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This sure says something for the Rooneys in Pittsburgh, where Bill Cowher has just rewarded the Steelers organization for its patience by taking the club to its second Super Bowl during his 14 seasons. Hired in 1992, the 48-year-old Cowher has the longest, uninterrupted tenure of any NFL head coach with the same team. Now it's helped Cowher has finished with only three losing seasons in these 14 years, the last 6-10 in 2003. Next in line are Denver's Mike Shanahan and Tennessee's Jeff Fisher with 11 seasons . . . . And get this, starting in 2003, when the Cowboys hired Parcells, there have now been 20 coaching changes among the NFL's 32 teams . . . .
You might enjoy this. The Super Bowl XL Host Committee had this listed on the Media Hospitality memo emailed out last week: Bring a heavy winter coat. The average temperature during the first week in February is 27 degrees. A heavy coat is necessary, along with gloves, a scarf, and a winter hat. Boots and shoe protectors are also recommended. No kidding. No one is mistaking Detroit for Cabo or anything . . . .
The City of Irving does not plan to go quietly into the night with the Cowboys playing just three more seasons at Texas Stadium before moving into their new Arlington, Texas, digs. The City is proposing a vote to OK a $10 ticket tax - per person, per game - a $3 parking tax - per car, per game - and a $5,000 player participation tax per game, all of which is projected to raise $30 million over the next three years. That money would be used to help develop the Texas Stadium site after the Cowboys leave. But whatever they do, in a recent agreement with the Cowboys in exchange for five acres of land adjacent to Texas Stadium the Cowboys are giving the City, Irving has signed a non-compete clause with the Cowboys, assuring them it will not try to attract any professional, college, high-profile high school football games and concerts that would directly compete with the Cowboys' new stadium business in Arlington. Was thinking, if every stadium tried to do that, some poor rookie making $230,000 - before taxes - would be out $100,000 by time a 20-game season is completed. Yee-ouch! . . .
Wonder if Washington paying defensive coordinator Gregg Williams $2.7 million a year and newly hired offensive coordinator Al Saunders a cool $2 million a year will cause the NFL and NFLPA to look at a possible salary cap for staffs? Because right now the hang-ups on the new CBA have to do mostly with revenue-sharing . . . .
And all these new coaches are starting to share a lot of revenue.
