Bottom of the Bird Cage 6/11
It’s Day No. 162 of the year.
On June 11, 1962, three men – Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin – became the only prisoners to escape the prison on Alcatraz Island. They were never found, and authorities believe they drowned in San Francisco Bay. But the prison that was supposed to be safe from escapes was closed the next year.
Some seven years later, Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt proposed building an entertainment complex on Alcatraz, with shopping and a museum to honor the U.S. space program. Plans called for a 364-foot tower and an aerial tram that would run from the island to Fisherman’s Wharf. Public opposition killed the plan.
Born on June 11, 1903 was football Hall of Famer Ernie Nevers and on June 11, 1956, Hall of Famer Joe Montana.
And born on June 11, 1913 in Brooklyn, New York was Vince Lombardi. At the age of 45, Lombardi became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, where he spent nine seasons. His teams won five NFL titles and he had a 9-1 post-season record. In 1969, he coached the Washington Redskins. But in 1970 he was diagnosed with colon cancer in late June 1970. Ten weeks later he was dead.
Lombardi is remembered for many quotes and bromides. Here are some of the best:
- “If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”
- “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.”
- “We are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good.”
If he were still alive, Vince Lombardi would be celebrating his 96th birthday.
From the Charlotte Observer: Everette Brown’s ability to become an impact player in the NFL depends largely on his ability to match up well against much bigger blockers. He’s getting a lot of dress rehearsal time during the Carolina Panthers’ summer school practices.
Though the Panthers won’t have full contact in pads until after training camp opens Aug. 2, Brown’s already learning from facing massive right tackle Jeff Otah. Brown is a 6-foot-1, 256-pound defensive end with good speed and quickness, but he’s dwarfed by the 6-6, 330-pound Otah.
“It’s been great competition,” Brown said Tuesday. “Definitely, I think it puts me ahead of the learning curve in the long run, going against one of the best. “It’s really making me work on my technique.”
Everette Brown comes into the NFL with the strengths of a pass rusher. There was enough potential there that Carolina made sure they got him in the second round. Who will have a greater impact on his new team in 2009, Brown with the Panthers or Tyson Jackson with the Chiefs? Certainly, Brown has more help available to him.
From the St. Petersburg Times: DT Ryan Sims has started two games in two seasons with the Bucs, but the former first-round draft pick is preparing for a bigger role this fall as a starter and a leader.
“They got rid of a lot of our leaders,” Sims said after Tuesday’s voluntary workout. “We went from one of the oldest to one of the youngest teams. … (So) It’s more of leadership, using (seven) years of experience to do things the new coaches like, trying to teach the new guys and the rookies. I like that. It makes you come to work every day, mentally and physically.”
Sims had 27 tackles last year and 23 in 2007, his first season with the Bucs, but he’s confident that a new defensive scheme is better suited to his 6-foot-4, 315-pound frame.
“It’s more about attacking the man in front of you and using power, where (Monte) Kiffin’s defense was mostly speed and quickness,” Sims said. “It’s a different philosophy. This is a power, stop-them-up-front, stop-the-run defense.”
Ryan Sims as a leader? Now that’s something I can’t wait to see play out. Sims is a good guy who got a lot of bad advice when he came to the Chiefs in 2002. It was something he never recovered from. Sims always thought he was a better player than he really was; that inability to deal with reality makes him a bad candidate the lead anything.
From the Indianapolis Star: When it came to finalizing wedding plans with their college sweethearts, Jamey Richard and Fili Moala kept their priorities straight. Nuptials and their subsequent honeymoons had to mesh with the Indianapolis Colts’ offseason schedule. For Richard, a second-year offensive lineman, that meant delaying things until later this month when he and his fiancée, Theresa Gugger, travel to Italy.
Moala, a second-round draft pick, didn’t wait although he and his bride, Jordan, agreed to delay a full-blown honeymoon. They went through graduation ceremonies at USC on May 15, were married in Los Angeles May 16 and traveled to Indianapolis so Moala could join the Colts’ organized team activities that began May 19. It’s been a busy time.
“I love my wife to death. She comes first,” Moala said. “But for me to take care of her, I’ve got to take care of business. She’s very understanding. She knows what I’ve got to do.”
The Moalas’ “honeymoon” consisted of the couple spending about a week in Indy before Jordan returned to the West Coast.
Contrast the actions of these two young Colts to Brian Waters and Mike Vrabel. They arranged their lives around OTAs and mini-camps in Indianapolis. Yes, they are youngsters in the game, but they made a decision on what’s important and their women had to live with that. Maybe you don’t agree with what they decided, but there’s no questioning their commitment to the Colts.
Bob,
Thanks for that Ryan Sims bit. I nearly spewed my coffee on the computer screen reading that. Good stuff…I needed a laugh.
Ryan… Who??
I hear they are preparing a bust of him in Canton. Thats Right…Canton China
Lamar Hunt…Alcatraz…entertainment complex…
[ "Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not." - George Bernard Shaw ]
Without such outside the box thinking as Lamar Hunt evidenced, would have never been an AFL… Jack.
