• Subscribe
    • Franklin Living Magazine
    • Services
      • About Us
      • Subscribe
      • Policies
      • Terms of use
      • Submit a news tip
      • Submit a photo
      • Birth announcement
      • Birthday announcement
      • Engagement announcement
      • Wedding announcement
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Letter to the Editor
    • Classifieds
    • E-editions
    • Public Notices
      • Public Notices
      • Alabama Public Notices
    • Subscribe
    • Franklin Living Magazine
    • Services
      • About Us
      • Subscribe
      • Policies
      • Terms of use
      • Submit a news tip
      • Submit a photo
      • Birth announcement
      • Birthday announcement
      • Engagement announcement
      • Wedding announcement
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Letter to the Editor
    • Classifieds
    • E-editions
    • Public Notices
      • Public Notices
      • Alabama Public Notices

Franklin County Times
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries
  • Records
  • Subscribe
  • Services
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Policies
  • Terms of use
  • Submit a news tip
  • Submit a photo
  • Birth Announcement
  • Birthday announcement
  • Engagement announcement
  • Wedding announcement
  • Submit a Classified Ad
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Classifieds
  • Public Notices
    Franklin County Times
      • Site logo
      • Home
      • News
        • Russellville
        • Red Bay
        • Phil Campbell
        • Franklin County
        • Photo Galleries
        • Sponsored Content
      • Sports
        • Belgreen Bulldogs
        • Phil Campbell Bobcats
        • Red Bay Tigers
        • Russellville Golden Tigers
        • Tharptown Wildcats
        • Vina Red Devils
        • College Sports
        • Sports Columnists
      • Opinion
        • Letters to the Editor
        • Columnists
        • Editorials
      • Lifestyles
        • Birthdays
        • Births
        • Couples
        • Food
        • Features
      • Obituaries
      • Records
        • Sheriff’s Report
        • Marriages
        • Land Transactions
        • Police Reports
      • Special Sections
      • Site logo
      • Home
      • News
        • Russellville
        • Red Bay
        • Phil Campbell
        • Franklin County
        • Photo Galleries
        • Sponsored Content
      • Sports
        • Belgreen Bulldogs
        • Phil Campbell Bobcats
        • Red Bay Tigers
        • Russellville Golden Tigers
        • Tharptown Wildcats
        • Vina Red Devils
        • College Sports
        • Sports Columnists
      • Opinion
        • Letters to the Editor
        • Columnists
        • Editorials
      • Lifestyles
        • Birthdays
        • Births
        • Couples
        • Food
        • Features
      • Obituaries
      • Records
        • Sheriff’s Report
        • Marriages
        • Land Transactions
        • Police Reports
      • Special Sections
    Archives
     By  Staff Reports Published 
    12:39 pm Thursday, July 25, 2002

