From: rjk@dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu (Raymond K)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Re: Randall benched for WEEK TEN
Date: 10 Nov 92 19:04:59 GMT
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Organization: X-Ray Crystallography / Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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In article <1992Nov10.171811.25512@cbnewsm.cb.att.com> jmd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (joseph.m.dakes) writes:
>
>I think the Eagles fans are about 50/50 when it comes to the starting
>QB.  But this isn't just since Randall's poor performance the past few
>weeks.  There have been Eagles fans saying McMahon should be the starter
>since the beginning of training camp.  That's just Eagles fans.  Every
>one of us has an opinion.

Maybe that's what I'm amazed about.  I had heard all the McMahon rooters,
as far back as July, saying that he should be the starter.  But, nobody
took these people seriously, at all!  The radio hosts wouldn't even
bother to let these people finish their calls, they'd just tell them 
they were nuts and hang up.  And before the Dallas game, when the subject
came up, they still disregarded it.  Kotite said there was no way he'd pull
Randall and the editor of Eagles' Digest said that from Kotite's feelings,
it would take "a disaster situation" for McMahon to replace a non-injured
Randall.  Now that McMahon *has* replaced Randall, everybody is acting like
it was a very predictable occurrence.  

>Braman is not goint to fire Kotite.  He's got another year on his contract
>so he'd have to pay him whether he coaches the team or not.  You know as
>well as I do that Braman isn't going to throw money away.  Besides, Kotite
>is one of the lowest paid head coaches in the NFL.  Braman likes that in
>a head coach:-).

The latest I hear is that Braman had nothing to do with any of the QB moves
Kotite has made.  He said he doesn't get involved in that phase of the team.
I agree with you, though, Braman likes Kotite's salaray and won't even
consider firing him until his contract is up.

>I read the article.  It's not that I don't believe you.   I don't believe
>the writer.  Just because it's written in print doesn't make it a fact.
>Sports writers are not the most reliable people in the world.  Take one
>Bill Conlin of the Daily News.  He predicted the Eagles to go 8-8 in the
>beginning of the year.  They get off to a great start and he's printing
>an open letter to Keith Jackson telling him to take the year off because
>the Eagles can go to the SuperBowl without him (this was before the judge
>ruled KJ a free agent).  Now it's obvious the Eagles do miss Jackson at
>TE.  Does Conlin admit that he blew it?  No.  Hell, he doesn't even want
>to discuss his 8-8 prediction.  He just goes on writing without even a clue.

If they *DO* finish 8-8, you can bet he'll bring it up!!
Well, Conlin writing his *opinion* of what he thinks of the Eagles and/or
Keith Jackson is different from Mulligan writing what he *hears* is Randall's
problem.  True, anonymous sources are pretty cowardly, but that's not to
say they are untrue.

>I haven't been in an NFL huddle lately either.  I'm not sure if players
>know the entire play or just their assignment.  In an interview on WIP
>last night, Randall said there was entirely too much talk going on in
>the huddle.   He said that he didn't tell the players to shutup because
>he was trying to be a nice-guy.  If that led to any confusion then that
>is his own fault.  He has to take charge out there.

Yeah, I heard Randall on the radio yesterday also.  He also said that
he's done being Mr. NiceGuy.  He plans on speaking his mind more often
and letting everyone know what he wants, what he thinks, and what he's
going to do.  He says he should be more like Seth Joyner (God help us!).
To that end, he also "implied" that if he gets pulled out of a game again,
he's going to ask for a trade after the season is over.  He wants his 
starting job back, but he doesn't want to be looking over his shoulder.
(Side note: I predicted this in my original post, thank you.)  In other
words, he's already trying to tell Kotite that he better think twice about
pulling him again.
Speaking of interviews, Eagle C David Alexander was on one of the pregame
shows Sunday and said that the other players knew when Randall was messing
up a play.  He said sometimes Randall just scrapped the entire play sent in
and called something they all knew.

>Most of the comments slighting Randall that I have heard came from C
>Dave Alexander and G Mike Schad.  The offensive linemen never get quoted.
>They are running their mouths without thinking.  If they did their job
>out on the field and didn't worry about who was playing QB, the offense
>would be more much effective no matter who the QB was.

Yeah, it's funny to hear QB critiques coming from their offensive
offensive linemen.  (No typo here.)

>> Personally, I don't think this move is good for Cunningham's psyche and
>> I wouldn't be surprised if it affects him for the rest of the season.
>> Now, every time he throws a bad pass, he'll wonder if he's going to get
>> the hook.  As you say, Joe, we'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
>
>Well, we only have five more days to find out.

Ahhh!!  There's my prediction!  
About the upcoming game vs. Green Bay, don't you think Randall is
going to have a TREMENDOUS amount of pressure on him?  He's got all
week to think about what happens if he botches things.  Sure, it's only
vs. the Packers (sorry JGH), but he had better come through with a
great effort.



Ray    GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro