Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - At mid-season, Holmgren hot, Tuna tamed

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Monday, November 8, 1999

At mid-season, Holmgren hot, Tuna tamed
RB James, QB Warner also earn 'Bartie' awards
By Bart Wright
Caller-Times Sports Editor

If this is Monday, it's notes to me.
   Tonight's televised sporting entertainment involving the beloved Cowboys contesting the hated Vikings in an indoor game in Minneapolis brings to a close the ninth week of the season, which is more or less the halfway point, depending on when your team has its bye week.
   This is the time chroniclers of the national obsession typically devote to subjective reviews of the first half, dishing out their commentaries on Most Valuable Players, Most Disappointing Team and all the rest.
   So naturally, we'll take a whack at something entirely different. Instead of looking back, here's looking ahead - based on first half performances and second half presumptions - at the eventual regular-season honorees.
   Call 'em the Barties:

Best Rookie - Edgerrin James, Indianapolis Colts. Not necessarily better than Ricky Williams, but had Ricky been a Colt and Edgerrin a Saint, we'd be saying we knew all along how good Williams was.

Most Disappointing Team - The Jets, in a squeaker over the Falcons. We sort of figured the Falcons were a one-year wonder but we never guessed losing a quarterback would can the Tuna's team.

Most Disappointing Player - Brett Favre. Some guys are like great boxers who step in the ring one night and suddenly discover it has all passed them by.

Best Coaching Job - Mike Holmgren, Seattle. Not fair to Dick Vermeil? Vermeil has had years to get to this point and struck it lucky with Kurt Warner. Holmgren has had a few months and has done it with Jon Kitna and - until now - without Joey Galloway.

Most Valuable Player - Kurt Warner, admittedly no great surprise. What will be a surprise is that he barely edges out Jeff George who leads the Vikings back to a dangerous playoff team.

Most Predictable Decline - The Arizona Cardinals. One year wonders can always happen, but long term embarrassments always start at the top of the organization and work themselves down.
   Enough with the halfway predictions. Try these future realities, tell all your friends and remember where you heard it:

They Said It Would Never Happen In Our Lifetime - Two brothers, starting against each other at quarterback for NFL teams. Give it a couple of years and a break with schedule and one day we'll see Damon Huard starting at quarterback for Miami against Brock Huard, starting at quarterback for Seattle.
   Damon is already there, playing well enough to fir in the warm seat when Dan Marino hangs it up. His younger brother is carrying a clipboard in Seattle but Holmgren loves the kid and has plans for him.

He'll Be Back - Reggie White will play for the Green Bay Packers again next year. They need him now and he's admitted to friend Leroy Butler that he's thinking about it for a one-year, $2 million deal.
   And while we're at it, let us not forget the matchup of the century (of the week) tonight in Minneapolis when Deion Sanders finally faces off with Randy Moss.
   Or will he?
   There's been some suggestion that Dallas coach Chan Gailey will opt to play Sanders on Cris Carter in an attempt to shut him down, then double-team Moss.
   Cause for Cowboys' fans concern: Sanders has 41 career interceptions.
   That's a lot.
   His next interception this season will be his first.
   Which is another way of saying Sanders has as many interceptions as Ricky Williams has touchdowns this season.
   There's also the unsettling fact that the Cowboys go into tonight's game with a losing record in non-Redskins game.
   For finishers, here's a bar bet you can use to take money from your pals:

Question - Which NFL team holds the record for the longest winless streak? This is where your buddy quickly mentions Tampa Bay, which lost 26 consecutive games as an expansion team.
   Wrong.

Answer - The Cleveland Browns went 1,409 days (since Dec. 17, 1995), before beating the Saints 21-16 a week ago.
   Don't come to me to help you collect.

Bonus note - It will apparently take the people in charge of changing the sign at memorial Coliseum some time to get familiarized with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and this whole basketball thing.
   Friday morning, the sign announced that the next game would be Thursday when the IceRays plays Lubbock, overlooking A&M-CC's first women's and men's exhibition games today and Wednesday.
   By late afternoon Friday, the sign was changed to read:
   Texas A&M women vs. Houston Flight.
   Quick, somebody call the Aggies and get them down here fast.
   Better yet, somebody ought to inform the honchos in charge of the readerboard the name of the Division I university in town.



Sports Editor Bart Wright can be reached at 886-3745 or by e-mail at wrightb@caller.com

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