger Stadium to see...

The stat sheet: Dan Reeves.
November 1, 2002... (22) The number of seasons the 58-year-old Reeves has been an NFL head coach, the longest tenure of any current coach. (7) The number of division titles Reeves has won as a head coach, six with the Denver Broncos and one with the...

Brian who? He's the best safety in football, but the spotlight still eludes the Eagles veteran. (Interview: Brian Dawkins).
November 1, 2002... RALPH WALDO EMERSON ONCE said, "A man is what he thinks about all day." That statement only begins to explain Brian Patrick Dawkins, the Philadelphia Eagles safety who has more on his mind than just football. Whether it's cartoons and...

Safety valve: through both good times and bad, the Cowboys always have been able to count on Darren Woodson.
November 1, 2002... THE 2001 SEASON ENDED, AND Darren Woodson went nowhere. He didn't go to the Pro Bowl, and he didn't leave Dallas. It proved once again how important he is to the Cowboys, and how underrated he is around the rest of the league. "Consider...

Man in the middle: who says offensive linemen don't get noticed? Kevin Mawae is the center of attention on the Jets.
November 1, 2002... WHEN ASKED IF HE AGREES that center is the most important position on a football team, Kevin Mawae laughs. Even when told that a play can't begin without him snapping the ball, Mawae still chuckles. "If we were so important, why don't we...

The powers that be: we present the 10 most influential people in the NFL, the ones who have made it the most successful pro league around.
November 1, 2002... BY VIRTUALLY ANY MEASURE, the NFL is the nation's most successful pro sports league. It gets the best TV ratings and the best TV contracts. It has turned the Super Bowl into a national holiday. It fills the majority of its stadiums. It has...

No man is an island ... unless he's a cornerback: why are quality corners so hard to find? Because there isn't another position on defense that requires more mental toughness and pure athleticism.
November 1, 2002... TROY VINCENT WOULDN'T LET the smile vanish from his face. As he sat on a podium before the NFC Championship Game last January, the Philadelphia Eagles' Pro Bowl cornerback refused to allow questions about the prolific St. Louis Rams passing...

High-fives: we examine the men who get the best marks in the five critical elements of coaching, starting with Bill Belichick's uncanny ability to run a defense.
November 1, 2002... AS HE STOOD ON THE SIDELINE at the Superdome last February, Bill Belichick had to be thrilled with what was developing in front of him. Not only were his Patriots hanging in there with the heavily favored St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl 36, but...

Weekend warriors: they may not be Payton or Aikman--but the United States Flag and Touch Football League gives countless wannabes the chance to live out their gridiron dreams.
November 1, 2002... CERTAIN NAMES, WHEN SPOKEN aloud, instantly conjure images of gridiron heroics. Mention Walter Payton's name and just try to imagine him doing something other than stiff-arming a tackier and high-stepping into the endzone. Or try yelling Ronnie...

Mike Munchak: the long, painful journey to respectability for the guard's Oilers culminated with a playoff win over the Seahawks in the 1987 season. (The Game I'll Never Forget).
November 1, 2002... I WAS DRAFTED BY THE HOUSTON Oilers in 1982, long before they became the Tennessee Titans. The team was rebuilding at that time. The "Luv Ya Blue" years had ended, and coach Bum Phillips was gone. The great runner Earl Campbell was still in...

Year-by-year NFL leaders. (Names and Numbers).
November 1, 2002... Year-by-Year NFL Leaders PASSING LEADERS (based on efficiency rating) Year Player, team Rating 1932 Arnie Herber, Green Bay 51.5 1933 Harry Newman, N.Y. Giants ...

NFL directory. (Names and Numbers).
November 1, 2002... NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 410 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 (212) 450-2000 ARIZONA CARDINALS PO Box 888 Phoenix, AZ 85001 (602) 379-0101 Coach: Dave McGinnis Sun Devil Stadium 72,273 capacity, grass ATLANTA FALCONS...

2002 NFL team-by-team schedule. (Names and Numbers).
November 1, 2002... 2002 NFL Team-by-Team Schedule ARIZONA CARDINALS Sept. 22 San Diego Sept. 29 N.Y. Giants Oct. 6 at Carolina Oct. 20 Dallas Oct. 27 at San Francisco Nov. 3 St. Louis Nov. 10 Seattle Nov. 17 at...

2002 NFL weekly schedule. (Names and Numbers).
November 1, 2002... 2002 NFL Weekly Schedule YOUR FINAL GAME TIME GUESS SCORE WEEK 3 (Open dates: Baltimore. Jacksonville, Oakland, and Pittsburgh) Sunday,...

Quick quiz.
November 1, 2002... 1. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played in three different divisions since joining the NFL in 1976. Name them. 2. True or false: Mike Martz is the first Rams head coach since John Robinson (1983-91) to have an overall regular-season record...