After welcoming many candidates, interviews with 10 of them and a final round of four, the Steelers culled the crop to Dave Wannstedt and Bill Cowher.

One would be the next head coach of the Steelers in 1992. Both natives of the Pittsburgh area, both highly successful defensive coordinators in the NFL, the job of succeeding the legendary Chuck Noll would go to one of them.

Tom Donahoe, Joe Gordon and Dan and Art Rooney II interviewed other NFL assistants such as Vince Tobin, Greg Landry, Mike Holmgren, Rod Rust and three from Noll's staff -- Joe Greene, John Fox and Dick Hoak. They also interviewed Mike Riley, head coach of the San Antonio Riders of what was then called the World League, which has evolved into NFL Europe.

"We're not looking for a savior," Dan Rooney said at the time. "We don't need saved."

Two men, both named Rooney, would pick the new coach. After a few days of debate, they chose Cowher.

Wannstedt went back to Dallas as coordinator for one more year before the Chicago Bears hired him as their head coach. He was fired in Chicago after the 1998 season, served as assistant in Miami in 1999 and has been the Dolphins head coach since 2000.

Today, Cowher and Wannstedt meet for the third time, with Wannstedt looking for his first win against him. Both losses came when he was in Chicago. Cowher has an overall record of 116-77-1 in the regular season; Wannstedt is 83-84.

This could be their final meeting.

Although Wannstedt has a 41-25 record in Miami and the Dolphins extended his contract this year through 2006, his team lost its first two games and there have been reports in South Florida that he will be out if the Dolphins do not make the playoffs.

If that's so, and if Walt Harris does not make it to another season, Wannstedt would be a strong candidate for the Pitt coaching job. And that would be the final sidebar of the Rooneys' decision to hire Cowher over Wannstedt in 1992 -- the two of them could be head coaches in the same building next year.

The answer is blowing in the wind

If Hurricane Jeanne has any effect on today's game between the Steelers and Dolphins in Miami, the blame should go directly to the NFL. While the Florida teams can't be expected to play all of their games on the road during the hurricane season, the NFL could be fair and smart at the same time.

Three of the Dolphins' first four games are scheduled in Miami. What would have been wrong with scheduling the Steelers to play at Buffalo today and at Miami on Jan. 2, instead of in Buffalo?

Last season, the Dolphins played two of their three September games at home. In 2000, they played three of their four September games at home.

Already, the Dolphins and the NFL took one on the chin when Miami's opener against Tennessee had to be moved up to Saturday because of Hurricane Ivan, which was about three hurricanes ago. Some Dolphins refused to play an exhibition game in New Orleans Sept. 3 because Hurricane Charley was hitting Florida.

Hot topic

And, while we're ranting, what's with the NFL forcing teams to wear black shirts in the Florida heat? The Steelers, who normally wear their white shirts on the road, must wear black today because the Dolphins wear white at home.

Three years ago, the Rooneys petitioned the NFL to allow them to wear a special gold jersey instead of their black for their opener at Jacksonville Sept. 9. The NFL turned them down.

With all the fallout over Korey Stringer's death in Minnesota, you'd think the league might be more sensitive to such a request, not to mention it could make a ton of money off a new Steelers jersey.

"It's better than black," said Jerome Bettis, whose asthma can be exacerbated in the heat and humidity. "It's going to be so bright and so shiny, [wearing black is] going to make a difference. It's going to make your body temperature maybe point-something degrees hotter, which is dangerous."

Read the label

The league and its union finally did something to help players avoid possible suspensions for ignorance: innocently taking a supplement or pill they thought contained no banned substances. Several players in recent years received four-game suspensions for unwittingly taking the wrong stuff, which often isn't even contained on the label.

In the new Drug Certification Program, various supplements now contain a stamp of approval from the NFL/NFLPA. EAS, which includes Larry Fitzgerald as one of its spokesmen, is the first on the market with several nutritional products carrying the approved stamp.

Coincidentally, the day the EAS products were approved, Denver wide receiver Adrian Madise was suspended for four games for taking a nutritional supplement that contained a banned substance. Madise claimed he did not know this was in it.

"If the players take these products, this is a way for us to guarantee that what they take is what's on the label," said NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw.

Baby steps

Larry Johnson hasn't been happy since the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in the first round in 2003 and stuck him behind Priest Holmes. Johnson, a former Penn State running back, played little last year.

With Holmes' ankle injury, Johnson may get more playing time today, but he's still not happy. This time, it's over a comment from Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil.

Vermeil said it was time for Johnson "to take the diaper off and go to work."

Replied Johnson, "I don't need motivation. I don't need a grown man telling me to take my diaper off. If he can't say it to my face, I don't pay attention to it."

Vermeil's response to Johnson's response: "I wasn't planning on saying that. It just popped into my scrambled head. But in a way, there's a little truth to it. If the shoe fits, wear it."

Bad quarterback

Dear Cleveland, Tim Couch is still unsigned and available.

Even Couch wasn't as bad as Jeff Garcia, who had a 0.0 passer rating against Dallas last week when he completed 8 of 27 for 71 yards and three interceptions. He's the fifth quarterback to achieve the dubious perfect score since the 1970 NFL merger.

"I have no doubt in my mind I'll be a better player this week," said Garcia, 33. "Obviously, I have to be."

Bad, bad quarterback

Drew Bledsoe is taking the heat for Buffalo's 0-2 record. The Raiders sacked him seven times. He was 11 of 21 for 128 yards before a meaningless drive at the end. He misfired on various short passes.

The Bills have lost 9 of their last 11 games with Bledsoe at quarterback.

"I'm the quarterback here, and I'm going to be the quarterback here and that's what it is," Bledsoe said.

Well, that's true because the Bills really don't have an option. Their backup is journeyman Shane Matthews, who signed before the final preseason game. They have no one else. Rookie JP Losman has a broken leg and is out until midseason.

They call it The Streak

The New England Patriots need to beat Buffalo and Miami to set a manufactured record of 19 straight wins over a two-year period, a record the league does not recognize.

Six teams won 18 in a row over two years. The official record doesn't count postseason games and is held by the Chicago Bears, who won 17 regular-season games in a row in 1933 and 1934. The Patriots have 14 straight regular-season wins.

"Somehow the Patriots figure out a way to win," said Don Shula, the coach of the NFL's only unbeaten team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Biggest flop on the NFL block

Kansas City, a Super Bowl favorite, is 0-2 and going nowhere fast, although the Chiefs get a break today because 0-2 Houston visits Arrowhead Stadium.

Since their 9-0 start last season, the Chiefs are 4-6. Their four wins in the second half of last season were over a 4-12 Oakland team; 4-12 San Diego, 5-11 Detroit and 7-9 Chicago.

"We're not as good a football team as we ought to be," coach Dick Vermeil said.

Bum deal

The Redskins gave Mark Brunell an $8.6 million signing bonus. What they got is what he's been, a breaking-down quarterback.

Brunell has a pulled hamstring, the fourth straight season he's been injured by the fifth game.