From: rjk@dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu (Raymond K)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Re: Randall benched for WEEK TEN
Date: 6 Nov 1992 20:19:44 GMT
Organization: X-Ray Crystallography / Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu

In article <1992Nov6.181857.7602@cbnewsm.cb.att.com> jmd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (joseph.m.dakes) writes:
>
>Hey, Ray, we finally agreed on something.  Guess Randall was right about
>the end being near, huh:-)?

Uh, oh!  Maybe I'll have to rethink my position!!   :-)
Seriously, though, the thing that gets me is the amount of Eagle
fans who AGREE with this move!  Where are all the Randall-backers
who thought even the *mention* of Cunningham being replaced by McMahon
(except in the case of injury) was ludicrous?  Even the members of the
media who would not even contemplate this situation are now saying it's
a good move!  Hell, Rich Kotite himself, just a week or two ago (it might
have been as late as the week leading to the Dallas game) said the idea
of benching Cunningham for McMahon was "out of the question".  Why the
big turnaround?  Do you feel you're in the minority, Joe?

>I'll say he's putting his neck on the line.  Not only with Randall's
>ego, but with Braman's wallet.  McMahon's contract has alot of insentives
>in it.  If he has a big game(s) Braman will be paying McMahon a fortune
>and he'll be paying Randall an even bigger fortune to sit on the bench.
>I haven't heard any comments from Braman about Kotite's decision, have
>you?

I haven't heard any reaction by Braman.  I was wondering if Kotite did
this just to see if Braman was paying attention!! :-)  Consider that the
last time Randall was benched, the coach got fired three days later!!
Kotite's got guts!!

>I really find this hard to believe.  Randall has been an NFL QB for 7-years
>now.  If he has misread the signals from the sidelines don't you think that
>the coaches would have worked on it with him during practices?  And if he
>was calling the wrong blocking schemes or pass routes on certain plays, don't
>you think one of the other players in the huddle would have noticed?
>


I'm just telling you what I heard from informed sources, those being
the beat writers who talk to people "in the know".  Specifically,
Phila. Daily News writer Kevin Mulligan.  Check his column from Wedneday,
Nov. 4.  He doesn't make it sound like speculation, but fact.  If you
can't find the paper, I'll fax you the article if you don't believe me.
As far as the coaches working with him on it during practices, maybe they
have.  Maybe Randall just isn't putting the time in needed to remember
the plays, or loses concentration while in the games.  About the other
players correcting him in the huddle, it brings up a question - do the
offensive linemen need to know the pass route, and vice versa, or do 
they just hear their assignment and try to execute it?  I haven't been
in an NFL huddle in a while, so I wouldn't know.

>I can buy the knee causing some problems, but the comment about the abuse
>problem I can't.  Which WIP announcer made the substance abuse comment?

The knee situation is a tangible excuse, so if it's true why hasn't Randall
fessed up and said, "I'm still having problems with the knee"?
The drug comment was made by Steve Fredericks formerly of WCAU and
NY's WFAN.  He was a heroin addict.

>His candy bar is already being distributed.  His gold tipped shoelaces,
>and gold-tooth mouthpiece has already been purchased.  How much time do
>you think he's spending with these things, Ray?  

I don't follow Randall around all week, so I wouldn't know, but you're
missing the point about these things.  Randall is image-conscious, to
a fault.  Just the fact that he's involved with things like the shoelaces
and the mouthpiece show that he has put time into his image.  Why can't
he put the same effort into getting out of his "funk"?  Maybe some of
his teammates resent him somewhat for these things, like his now famous
"He's Back....Scrambling" cap.  I'm not the only one thinking this, 
Eagle backers in the media, who are close to the team, have speculated
on this as well.

>                                                 You have absolutely no
>idea how much time Randall is putting into the playbook.  As far as the
>other players go, I've heard no comments from anybody stating that they
>were happy Randall is on the bench.  Everybody, including the team's voice,
>Reggie White, says that if they are to reach their goal (the SuperBowl)
>Randall will have to be the QB.

No, *I* don't know how much time Randall is putting into the playbook,
but as I stated above, people who have looked into it deeply say that
he's blowing plays.  If he's doing this, he needs *more* time studying
the playbook than he currently spends.  If he knows the plays that are
in the playbook, why can't he get them right during a game?  Lack of
concentration?  Again, WHY?  But, that's just one aspect of it, the
mental side.  On the physical side, he's not the same guy either.  He's
not even executing the plays that he calls correctly.
As far as what the players are saying, sure Reggie White is in Randall's
corner, and most would agree that if they expect to go anywhere, it'll
be with Randall.  But, how many guys have said something to the effect
of 'Jim gives us a spark when he's in there, and maybe that's what we
need to get us going right now'.  Quite a few of the players I've heard
said that.  If they verbalize that much, rather than just saying 'it doesn't
matter who's in there, we all have to play better', imagine what they're
thinking!?!

>He might.  Then again, he might not.  As you said, it's his decision and
>we're just going to have to wait and see how it turns out.

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.


Ray      GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro