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Sunday, December 29, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

How about an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl? The Philadelphia Eagles have done their part in the regular season. They earned a first-round bye into the playoffs. That's no guarantee of a trip to the Super Bowl, as fans in this part of the state know all too well, but it's a start.

The Eagles also have done it without their best player, quarterback Donovan McNabb. When McNabb's leg was broken Nov. 17 against Arizona, the Eagles no longer looked like a contender in the NFC. But they've played even better behind Koy Detmer and then A.J. Feeley, a third-stringer who was waived early in the season.

Andy Reid gets this vote as NFL Coach of the Year.

"He's done an outstanding job," said Rick Reiprish, Jacksonville's director of player personnel. "They have some talented people but you're talking about playing with the third quarterback who was on waivers this year.

"He's not the reason -- they're getting help at other places -- but you have to change your philosophy and tactics and how you approach the game. That speaks well for that coaching staff."

One man's top 10 draft picks, not counting juniors who have not yet announced they will come out: 1. Carson Palmer; 2. Charles Rogers; 3. Jimmy Kennedy; 4. Jordan Gross; 5. Terence Newman; 6. Byron Leftwich; 7. William Joseph; 8. Ty Warren; 9. Marcus Trufant; 10. Dwayne Robertson.

That will change once guys such as Willis McGahee announce their availabitlity for the draft.

Bill Parcells is killing any chance he had of getting elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month. Parcells almost made it last year, but his attempts to return to coaching with Tampa Bay hurt him, even though he ultimately backed off.

Many voters want assurances that a coach's career is finished before they will elect him into the Hall of Fame. The reason: What if he's elected, then returns to coaching and stinks at it, sullying his coaching record? The latest Parcells flirtation, with the Cowboys, follows a long path of indecision on his part. Here's his track record:

He quit as Air Force coach after one year. He joined the Patriots as an assistant but quit before the season started. After he coached the Giants to the Super Bowl in 1986, he tried to leave to become coach in Atlanta but the NFL wouldn't let him. He coached the Giants to a second Super Bowl in 1990, waited until May 15 and quit.

He took the Tampa Bay coaching job in 1992, had second thoughts and left the owner at a press conference with no coach. Parcells then changed his mind again and wanted the job and the Buccaneers said no.

Parcells signed a five-year contract in 1993 to coach the Patriots with a penalty clause if he didn't stay all five years. After three years, owner Robert Kraft agreed to take one year off the contract and Parcells announced he was free to join the Jets.

The league made the Jets give up four draft picks for him.

Last year, after insisting he would never coach again, he talked to Tampa Bay about becoming the next coach of the Buccaneers -- all the while Tony Dungy was still coaching them. Now, after insisting again he would not coach, he's talked to Dallas about becoming the Cowboys next coach even though Dave Campo is still their coach.

Parcells won two Super Bowls, but in his final seven years he was 64-54. Tom Flores also won two Super Bowls and he's rarely mentioned as a strong Hall of Fame candidate.

What rules would players like to see changed in the NFL?

Jerome Bettis would like to see them get rid of the leg-whipping rule, strange since leg whipping is dangerous for a running back.

"They don't enforce it," Bettis said. "Defensive guys try to trip you all the time. They don't enforce it so take it out, get rid of it. So, now I don't get up and complain about it. I get it all the time, when the defender is out of position, he's going to kick his leg out. I'm always tripping over feet and legs and stuff.

"It's very dangerous. Because, one, it's your lower extremity and you're going one way and this leg is the other way and if it hits you you're probably going to hurt something really bad, your shin or your knee or the guy who stuck his leg out there."

Steelers tackle Wayne Gandy would like to see more consistency in the fines they levy for viscious hits, another strange request since he's an offensive lineman and it's the defensive players who dish it out.

"There are some hits that are very questionable that guys get fined on," Gandy said. "The safety hits, the quarterback hits. Sometimes you need to check the position of the guy who has the ball. I'll bet you at least half of the licks they say are wrong is because maybe the offensive player moved."