BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Everybody needs a break from work, right? Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders doesn't necessarily agree.
Intent on establishing himself as the team's new coach and exorcising the demons of last year's 4-12 record, Gruden has drilled his players nonstop since training camp began nearly three weeks ago.
"We haven't considered giving them a day off," Gruden said. "Everybody's a little tired, a little sore. But we are going to push through this."
None of the Raiders have complained, proving that they learned something in college.
"We're just fighting through it," safety Eric Turner said. "The philosophy we always had was, if you're going to do something, you might as well do it right. We have chosen to be out here, so let's do it right."
Then again, one wonders when returns on the practice field start to diminish. Coach Bruce Coslet, for example, typically excuses the Bengals from Wednesday night meetings (though they still must be in their rooms for 11 p.m. curfew). Their only obligation last Sunday, the day after the intrasquad scrimmage, was a light running and weightlifting session. And they'll receive today off following Saturday night's preseason opener against the New York Giants. As Turner said, "At times, you don't mind getting a little bone thrown to you. Some guys have been looking for just one day to sleep in, not worry about curfew. In these dog days when your legs are dragging, it's hard."
GRAND OPENING:
Reviews were mostly positive when the Baltimore Ravens recently christened their new stadium with a practice session open to personal-seat license holders. The crowd of 36,016 and the stadium's attractiveness heartened players.
"This is our new identity," wide receiver Michael Jackson said. "If I were a fan, I'd really love it. It's vivid, really vivid, with the purple seating."
Said linebacker Peter Boulware, "What's even more impressive is how many people showed up just to see us practice. It shows the loyalty of the city and shows that fans are fired up. And that fires us up. Teams feed on emotion like that."
Linebacker Ray Lewis put matters in perspective: "The most important thing is, we have to produce. The fans have given us something. We have to give something back. For this many fans to come out to practice, we better win."
Glitches were evident. Fans seated in the upper deck complained about the lack of escalators. Patrons perched in the front row griped about the railings that obstructed their view. Interestingly, the Cleveland Browns' new stadium will have plexiglass railings allowing fans to see through them.
FIRST BLOOD:
Bill Cowher knows how to accentuate a point.
The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach inserted himself into a kickoff-return rehearsal to demonstrate the best way to set up a blocking "wedge" when, presto! Cowher bumped face first into the helmet of 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive end Jeremy Staat and gave himself a bloody nose.
Cowher, a former special teams player, was unfazed. "It was good," he said. "A little contact never hurt anybody."
BY GEORGE:
One man who'll be carefully watching the selection of the new Cleveland Browns' ownership is George Seifert, the former San Francisco 49ers coach.
Seifert is expected to be first in line to coach the Browns if the group including ex-49ers executive Carmen Policy is chosen. Given Seifert's Super Bowl-winning credentials, he could be a top candidate no matter who gets the team.
Seifert, who's preparing for a stint as a game-day studio host for CBS and doing projects for NFL Films, admitted that he missed being on the field.
CALMER COX:
So far, the potentially combustible relationship between New York Jets coach Bill Parcells and linebacker Bryan Cox has generated neither rancor nor controversy.
Observers wondered why Parcells, who accepts no insubordination, would sign the wildly emotional Cox, who has all the self-control of a piranha. Even Cox himself said, "In some cases, I've been a real idiot." Did Parcells need a replacement for injured linebacker Marvin Jones that badly?
"Let's worry about the problem if it comes up," Parcells said. "I know what kind of kid he is. I've been lucky with veterans like this. They just want to know what you want."
Cox's willingness to accept a backup role has reflected his newfound maturity. He once said he'd retire if he ever became a second-teamer. Now, he said, "Instead of being the man, I'm just one piece of something that could be really good."
QUICK OUTS:
Friday night's Tennessee-Atlanta exhibition game featured Oilers quarterback Dave Krieg, 39, and Falcons backup Steve DeBerg, 44. Predictably, their age prompted lots of gags.
"It will be like Night of the Living Dead," ex-quarterback Jim McMahon said before the game.
"The hardest thing will be to keep them from wearing the leather helmets they used when they came into the league," Oilers coach Jeff Fisher joked.
Expect defensive end Andre Wadsworth to settle his contract dispute with the Arizona Cardinals in a week to 10 days. On Aug. 19, 1996, Simeon Rice, another defensive lineman who was drafted third overall and represented by Eugene Parker, ended his holdout.
Actor Dennis Quaid visited a couple of San Francisco 49ers practices to prepare for his role in Any Given Sunday,' an Oliver Stone film with a football theme. Quaid will portray an aging, left-handed quarterback, so he figured Steve Young might be worth studying. Apparently, Quaid isn't the most natural of athletes. "He couldn't throw a cat out of the house," 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said.