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Vince Lombardi: ‘the’ best coach in NFL history, and it’s not even close. Four points - 4 - in a single post season game seperated him from being perfect at 10-0 (a 17-13 loss NFL Title Game his first try in 1960.)
Of 15 Hall of Fame or someday to be Head Coaches,
Vince Lombardi dominates at 9-1 (90%)
(other coaches post season)
Weeb Ewbank: 4-1 (80%)
Bill Belechick: 15-4 (79%)
Bill Walsh: 10-4 (71.4%)
Joe Gibbs: 17-7 (70.8%)
Hank Stram: 5-3 (63%)
George Halas: 6-4 (60%)
Marv Levy: 11-8 (58%)
Bill Cowher 12-9 (57%)
John Madden: 9-7 (56%)
Don Shula: 19-17 (53%)
Bud Grant: 10-12 (45%)
Paul Brown: 4-8 (33%)
Marty Schottenheimer: 5-13 (28%)
George Allen 2-7 (22%)
Good article Bob and good post Rin.
“The Moalas’ “honeymoon” consisted of the couple spending about a week in Indy before Jordan returned to the West Coast.”
The Colts better have put them up in some place VERY fancy!!!
Waters and Vrabel have enough money, they probably aren’t broke like the young colts players who just got out of college… So yea, I believe your interests would be in different places no matter what team your talking about…
SG said:
“good post Rin.”
- yes, twas excellent - thank you, me!
One other wannabe head coach who I didn’t mention because frankly, he isn’t really worth mentioning in the same breath as ‘Lombardi’, man defines the term ‘winner’, not latter day knockoff, would be exhibit 16 Bill Parcells, he of 11-8 post season.
Let us reiterate -
Lombardi: Post season 90%, regular season 74% as in winning percentages.
Parcells: 58% post, 57% regular…as in also ran, as in anyone ever compared to Lombardi.
Different strokes for different folks, different eras and coaches too, as the game itself once upon a time.
One peer of a sort winning % wise with Parcells was former Chiefs Head Coach Hank Stram (with a major aside Stram’s era outshone the newer.)
Hank Stram: 63% post, 58% regular, and he also won 2 Championships and lost one like Parcells.
That BP did it in the latter modern football era of watered down teams, rules etc. makes the tote even less impressive than those from that bygone better era, names like Lombardi, Stram et al.
God but I love the way I write: truth, integrity, honor, fervor, style, rapier wit, panache, fandom …
Thanks for the stats on the coaches playoff records. You can’t leave out Parcells just ’cause you don’t like him.
Hank’s record would be much better if that dang Stenerud hadn’t missed 3 FG’s vs. Miami in ‘71. Lenny always says that was our most talented team.
Also, I just wondered what was hermie’s playoff record?
CraigK says
“Thanks for the stats on the coaches playoff records. You can’t leave out Parcells just ’cause you don’t like him.”
- I can do anything I like… I’m Rin! How ’bout because he ate fat ba***rd for lunch (dinner, and breakfast) & makes me feel bloated just listening to/looking at/watching him sweat a pasty hue?
“Hank’s record would be much better if that dang Stenerud hadn’t missed 3 FG’s vs. Miami in ‘71.”
- yes, the ‘what if’ game, Chiefs style: KC beats MIA ‘71, then BALT in the AFC Championship Game & DALL in Superbowl 5 and Stram is 8-2 for 80%, 2nd only behind Lombardi.
Course, if KC had won Superbowl 1 & that playoff game gane v OAK ‘68 and then beaten the Jets AFL Title and BALT Superbowl 3 - Stram would’ve been 11-2.
Then if KC had won the AFL Title in 1967 as they should have and then beating GB Superbowl 2 Hank is 13-2.
And in 1970, if the defending World Champ Chiefs had played up to their abilities & hadn’t gotten lackadaisical Hank would have been 16-2 for 89%, great but STILL not as great as Lombardi’s 90%.
Aye, and that’s the rub…he/KC didn’t, Vince did - like no one else ever has. Even the luck of the Irish doesn’t account for his consistent success; too, Vince walked his talk with his boot & not an shillelagh: “WHAT THE HELL’S GOING ON OUT HERE!?!”
“Lenny always says that was our most talented team.”
- Len said that/so do many others; I disagree. Parcells said one thing I agree with: you are what you are- if Hank & KC et al had actually been what they ‘think’ we wouldn’t be playing this ‘what if’ game.
Fact is the Chiefs only Championship in KC was the result a special playoff system put in for only one year in 1969 - it was much criticized then and aft as Kaycee couldn’t even win their division that year. When KC had its supposedly ‘best’ team in 1971 it laid an egg.
Fact is, the OAK Raiders were the ‘best’ team in pro football in 1969 & very likely also the best in 1967 & 1968; that they came away from those 3 years with 0 Titles to show for it suggests they ‘weren’t’ the best where it matters- scoreboard.
Legends are born freely/die hard; results don’t.
I don’t buy what might have been, shoulda been or coulda been…you won or you lost, reasons being immaterial. Everybody has an excuse; the line forms to the right.
“Also, I just wondered what was hermie’s playoff record?”
- Herman Edwards has 2 more wins than ‘check’s’ 0; he ’should have’ been 6-0…you understand.