Football Digest articles from October 2002

Football Digest archives from October 2002

A new take on the twilight of a legend. (Kickoff).
October 1, 2002... IN THE YEARS SINCE I BEGAN WRITing "Kickoff" in 1994, I have opined on all things football. For the most part, I stand by everything I've said. There is, however, one "Kickoff" I wish I could take back. It appeared in the December 2000...

A different Reeves. (The Fans Speak Out).
October 1, 2002... On the "Pro Football Hall of Fame Roster" on page 59 of your August 2002 issue, you have Dan Reeves listed as a team owner and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967. I do believe that's wrong. Dan Smyer San Antonio Actually, we...

Picks and pans. (The Fans Speak Out).
October 1, 2002... I'm shocked that you didn't even pick the New England Patriots to reach the postseason this season [September 20021. C'mon, guys! You might remember that the Patriots won the Super Bowl last season. You also might note that their roster is...

Shooting star. (The Fans Speak Out).
October 1, 2002... I really enjoyed "The Game I'll Never Forget" with Christian Okoye in the August 2002 issue. Okoye didn't last long, but he sure was fun to watch. He was that rare type of running back who could just destroy anyone who tried to tackle him. It's...

Emmitt's record run. (The Fans Speak Out).
October 1, 2002... I'm tired of people bashing Emmitt Smith as he gets close to breaking Walter Payton's all-time rushing record. I can't think of another player who deserves the record more than Emmitt. He's won three Super Bowls, a league most valuable player...

Same old Ricky? (The Fans Speak Out).
October 1, 2002... I liked your story on Ricky Williams ["Starting Over," August 2002] and can't wait to see how he does with the Miami Dolphins. I personally think that he'll get injured and will be a disappointment. And that will mean more of the same for file...

Next stop: the Pro Bowl. (Rising star: Steve Hutchinson).
October 1, 2002... THE SIZE IS IMPRESSIVE: 6'5", 315 pounds. So is the pedigree: star guard at Michigan, anchoring one of the Big Ten's most overpowering lines. And, as anyone who watched him last season knows, so is the talent of the Seattle Seahawks' Steve...

Facing the facts. (Uncovering the Past).
October 1, 2002... FOR OUR MARCH 1999 ISSUE, WE put Randy Moss on the cover with the following headline: "The Face of the Future." God save us! If Randy Moss represents the future of the NFL, we all might be wise to turn off our televisions on Sundays...

Just call him a quarterback: the athlete formerly known as "Slash" says he finally feels comfortable with his role on the Steelers. (Interview: Kordell Stewart).
October 1, 2002... KORDELL STEWART EXPLODED onto the NFL scene in 1995 as a throwback. He was "Slash," an old-fashioned triple-threat who could run, catch, and throw. In 1997 his job description with Pittsburgh narrowed to starting quarterback, and he helped...

Watch out NFL: the word out of Nashville is that Eddie George is healthy and can't wait to atone for his dismal 2001 season.
October 1, 2002... WHO WAS THAT IMPOSTER, anyway? How dare he swipe that No. 27 blue-and-white Tennessee Titans jersey, take the field, and go through the mincing motions of its rightful owner, pile-driving running back Eddie George? Why, the very nerve of that...

The best defense money can buy? After being lavishly rebuilt in the offseason, Washington's defense is under the microscope once again.
October 1, 2002... FOR ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT new head coach Steve Spurrier and his Fun 'N Gun offense, the real hype on the Washington Redskins centers on the defensive coordinator, Marvin Lewis. Can Lewis, in his first year with the Redskins, build a defense...

Coaching follies: for most of the time the Jets have been in pro football, their sideline has been more like a circus.
October 1, 2002... IF YOU THOUGHT BILL BELICHICK'S abrupt resignation as head coach of the New York Jets was strange, consider that Rich Kotite didn't quit and wasn't fired yet was not on the sideline for the final game of the 1996 season. If you thought...

As the NFL turns: itching to get your NFL fix? Well, we have 10 intriguing stories to follow in 2002 that are just what the doctor ordered.
October 1, 2002... THE NFL IS THE LONGEST-RUNning map opera on television. Each season delivers shocking locker room revelations and daring personnel twists. New heroes are introduced, aging stars retire, and players who are no longer an integral part of their...

What a long, strange trip it's been: few teams have had a history as bizarre as that of the Patriots, the defending Super Bowl champions.
October 1, 2002... SUPER BOWL CHAMPION. THAT title aptly describes teams like the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, or Dallas Cowboys. But the New England Patriots? Now, that's a laugh, The Patriots are the team from the wrong...

Expect the unexpected: what would an NFL season be these days without rags-to-riches teams? Here are some of the potential surprises of 2002.
October 1, 2002... THE WAY THE NFL WORKS IN this era of the salary cap, surprising teams are, well, no longer much of a surprise. The St. Louis Rams (of 1999), Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and New England Patriots--five of the past six...

Toothless: after salary cap problems forced them to strip their talent base, the Jaguars are the latest team to be left.
October 1, 2002... IF THERE IS ONE LESSON TO BE learned in this era of the salary cap, it's that teams eventually have to pay the piper. The system allows franchises to spend more than the cap allows by paying players big signing bonuses and spreading that...

Lee Roy Selmon: years of losing were washed away for the defensive end and the Bucs in a playoff win over the Eagles in 1979. (The Game I'll Never Forget).
October 1, 2002... WHEN WE CAME INTO TAMPA Stadium prior to our divisional playoffs game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1979--the first playoff game in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers--I had never seen the place in such an uproar. The energy and...

Heisman hype: we're back again to tout the contenders for college football's biggest award, starting with Tennessee QB Casey Clausen.
October 1, 2002... BEFORE DELVING INTO the annual celebration of manufactured frivolity that is; the Heisman Trophy race, let us pause and remember the award's first winner, who passed away this summer. Jay Berwanger, a University of Chicago halfback, won the...

NFL directory. (Names and Numbers).
October 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).
October 1, 2002... 2002 NFL Team-by-Team Schedule ARIZONA CARDINALS Sept. 8 at Washington Sept. 15 at Seattle Sept. 22 San Diego Sept. 29 N.Y. Giants Oct. 6 ...

2002 NFL weekly schedule. (Names and Numbers).
October 1, 2002... 2002 NFL Weekly Schedule WEEK 1 Thursday, September 5 San Francisco at N.Y. Giants 8:30 p.m. -- -- Sunday, September 8 Arizona at Washington 1:00 p.m. -- -- Atlanta at Green Bay ...

2001 final NFL standings. (Names and Numbers).
October 1, 2002... 2001 Final NFL Standings AFC East W L T Pct. PF PA New England 11 5 0 .688 371 272 Miami 11 5 0 .688 344 290 NY Jets ...

Quick quiz.
October 1, 2002... 1. Who was the most valuable player of Super Bowl 36? 2. The Washington Redskins have had four different head coaches since 2000. Name three of them. 3. The Kansas City Chiefs began in the AFL in 1960, but their original name wasn't...