    Three wishes from me to pro football

    By By Stan Torgerson / sports columnist
    July 25, 2002
    The NFL training camps opened this week. All's right with the world. Another couple of weeks and the colleges and universities will start practice for the 2002 season. Good things indeed come to he who waits.
    So now the sweating for the players starts. Daytimes from the hot sun. Nighttimes from the sheer nervousness of will I or won't I make the team. Which is worse?
    Somewhere out there there must be one of those magic bottles floating in an ocean or washing up on a remote shore. The kind that when the cork is pulled it releases a genie who expresses his gratitude by giving you three wishes. If I can find the darn thing here's what I want.
    First, like the majority of pro football fans in our area, I freely admit to being a New Orleans fan. The Saints start working Friday, attempting to fit a lot of new pieces together. The town is excited. They're convinced the team drafted well, signed excellent free agents to replace those who departed the same way and the year 2000 when they made the playoffs will come back in 2002.
    Maybe so. Maybe the newly drafted Dante Stallworth can become another Randy Moss. Maybe the several sorry performances by Aaron Brooks last year really weren't his fault. And maybe Deuce McAllister will be the breakaway running back the Saints have sought for years.
    One thing I do know about the former Ole Miss Star. He won't dog it. He'll give you maximum effort on every play. How good is his talent? That may be the number one question being asked as the team heads to camp.
    The team did take a big hit when CB Dale Carter drank himself off the field for possibly six games. Two weeks ago I was reading an article in The Sporting News praising the guy's performances in preseason workouts and saying Carter would solve a major problem for the team with his ability and experience. Then last week I picked up my favorite newspaper and discovered the league had suspended him for allegedly going back on the jug. It doesn't seem to me it would be that difficult making a choice between a million dollar contract and a shot of booze. Apparently for Carter it is.
    So wish number one is that the Saints are highly competitive in 2002 and find their way into the playoffs again. That doesn't seem like a lot to ask of a genie.
    Wish number two concerns Steve Spurrier. The majority of fans probably believe he's an egotistical, self-centered, opinionated smart A who will get his comeuppance in the NFL after taking advantage of college kids all these years.
    Don't be so sure.
    This guy is bright. Really bright. I've only been around him a couple of times at SEC meetings and at a league golf tournament when his group played immediately in front of mine, but you don't have to talk to him for two minutes before you realize the man has a genuine first-class working-every-minute brain in his head.
    How do we know his Fun N Gun approach to football won't work on the pro level as it did in college? We don't because no one in the pros has really ever done it Spurrier's way.
    From the things printed and said about the man it's obvious his players like and respect him. He's also flying in the face of the pro belief that practices have to go on until the player's tongues hang out and that coaches have to sleep at their office in order to work late and get up early planning strategy.
    His practices, he says, will be shorter and not designed to be out and out tough-man contests. He also has shocked his fellow coaches by saying when the day is over he's going home. The office is a place to work but not to sleep.
    There are many doubters about whether he can take two outstanding college quarterbacks who turned into so-so pro quarterbacks Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel and give them back their magic. I confess to being part of that group.
    But it will be genuinely fun and interesting to see someone challenge the old beliefs that have shaped the NFL for so long and I, for one, hope he makes it big.
    That leaves one wish.
    It's a catch-all wish but we've got a lot kids from Mississippi out there playing pro football. Some are already stars. Some are trying to be. Some are just seeking a chance to be. McAllister is one. Fred Smoot, who will play for Spurrier is another. Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans is on that list. He and Archie Manning are the two best running quarterbacks I ever saw play college football.
    There are former Southern Mississippi kids who are trying to make it or keep it. Jackson State players who want to earn the fame and rewards of being in football's big leagues. It's like we're all family. Regardless of the school they represented, we have common roots.
    So there we have it. A good year for the Saints. Success for Steve Spurrier. Jobs for former Mississippi players.
    And, call it a bonus wish if you like, may my TV set stay healthy on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights.

    Also on Franklin County Times
    Check out this week’s Franklin County Times! – May 7, 2025
    Franklin County, News, Z - News Main
    Check out this week’s Franklin County Times! – May 7, 2025
    María Camp, Managing Editor 
    May 7, 2025
    Check out this week's Franklin County Times! May 7, 2025 Available online and in black newspaper boxes around the county.
    {"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Red Bay passes alcohol ordinance
    Main, News, Red Bay
    Red Bay passes alcohol ordinance
    María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
    May 6, 2025
    RED BAY – The city now has an alcohol ordinance in effect and interested parties may apply for an alcohol license. The move to adopt an ordinance is a...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}{"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Unified purpose marks National Day of Prayer
    Main, News, Red Bay, ...
    Unified purpose marks National Day of Prayer
    María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
    May 6, 2025
    RED BAY -- Red Bay community members came together at the gazebo in Bay Tree Park to offer united voices of faith on the annual National Day of Prayer...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}{"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Sheriff willing to work with ICE
    Franklin County, Main, News
    Sheriff willing to work with ICE
    By Russ Corey For the FCT 
    May 6, 2025
    RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver praised his county’s Hispanic community and said his involvement with the U.S. Immigration and C...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}{"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    VFW, other volunteers take part in day of service
    Franklin County, Main, News, ...
    VFW, other volunteers take part in day of service
    María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
    May 6, 2025
    RUSSELLVILLE – Volunteers from the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars members and others spent time Saturday cleaning up monuments in Russe...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}{"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    FFA student receives $1,000 grant
    News, Red Bay
    FFA student receives $1,000 grant
    María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
    May 6, 2025
    RED BAY -- FFA student Cayson Johnston has received a $1,000 grant for his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). FFA advisor Jarod Massey said Joh...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}{"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Franklin Living: Marathon runner, love never dims, and more
    Franklin Living, News, Z - News Main, ...
    We Say
    Franklin Living: Marathon runner, love never dims, and more
    Staff Reports 
    May 6, 2025
    There’s a lot of interesting folks in Franklin County, and we’re pleased to highlight them in our magazine, Franklin Living. The May/June issue is now...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}{"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Vina 7th grader finishes 2nd in state 3200M race
    News, Sports
    Vina 7th grader finishes 2nd in state 3200M race
    Bart Moss For the FCT 
    May 6, 2025
    Vina seventh grader Lindie Easterling finished second in the Class 1A state 3200 meter run (2-mile). Easterling finished a distant second to Kaylie Ke...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}{"newsletter":"Newsletter"}

