9002120224
DETROIT FREE PRESS
901108
Thursday, November 08, 1990
METRO FINAL
1D
MITCH ALBOM
SEE ALSO METRO EDITION PAGE 1D
Copyright (c) 1990, Detroit Free Press
FONTES' COACHING STYLE HARD TO FIGURE
Now, let me get this straight. On Sunday, Andre Ware isn't important
enough to dress in uniform. And on Wednesday, his coach tells him, "You're my
starting quarterback." Geez. Andre must've had a hell of a Monday and
Tuesday.
Of course, the team doesn't even practice on Monday or Tuesday. Ware's
biggest accomplishment on those days is making breakfast. But that doesn't
seem to matter to Wayne Fontes. He's a tough guy to figure, this coach. He
talks a lot. He shifts like the wind. I'll tell you this. I wouldn't want him
putting his arm around me and saying, "You're my guy." That's the kiss of
death.
Ask Rodney Peete. Last year, when he matured into a worthy NFL quarterback,
Fontes smiled. He gave Rodney a hug. "You're my guy," he told him.
Then he went out and drafted Ware.
At the press conference, with Rodney 2,000 miles away, Fontes was all
smiles again. He lit a cigar. He turned to Andre and said, "You're my guy."
Then time passed, and Andre disappeared in the maze of contract negotiations,
and Peete got injured, and soon, Fontes turned to Bob Gagliano, a truly nice
and talented quarterback who must have "kick me" taped across the back of his
jersey. And here came the smile. Here came the hug. "Bob," said coach Fontes,
"you're my guy."
And today, it's Andre. Andre is the guy. Who will it be next week? Eric
Hipple? Now, understand, starting Ware Sunday might not be a bad move. True,
the kid has never started in the NFL, and true, many a rookie quarterback has
been shattered by coming out too soon, but, who knows? Ware could have a good
day against Minnesota.
That's not the point. Fontes playing musical quarterbacks has implications
far beyond Sunday's game. And nobody -- including his quarterbacks -- seems to
know what he's really up to.
You aren't angry, Bob?
Don't ask Bob Gagliano.
"Are you angry?" he was asked Wednesday.
He looked at the TV cameras and the notepads. He bit his lip. "Would you
be?"' he finally said.
"Hell, yeah," a reporter said.
'Nuff said. Let it be known that Bob Gagliano is too mature to pout. But
for two years, whenever the Lions needed someone to pull the bacon from the
fire, Gagliano was ready. He has been told he's No. 2. Fontes said that. Now,
suddenly, Peete goes down, and Ware steps right in. Gagliano is angry? I don't
blame him a bit.
As for Peete? He, too, must wonder whether they just changed the locks on
his future. Ware has been looming out there, with his multi-million dollar
contract, like the President's son. No matter how well Peete played, it seemed
inevitable that Ware had an inside track. So when Peete got slammed on the
left knee by Washington's Eric Williams Sunday, and he tried to walk and his
leg turned to rubber, somewhere, in the back of his mind, a voice whispered:
"Wally Pipp."
Fontes insists that as soon as Peete is healthy, he gets the job back. All
day Wednesday, Fontes kept saying, "Rodney is my quarterback." And since
Fontes said the same thing last year, and then went out and drafted Ware, I'm
sure Rodney takes great relief in this.
But use a little common sense. If Ware has two good games, the Lions win,
they are sniffing around in playoff territory, do you really think he gets
put back on the bench? Just because the coach said so two weeks ago?
Sit down. I must tell you something about Santa Claus.
Did Ford have a better idea?
Nobody likes a quarterback controversy. Peete deserves better. Gagliano
deserves better. But Fontes has created a little beauty here. The question
is: Why? Everyone knows Ware eventually will get his chance. But why now? But
this week? After all, the season is just halfway finished -- rather early to
start educating a rookie quarterback. Besides, while Gagliano has his ups and
downs, he did lead the Lions past Minnesota a few weeks ago. If you ask me,
he has earned the right to start. What has Ware done?
Some think this all has to do with Sunday's loss to Washington, the
biggest embarrassment since John Denver's last album. After the game, Fontes
met in private with owner William Clay Ford. And now everyone figures Ford
said something like, "How's about playing that kid quarterback who I'm paying
all those millions? Maybe he can make a first down."
Fontes, of course, denies this, saying over and over, "This is my football
team." Hey. After Sunday, who else would want it?
But let's be clear here: The lessons from Sunday had to do with 1)
Defense. 2) Barry Sanders. The Lions' quarterbacking didn't surrender 674
yards. It actually ranks quite high in NFL offensive production. Why fix what
ain't broke?
Nonetheless, Andre is now "the guy." And you have to wonder. Maybe Fontes
really wants Andre running his offense, and this is the perfect opening. Maybe
Fontes wants people to forget Sunday and buy tickets for this weekend. Maybe
he just wants to please the owner. Who knows? You ask me, I think it's all
three. But I could be wrong.
After all, I just listen to what he says.
Mitch Albom will sign copies of his new book "Live Albom II" at 7 p.m.
Friday at Little Professor Book Store, Westgate Shopping Center, Ann Arbor; 2
p.m. Saturday, B. Dalton's, Southland Mall, and 4 p.m. Saturday at Book Nook,
Allen Park.
DLIONS; ANDRE WARE; COLUMN;Lions