Sunday, September 07, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Now it can be said: Jon Gruden is a sentimental fool. The Tampa Bay coach with the mean sideline expressions takes a chunk of memory home from each stadium he visits, and he can't wait to get his hands on something from Philadelphia's new Lincoln Financial Field tomorrow night.

"I've had a chance to see a lot of great stadiums, and I always pick up a blade of grass or a ticket stub on my way off as a token," Gruden said.

Gruden came away with the best memorabilia of all Jan. 19 in the last football game played in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. He came away with a Super Bowl ticket after his Buccaneers beat the Eagles, 27-10, in the NFC championship game.

"I think I kept the Gatorade cup I was drinking out of," Gruden said.

He claims to have 20-30 blades of grass from San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.

"You should see where I live," Gruden said. "It's like 'Sanford and Son' at my house. I have all kind of things collected there. My wife doesn't understand the importance of some of these items. ... When it's time for me to go, I know my wife's dumping all that stuff in the coffin with me."

Trivia question

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper threw 23 interceptions and had 23 fumbles -- losing nine -- last season. How many turnovers did he have this preseason? Answer at end.

Forced to pack their bags

Once upon a time, Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks were the heirs to the throne of king Brett Favre in Green Bay, where they served as his backups in 1999 and 2000.

Today, they will square off against each other when Brooks' Saints play Hasselbeck's Seahawks in Seattle.

Green Bay traded Brooks to New Orleans in 2000, and Hasselbeck was dealt to Seattle in 2001.

"I think we both thought, maybe foolishly, that our chance was going to come one day" in Green Bay, Hasselbeck said. "So many of the guys that had gone through Green Bay before us seemed to go on from there and play. We just assumed that we were going to get our shot next. Maybe that was naive."

Both players were recommended to the Saints by Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy, a former Packers assistant who is the offensive coordinator in New Orleans.

Room for improvement

Only two NFL quarterbacks have better interception ratios than Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb over the past three seasons. Rich Gannon of the Raiders averaged one interception every 54.6 attempts and the 49ers' Jeff Garcia averaged one every 49.7. McNabb averaged one ever 45.9.

That's nice, but Eagles coach Andy Reid wants McNabb to improve in another area -- his completion percentage. He completed 58.4 percent of his passes last season, 57.8 in 2001 and 58.0 in 2000. Offensive coordinator Brad Childress wants McNabb to increase that to 60.

"At least 60 is the litmus test," Childress said. "That's where you want to be. If you can be up higher, 62-63, that's better yet."

Three of a kind

Bill Parcells would love to have an experienced quarterback. Instead, he has Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson and Tony Romo.

"Hey, that's the way it is," Parcells said. "If [Dan] Marino called me and said, 'OK, Bill, I'm coming down there Monday ...' But he's going to be doing the pregame show for CBS."

The lighter side

The Cowboys lost Emmitt Smith, and part of another running back in the off-season. Starter Troy Hambrick, who weighed as much as 255 pounds last season, is down to 237.

"I feel quicker," Hambrick said. "I'm happy I made the change, with the hand of Coach Parcells."

Trivia answer

Culpepper had no turnovers in the preseason.

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