MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / January 14, 2000

Thoughts to consider while waiting out a TV timeout this weekend…”Loyalty – steadfast in one’s allegiance to a person or a cause.” Willsomeone please fax that definition to the NFL. Because after a two-weekperiod in which the Buffalo special teams coach was fired after 13 seasons because of one play, Ray Rhodes and Pete Carroll were fired despite .500 seasons and Chan Gailey was let go despite leading Dallas toback-to-back playoff appearances, it does not appear to be a commonly- known quality in the league.

Speaking of Buffalo, if Wade Phillips wants to blame somebody for his team’s loss to Tennessee, he needs to take a look in the mirror. Hisinexplicable decision to start Rob Johnson instead of Doug Flutie should go down as the worst coaching decision of the season. Johnson completedjust 10 of 22 passes for 131 yards and showed the mobility of the Great Pyramid of Giza, getting sacked six times, including once for a safety.

Phillips could have overruled the decision to pooch kick that final kickoff.

A controversial trick play did not defeat the Bills. Coaching did. On the topic of the NFL playoffs, my prediction of Jacksonville and Minnesota in the Super Bowl still stands. Jacksonville will get by theDolphins this week and the third time will be the charm when the Jaguars meet Tennessee in the AFC title game. Yes, Tennessee will defeatIndianapolis this weekend. Call it the Jim More factor.In the NFC, Minnesota will edge St. Louis in a shootout and Tampa Bay willget by Washington. And the Buccaneers do not have the offense to staywith Minnesota in the NFC Championship game.

How appropriate that Robert Wood Johnson IV won the bidding for the New York Jets this week. With all the injuries the Jets had this season, theymight be able to now get a discount on the pharmaceuticals they need.

Will the last Tennessee underclassman to leave the Vols please turn out the lights at Neyland Stadium.

The chances of the Volunteers contending for the SEC title in 2000 have already been turned out.

Somebody other than Tiger Woods will win on the PGA Tour this week. Butthat may be only because Woods is not entered in the Sony Open, this week’s stop on the Tour.

The way he was going, the field of the Mercedes Championship, which includes only the winners of tour events the prior season, will be much smaller next season.

Wednesday was another sad day in sports with the deaths of Bob Lemon and Bobby Phills. Lemon was a true Hall-of-Famer and Phills was one ofthe nicest guys in a league that desperately needed nice guys. Both will bemissed.

Speaking of Hall-of-famers, kudos to Tony Perez and Carlton Fisk for their being elected to Cooperstown.

Finally, only 30 more days until those magical words – pitchers and catchers report.

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