9602080038
DETROIT FREE PRESS
961206
Friday, December 06, 1996
METRO FINAL CHASER
1C
MITCH ALBOM
Copyright (c) 1996, Detroit Free Press
TGI FOOTBALL
* HUT ONE: Since the Christmas shopping season is upon us, may I offer the
following gift suggestions for your favorite NFL book lovers?
* "The Last Don," by Don Shula. Legendary coach looks back on career,
including the long nights he often spent in the Dolphins' offices, in a
chapter titled, "Sleeps With the Fishes."
* "The Deep End Of The Ocean," by Rich Kotite. Beleaguered New York Jets
coach discusses his future residence.
* "A Brief History of Time," by the Lions' secondary.
* "The No Joy No Luck Club," by the Lions' season-ticket holders.
* "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, Football Players Are Exempt from
the Rules," by Michael Irvin and Leon Lett.
* HUT TWO: Speaking of Lett, when he got suspended this week for violating the
NFL's drug policy, he did more than just sully his reputation. He may have
cost Dallas a championship. The Cowboys already are teetering on having to
spend the whole playoffs on the road. Lett was the star of their defense, and
their defense was the best part of the team. Lett was a one- man wrecking
crew when Dallas beat Washington on Thanksgiving. Now he's a one-man wreck.
* HUT THREE: Not that there's any sympathy here for Leon. I mean, how dumb
does he have to be? He is not the first Cowboy -- or even the second Cowboy --
to be nabbed for drug violations this year. He saw the abuse Irvin took for
cocaine. He saw Shante Carver miss four games on suspension. And -- for
heaven's sake -- Lett already had been suspended once for drugs. What was he
thinking? How could he ignore all this input?
Next we'll hear from Leon's agent on how this is not a time to be critical
of Leon, the multimillion-dollar athlete; this is a time to be concerned with
"Leon, the person." Sorry. I am concerned about Leon the person, the way I'm
concerned about all people. But this isn't some down-and-out guy who fell
into drugs to escape a life of despair. Like Irvin, Lett has every bit of the
American Dream, right there, in his oversized palms. Whatever drugs he used,
he used them to get a bigger, better high -- even when many Americans would
consider Lett's everyday life as big a high as they could desire.
* HUT FOUR: And what always kills me in these drug situations is the way
other players rush to the defense of the teammate, as if that's showing "team
spirit." Hey. Guys. Wake up. Team spirit isn't standing up for a guy who uses
drugs. Team spirit is not using drugs in the first place, so you can help your
teammates win a championship.
* HUT FIVE: Well, with Denver clinching home-field advantage throughout the
playoffs, we need to ask ourselves the question many of us were hoping we
would never face: Can the Broncos make it back to another Super Bowl?
I say it may be inevitable. First of all, they've lost -- what? -- one game
ever at Mile High Stadium during the playoffs? They have a great combination
of passing and running in John Elway and Terrell Davis, and their defense is
the best in the AFC.
Besides, who's going to beat them? The Bills are not as tough away from
home. The Steelers have experience, but their quarterback, Mike Tomczak, seems
to specialize in touchdowns for the other team. Indianapolis may not have
enough healthy bodies. The toughest opponent right now may be New England,
which can score as fast as Elway, but has a defense that can be ripped apart.
* HUT SIX: Speaking of the Broncos, it's always fun to go back and see how the
"experts" predicted the season versus how it actually came out -- especially
for teams as surprisingly good as Denver. For example, USA Today predicted, in
its NFL preview, that Kansas City would win the AFC West and Denver would be
no better than third. It also predicted that Atlanta would be second in the
NFC West (Atlanta is dead last) and Carolina would be last (Carolina is
second.)
Sports Illustrated wasn't much better. The geniuses at SI said Kansas City
would win the West, and Denver would tie with Oakland for second place with
9-7 records. SI also said the Saints would win eight games this year (they've
won two).
THE HUDDLE
* WHO'S IN THIS WEEK: Since we never got a chance to congratulate them, how
about a big Huddle embrace for the Michigan team that beat Ohio State, and
for all the high school teams that did themselves proud in last week's
championships. Also Barry Sanders (lifetime membership) and Drew Bledsoe.
* WHO'S OUT: Notre Dame, for acting as if second-tier bowls are good enough
for piddling, little inferior schools, but not for the Fighting Irish.
THE PICKS
* MINNESOTA 27, DETROIT 20: The only thing different about this game than the
ones we've been seeing the last month is that this one is played at night, so
it can ruin your dinner, instead of your lunch.
* WASHINGTON 24, TAMPA BAY 14: With all the success Gus Frerotte is having,
Heath Shuler has to be the most well- preserved, high-salaried quarterback in
the NFL. For what they're paying him, he at least should have to go out and
roll in the mud for a few minutes.
* DALLAS 20, ARIZONA 18: The Cowboys are the only team that begins its team
prayer with, "Dear Lord, may we emerge victorious today against our formidable
opponent, the drug test."
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