Bob Glauber's Hot Reads
Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt watches his team work through warm-ups prior to a football game against the New York Giants. (Dec. 20, 1998) Credit: AP
A 9/11 remembrance from Kansas City
When the Giants played their first game after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, they faced the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and were greeted with a standing ovation from the home crowd. But that wasn’t all that Chiefs fans did to honor the fallen heroes in New York.
Team owner Lamar Hunt wanted to help the rescue workers and their families, and had just the way to do it.
“He said he wanted to pass firemen’s boots through the crowd, take up a collection and then match whatever was collected in the stands and it will go for the fire, police and rescue workers in New York,” said Carl Peterson, the Chiefs’ president and general manager at the time.
Peterson had local fire departments supply about 500 pairs of firemen’s boots, and distributed them to collect money during the game, which the Giants won, 13-3. In all, the Chiefs raised $224,000, and later presented a check for $448,000 to help the first responders.
About a month later, Peterson received a package from someone in New York. Inside was a small toy football player in a Chiefs’ uniform, covered with dust, and a letter from one of the rescue workers.
“He wrote, ‘We know what you did for us at Arrowhead, and I thought you might enjoy this,’ ” Peterson said.
The toy was found in the rubble of the World Trade Center and belonged to a Chiefs fan who had died in the attacks.
Another big year for Bradshaw?
Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is coming off a career-best 1,235 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns last season, but he thinks 2011 will be even better.
“I feel so much more comfortable now,” he said. “Every year, I’ve had to prove myself whenever I touched the field, but now I’m where I need to be. I know the offense from top to bottom, and it makes you feel 10 times more comfortable when you feel that way.”
Cotchery happy to move on
Former Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who asked out shortly after the Jets signed Plaxico Burress, is content with his decision to leave and couldn’t be happier playing with the Steelers.
“I just felt like with everything that went on, I wanted to get in a place where it was a great environment, a great situation for me to be able to come in and continue to develop as a person and a football player,” said Cotchery, who was with the Jets for seven seasons before his release.
“This was a place that felt like I could come in and help these guys win games. I wanted to come in, play for a team that’s contending every year, and just try to help this team win a Super Bowl. They allowed me to come in and put my hand in the pile with them, and I’m thankful for that opportunity.”
The one thing that still bothers him about his departure, though, is the suggestion he did it for selfish reasons.
“When it comes to coming to work and laying it on the line for the team, all the guys know what I’m about,” he said. “Anything that’s said otherwise as far as thinking about myself is not true. Anyone that insinuates it was a selfish move is wrong. I made tons of sacrifices for the organization and for my former teammates. But it was definitely time to move on.”
McCown’s big chance has arrived
The stunning release of Jaguars quarterback David Garrard just five days before the regular season opener has given journeyman Luke McCown a chance he always thought deep down would finally come. McCown, who has suffered two ACL injuries, didn’t play a down in 2005-06and played in just six games over the last three seasons, is now an opening day starter for the first time in his career.
“In my heart of hearts, I always knew I would get another opportunity,” said McCown, 30. “however it came or where, understanding the work that I’ve put in at some point hopefully would pay off.”Now we’ll see just how long McCown’s chance will last. After all, the Jaguars selected Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert in the first round last April, so it’s only a matter of when he takes over as the starter.
In Colt, they trust
Browns second-year quarterback Colt McCoy comes off a solid preseason in which he completed 60.9 percent of his passes and had a 101.7 rating, and rookie head coach Pat Shurmur sees good things for his young passer.“He’s kind of been passing the tests in my mind as we’ve gone along, and Sunday will be the next step,” Shurmur said.But McCoy will be fighting history as he attempts to lead the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The Browns open the season at home for the 12th time in 13 years since returning to Cleveland. They’re 1-11 in season openers since 1999,
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 25: Wrestling and hockey state championships On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay recap all the state wrestling action from Albany this past weekend, plus Jared Valluzzi has the ice hockey championship results from Binghamton.
