Sports Then and Now

Though best remembered for his years as a Viking, Carter started his career with three seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

When I met Cris Carter in July 1989 there was little doubt that he had the ability to one day be a Hall of Fame wide receiver. However, after spending six months around him during the 1989 season I would have put his chances of actually ever living up to that potential somewhere between none and less than none.

So, it is quite amazing (and a testament to how people can change) that 24 years later Carter will indeed be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend in Canton, Ohio.

Talent was never the problem for Carter. The brother of former Indiana University and NBA player Butch Carter, Cris was a great multi-sport athlete and heavily recruited as both a basketball and football player.

An Ohio native, he chose to stay in state and attend Ohio State University. Originally Carter planned on playing both sports in college, but after setting a Rose Bowl record with nine catches for 172 yards during his freshman year, he decided to concentrate on football.

By his junior season in 1986 Carter was a consensus All-American and had already set the Ohio State record for career receptions.

However, as a harbinger of things to come, Carter was declared ineligible for his senior season after it was discovered that he had signed a contract with sports agent Norby Walters.

Allowed to enter the NFL through a supplemental draft, Carter was selected in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Under the direction of colorful head coach Buddy Ryan and sporting an exciting roster of young stars including Reggie White, Randall Cunningham, Jerome Brown, Mike Quick and Keith Byars, the Eagles were a team on the rise. As a rookie, the 21-year-old Carter saw very limited action during the strike-shortened season. He played in nine games and caught five passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

The next season he moved into the starting lineup and was a key performer on an Eagles team that won the NFC East and reached the playoffs for the first time since the 1981 season. Carter caught 39 passes for 761 yards (19.5 ypc) and six touchdowns.

By 1989, Carter seemed to be on a path to greatness, but few realized that he was actually on a path to self-destruction.

It was at that time during the summer of 1989 that I joined the Eagles as a Public Relations intern fresh out of college at James Madison University, where I had worked in the school’s sports information office and covered the football team for the school newspaper.

Spending the season as an intern with an NFL team was a dream come true, but while most of the Philadelphia players were great to work with, dealing with Carter was often more of a nightmare.

Unbeknownst to most of his teammates (or PR interns), it turns out that while Carter acted with great confidence (some would call it cockiness) on the field and in the locker room, he was actually losing a personal battle with substance abuse.

In hindsight, it actually makes sense that Carter was dealing with such demons. When I would make my daily trips to the locker room, you never knew which Carter you were going to run into. Sometimes he was engaging, friendly and helpful, however, more often he was difficult, condescending and just plain mean.

As a 22-year-old from a rural part of Virginia, I had never dealt with anyone who was an alcoholic or drug addict, so while others may have been aware of his problems, I was completely naïve and just trying to fit into the professional world and eventually handled it by only going near him when I needed to as part of my job.

On the field in 1989 Carter became the “touchdown maker” for the Eagles. He caught 45 passes for 605 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, after catching eight passes for 113 yards in a Monday Night Football loss to the Chicago Bears in the fourth week of the season, he never caught more than four passes in a game the remainder of the season. Read the rest of this entry →

With head coach Sean Payton back on board, Drew Brees and the Saints will look to return to the top of the standings in 2013.

Every season one thing you can count on in the NFL is that there will be teams that you expect to do well that will struggle and there will be teams that are expected to be bad, but will make a run toward the playoffs.

In the world of online football betting, everyone is trying to figure out which teams will be the surprise teams for the upcoming season because as all who do follow the NFL are aware from past history that there will be some.

Last season four teams that had posted losing records the previous season made the playoffs and there are many seasons when five or more such teams have made the leap.

As we look toward 2013, the question is which teams can do what the Colts, Seahawks, Redskins and Vikings did last season? Here is a look at some of the top contenders to rise from the ashes:

New Orleans Saints – 2012 Record: 7-9

It may not really be fair to include the Saints on this list. After all, they were 13-3 in 2011 and played the 2012 season with their head coach suspended and under the cloud of “Bountygate”.

With Sean Payton back on the sidelines and Bountygate now a distant memory, it would be of little surprise if the Saints are back in the playoff hunt in 2013.

Another distraction entering the 2012 season was the contract status of quarterback Drew Brees and with that no longer an issue, you can expect him to be back to his Pro Bowl best.

The Saints had a generally quiet off-season with their biggest acquisition being new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. He will have a tough task making the New Orleans defense a playoff caliber unit as they allowed the most yards and second most points in the league last year.

While the offense will certainly be potent and probably good enough to get New Orleans back above .500, the defense must be better if the Saints want to make a deep playoff run.

Kansas City Chiefs – 2012 Record: 2-14

Following a 7-9 campaign in 2011 the Chiefs were a popular pick to take the next step in 2012. Unfortunately for them, the next step proved to be over a cliff as they posted the worst record in the NFL. Read the rest of this entry →

Joe Flacco and the Ravens hope they will again be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy following the 2013 season.

For millions of Americans it is “Christmas in July” as most NFL Training camps are now open and the start of the regular season is now just six weeks away.

At this point, even for those already betting on the NFL online, it is difficult to predict the future for each of the 32 teams. But as training camps begin there is optimism in all camps that 2013 will be their year to lift the coveted Lombardi Trophy.

Of course, the team that hoisted the trophy a year ago was the Baltimore Ravens. While they signed quarterback Joe Flacco to a lucrative contract, they will be without many of the familiar faces that helped them claim the championship a year ago.