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    ❮ ❯
    Latest Local News
    Check out this week’s Franklin County Times! – May 7, 2025
    Check out this week’s Franklin County Times! – May 7, 2025
    Check out this week's Franklin County Times! May 7, 2025 Available online and in black newspaper boxes around the county.
    May 7, 2025
    Red Bay passes alcohol ordinance
    Red Bay passes alcohol ordinance
    RED BAY – The city now has an alcohol ordinance in effect and interested parties may apply for an alcohol license. The move to adopt an ordinance is a...
    May 6, 2025
    Unified purpose marks National Day of Prayer
    Unified purpose marks National Day of Prayer
    RED BAY -- Red Bay community members came together at the gazebo in Bay Tree Park to offer united voices of faith on the annual National Day of Prayer...
    May 6, 2025
    Sheriff willing to work with ICE
    Sheriff willing to work with ICE
    RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver praised his county’s Hispanic community and said his involvement with the U.S. Immigration and C...
    May 6, 2025
    VFW, other volunteers take part in day of service
    VFW, other volunteers take part in day of service
    RUSSELLVILLE – Volunteers from the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars members and others spent time Saturday cleaning up monuments in Russe...
    May 6, 2025

    More Local News

    Latest Stories
    Franklin County Health Scores
    43 Grill – 15110 Hwy 43, Russellville – Score 95, 4-2-- 2025 Bay City Nutrition – 910 4th St., Red Bay – Score 99, 4-14-2025 Big Star #345 – Deli – 40...
    May 6, 2025
    Obituaries
    Justin Alexander Jewell May 1, 2025 Justin Alexander Jewell, 21, of Phil Campbell, passed away May 1. Visitation was held May 5 from 2-5 p.m. at Pleas...
    May 6, 2025
    Marriages
    Apr. 22 • Orlando Martel Gates to Cassidy Renae Stone Apr. 23 • Jose Antonio Galvan Chavez to Carmen Leonor Romo Velazquez • Oscar Molina Sandoval to ...
    May 6, 2025
    Land Transactions
    Apr.22 • Tony and Tonya Welch to Justin and Alanis Epperson, survivorship • Federal National Mortgage Association and Fannie Mae to Derek and Damita H...
    May 6, 2025
    Belgreen, Tharptown advance
    Despite falling short in their area championship games, both the Belgreen Bulldogs and the Tharptown Wildcats secured their spots in the Class 2A Nort...
    May 6, 2025
    Latest Sports
    Vina 7th grader finishes 2nd in state 3200M race
    Vina 7th grader finishes 2nd in state 3200M race
    Vina seventh grader Lindie Easterling finished second in the Class 1A state 3200 meter run (2-mile). Easterling finished a distant second to Kaylie Ke...
    May 6, 2025
    Belgreen, Tharptown advance
    Despite falling short in their area championship games, both the Belgreen Bulldogs and the Tharptown Wildcats secured their spots in the Class 2A Nort...
    May 6, 2025
    ‘Everyone belongs, every achievement is celebrated’
    ‘Everyone belongs, every achievement is celebrated’
    RUSSELLVILLE -- More than 70 students from across the county took part in the third annual Special Olympics at Tharptown Elementary School. Activities...
    May 6, 2025
    Red Bay playoff hopes halted by Mars Hill
    Red Bay playoff hopes halted by Mars Hill
    The Red Bay Tigers’ impressive baseball season came to a heartbreaking conclusion over the weekend as they were edged out by the Mars Hill Panthers in...
    May 6, 2025
    NWSCC names new head cross country coach
    NWSCC names new head cross country coach
    PHIL CAMPBELL - Heath White is the new head coach of the cross country program at Northwest Shoals Community College. A former NWSCC cross country ath...
    May 6, 2025

    More Sports Stories

    x

    Sections

    • Home
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Lifestyles
    • Obits
    • Special Sections
    • Sponsored Content
      • Home
      • News
      • Sports
      • Opinion
      • Lifestyles
      • Obits
      • Special Sections
      • Sponsored Content

    Services

    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise With Us
    • Policies
    • Terms of use
    • Submit a news tip
    • Submit a photo
    • Birth announcement
    • Birthday announcement
    • Engagement announcement
    • Wedding announcement
    • Submit a Classified Ad
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter
      • About Us
      • Subscribe
      • Advertise With Us
      • Policies
      • Terms of use
      • Submit a news tip
      • Submit a photo
      • Birth announcement
      • Birthday announcement
      • Engagement announcement
      • Wedding announcement
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Letter to the Editor
      • Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter

    Follow Us

    Copyright

    © , Franklin County Times