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Sunday, January 20, 2002

Compiled by Ed Bouchette

Bill Cowher is the last of a rare breed. He's the only coach in the NFL who has 10 years with the same team. It's rarer today than it was years ago when Chuck Noll, Tom Landry and Don Shula were fixtures on their team's sideline, but it was not common then or now. With all due respect to those three Hall of Famers, it is more difficult to coach today. Players come and go with so much frequency that a Steelers-like dynasty of the 1970s would be implausible to repeat.

Even though the Steelers, for example, are well positioned under the salary cap for next season with an estimated $14 million to spare and with most of their first-team players signed, they could lose two or three of their starting linebackers. Jason Gildon and Earl Holmes will be unrestricted free agents, and Joey Porter will be a restricted free agent.

Imagine if, after winning their first Super Bowl in January 1975, the Steelers had lost Jack Ham and Jack Lambert to free agency.

Owners today also have the patience of, well, Dan Snyder, which puts more pressure on modern coaches. Of course, it puts more money in their pocket, too. Cowher's estimated $3 million annual salary dwarfs whatever Noll made, which likely never topped $300,000.

The money is good, but it doesn't make it any easier to coach.

"I honestly believe the only position that ages you more dramatically is that of the President of the United States," said the president of the Cleveland Browns, Carmen Policy.

Few coaches spend 10 years with one team. Dennis Green did, but he won't get a chance at No. 11.

Here's something else to ponder: Cowher has a better record in the regular season than Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh, he just cannot match him in the postseason. Walsh was 10-4 and Cowher 5-6 in the post-season. Walsh was 92-59 (.617) in the regular season; Cowher is 99-61 (.619).

If Cowher's teams had done better in the postseason, he would have Hall of Fame-like credentials -- had the Steelers won Super Bowl XXX, had they gotten there as favored to do so before they lost to Denver here in January 1998 or in January 1994 when they lost to San Diego in the title game here.

Cowher already has made his case in the regular season, where he's won more games than Vince Lombardi (96-34). But as Walsh and Lombardi proved, Hall of Fame careers are made in the postseason. If these Steelers go all the way, it would be a step in that direction for Cowher.

Tuna the traveler

Unlike Cowher, Bill Parcells never has been able to stay at one job. Parcells is one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he has as much chance of making it this year as Bill Austin.

After Parcells' Giants won the Super Bowl in 1986, he tried to quit and go to Altanta, but the commissioner prevented him from doing so. The Giants won with him again in 1990, and he quit again, for health reasons. He accepted the head-coaching job with Tampa Bay in 1992, but backed out before the news conference. He changed his mind, but owner Hugh Culverhouse refused to take him back.

Parcells took over New England in 1993 and quit to go to the New York Jets. He was still under contract with the Patriots, so Paul Tagliabue ordered the Jets to send four draft picks to New England for him.

And the latest, Parcells negotiated a deal with the Bucanneers while Tony Dungy was coaching them, but then backed out.

Quick slants

They are ready to install Butch Davis into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. "He knows what he's doing, and I don't have the slightest doubt we're on the right track," Policy said. "I have never felt this good about going into an off-season." And Policy previously served as 49ers president, where they rolled out Vince Lombardi trophies the way they do drunks from the Flats.

One coach's opinion on a quarterback: "He thinks a lot more clearly, he is a more mature quarterback. It is like having another coach on the field. He just knows what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. He is more aware of potential problems that may exist and coverages. He will always be an aggressive quarterback, that is never going to change. He takes less chances, I should say he is cautiously aggressive at times. At least by his standards. I just think he is getting better, he sees the entire field."

Cowher on Kordell Stewart? No, Green Bay's Mike Sherman on Brett Favre.

Donovan McNabb was the only starting quarterback of the 12 playoff teams who was drafted in the first round by his current team. He, Stewart and Tom Brady are the only starters drafted by their current teams.

The spendthrift Cowboys? Dallas, which tried to erase the cap from "salary cap" in the 1990s, has about $19 million available under the estimated $72.5 million salary cap for 2002.

Green Bay cornerback Tyrone Williams has a knife wound above his wrist that required stitches after he was cut by his wife, Shantel, who also hit him with pepper-spray. That's nothing. Today he must try to defend the St. Louis Rams' receivers.

Seattle's defense did improve but not as dramatically as many predicted after they signed Levon Kirkland, John Randle, et al. The Seahawks went from No. 31 to No. 20. "Everybody thought we were going to heal leprosy on defense, but it takes time," Kirkland said.

Because he is retiring, Raiders teammates pitched in to buy guard Steve Wisniewski a dirt bike. When Steelers line coach Kent Stephenson retired last year, center Dermontti Dawson bought him a truck.