The loss of future Hall of Famers Ray Lewis (retired) and Ed Reed (not resigned and playing for the Houston Texans) will certainly leave a leadership void on defense, but from an on-the-field standpoint there are several other losses that could be more significant. Leading tackler Bernard Pollard, top sacker Chad Kruger and linebacker Darnell Ellerbe are three additional defensive players that must be replaced.  In addition, the trade of wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the 49ers will put added pressure on Flacco and the other receivers on the squad. Read the rest of this entry →

Though he was only a head coach for a decade, many consider Vince Lombardi the greatest coach in NFL history.

There are plenty of candidates for the title of best football coach ever, but there can only ever be one winner; by common consent, that is Vince Lombardi.

He was a tough taskmaster who thrived on hard work, had exacting standards, and expected nothing less than 100 percent from his players. He coached Green Bay to five championships in his nine seasons at the helm and, in a period that saw the Packers take the first two Super Bowls, the ultimate accolade from the NFL, the World Champions Trophy now bears his name.

Lombardi started his football on the field and was a formidable player on the offensive line at Fordham University but coaching proved his true metier, as modern fans of live football commentary will attest. After working as an assistant at Fordham, he joined the staff of the legendary Red Blaik at Army in 1949.

His professional coaching career started at the New York Giants, alongside another legendary coach in Tom Landry, with Jim Lee Howell as the head; that triumvirate coached the Giants to the 1956 NFL championship.

It was in Green Bay that he found his true calling though, and with a team that had not finished with a winning record since 1947. The Packers hired Lombardi as head coach and general manager in January 1959, after Iowa coach, Forrest Evashevski, turned it down. Read the rest of this entry →

Joe Delaney was a rising star when he died while trying to save others on June 29, 1983.

It was 30 years ago, June 29, 1983, when the sports world lost a true hero and budding star with the tragic death of Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney.

What should have been a fun summer day spent at an area amusement park in Monroe, Louisiana, instead turned tragic as three young boys were drowning in a water hole that had been left by recent construction. Though he could not swim, the 24-year-old NFL star quickly jumped in to try and save the boys. Two of the boys made it to shore, though one later died, while Delaney and one of the boys drowned.

It was a tragic and sudden end to what had been a mercurial rise from obscurity to NFL stardom for Delaney.

After playing primarily receiver at Haughton High School in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, Delaney received some Division I interest, but ended up at Division I-AA Northwestern State. He quickly was moved to running back and twice earned All-American honors.

In a 1978 game against Nicholls State, Delaney rushed for 299 yards, including an NCAA record 263 yards in the second half. He finished his career with 3,047 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns and had his jersey retired after his final game for the Demons. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

Likely because he didn’t play against top-level college competition at Northwestern State, Delaney slipped into the second round of the 1981 draft before being selected with the 41st pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.

As a rookie, Delaney proved to be the best weapon on a team that posted a 9-7 record under the guidance of future Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy.

Delaney was known for his good deeds and was a team and fan favorite with the Chiefs.

After gaining a combined total of 211 yards on the ground during the first four games of his rookie season, Delaney reeled off three straight 100+ yard games, including 149 yards in a victory over Denver.

Delaney later rushed for 117 yards in a two-point loss to San Diego and 193 yards in a victory over the Houston Oilers as the Chiefs raced to an 8-4 record and looked like a playoff contender.

However, they were derailed by the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day and Delaney struggled with injuries the next two weeks as they lost three straight games. He rushed for only 136 yards in his final three games and missed the season finale (a 10-6 win) against the Minnesota Vikings.

Despite the tough finish, Delaney still completed his rookie year ranked 10th in the NFL with 1,121 yards rushing and was a first team All-AFC and Pro Bowl selection.

Delaney’s second NFL season was not as successful as he never was able to find a running rhythm during the strike-shortened season. He suffered a detached retina that limited his playing time and he rushed for only 380 yards in eight games.

Tragically, Delaney would never have another season to regain his rookie form.

After his death, more than 3,000 people attended his memorial service on July 4, 1983. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizens Award by President Reagan and later received the NCAA Medal of Valor.

It would be seven seasons before the Chiefs would have another 1,000 yard runner (Christian Okoye in 1989).

Though his number has not been worn by a Kansas City player since his death, Delaney’s number 37 has not been officially retired by the Chiefs. It would be a fitting tribute and remembrance 30 years after his death for the Chiefs to rectify this oversight.

Because Delaney definitely deserves to be remembered both for his greatness on the field and for his selflessness off the gridiron.

Tim Tebow is certainly hoping for a little better treatment from the Patriots now that he is on the team.

To paraphrase from the great Mark Twain “the rumors of the death of Tim Tebow’s career have been greatly exaggerated.”

After months of rumors, speculation and denials, it appears that Tim Tebow has not worn an NFL uniform for the last time. As first reported by ESPN’s Ed Werder, the New England Patriots are going to give the former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback another chance to play in the NFL.

Of course with one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, Tom Brady, firmly secure as the starting quarterback, there may not be many chances for Tebow to show his stuff. However, given how few chances Tebow seemed to have, beggars certainly can’t be choosers.

According to most media talk, there was very little interest in Tebow for two primary reasons. One is the belief among many that Tebow doesn’t have what it takes to be a successful NFL quarterback. The other is that if a team signed Tebow they weren’t signing a football player, they were signing the ringmaster for the circus.

It could be considered hubris that New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick (and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels) think they have what it takes to both make Tebow into a capable pro and can manage the media circus that seems to follow the former Florida quarterback wherever he goes. Read the rest of this entry →