There is no cheering in the press box. But every once in a while, I sure am tempted.
Case in point: last season, in Oakland, at halftime of the Broncos’ 31-3 victory over the Raiders. That’s when former Broncos running back Reuben Droughns – one of the good guys in the game – stood up to Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp – one of the game’s biggest prima donnas.
“I told him he was washed up,” Droughns said after pounding the Raiders for 176 yards. “That’s what really got him.”
Droughns isn’t the only one who thinks Sapp – a seven-time Pro Bowl selection who once was considered the most dominant defensive tackle in the NFL – is a dinosaur.
In fact, Carolina defensive tackle Kris Jenkins says Sapp is a smelly, nasty dinosaur.
“I hate him,” Jenkins told The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer last week. “Everybody says I’m supposed to be polite when I talk to you all, but I hate him. He talks too much. He doesn’t make sense. He’s fat. He’s sloppy. He acts like he’s the best thing since sliced bread. He’s ugly. He stinks. His mouth stinks. His breath stinks, and basically his soul stinks, too.
“Not too many people have personalities like that and survive in life. I don’t know how he does it.”
Good company
The following might tell you a little something about the current state of professional sports: In Philadelphia, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, one of the NFL’s class acts and a true team player, had to defend himself for being perceived as a “company man.”
“I definitely need to know the definition of a ‘company man,”‘ McNabb told reporters. “I think a smart player, a smart athlete, a smart person, knowing how to handle the situations, and knowing how to handle things in the right manner, that may be something that defines me.
“How would you look at a company man? What is a company man? When people say that, it brings a smile to my face because I have no idea what they’re talking about. It could be negative, it could be positive, but personally I don’t care.”
Critic burns Rice
Not everyone is enamored of the Broncos’ offseason moves. CBS SportsLine senior writer Pete Prisco recently wrote a column in which he was critical of Denver bringing in four Cleveland Browns linemen, and was especially critical of wide receiver Jerry Rice’s decision to continue playing at age 42.
“He was a joy to watch. Now he’s not,” Prisco wrote. “Rice was never a burner, but now he’d have trouble separating from a high school corner. Why he continues to play is mystifying. Let’s hope his magical career isn’t tarnished by this move.”
Prisco also quoted an unnamed NFC personnel director who said this about Broncos coach Mike Shanahan’s decisions: “Some of those guys he brought in are big bums. They flopped at other spots badly. What’s to think they’ll make it there?”
Whether you agree or disagree, the Broncos’ offseason sure wasn’t boring.
Hair-raising
The best quote from the Broncos’ offseason practice sessions came last week from cornerback Champ Bailey. During a discussion of the new rule that outlaws “horse collar” tackles, Bailey said defenders are running out of ways to bring down ball carriers from behind.
“They tell us to tuck our shirts in, so you can’t grab those,” Bailey said. “If you’re playing Ricky Williams you can grab a braid or something.”
Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
