Quick Kicks

Switzer opens up

In a team meeting last week, much-maligned Dallas coach Barry Switzer told the Cowboys about his tough upbringing, which included the death of his parents.

His mother committed suicide and years later, his father was shot, and died in a car accident on the way to the hospital.

“I’m an emotional guy, and I talked about how, in the tough times, you have to be tough,” Switzer said. “I told them the reason I can handle all of this is because of those personal experiences. You have to be a thick, tough SOB to be in this profession.”

Switzer has been mocked by fans and pundits alike for his decision not to punt on fourth-and-1 in last weekend’s 20-17 loss to Philadelphia. The Eagles stopped the Cowboys on the play, setting up the Gary Anderson’s 42-yard game-winning field goal.

Niners take time to gloat

While Switzer’s decision drew boos in Big D, it was celebrated in Charlotte by the 49ers, who had just defeated the Panthers and were eagerly awaiting the outcome of the Dallas game.

In the 49ers’ locker room, team president Carmen Policy quickly got on the phone in the trainer’s room with Niners owner Ed DeBartolo, who was home in Youngstown, Ohio, with the flu.

DeBartolo was watching the end of the Cowboys-Eagles game and when Policy called, Switzer had just made his fateful decision. With about 12 players crowding around and a handful by the door to the trainer’s room, DeBartolo called the play-by-play for Policy.

When the game ended, a celebration broke out.

“It was unbelievable,” said Policy, whose team regained home-field advantage. “Everybody is feeling good. But when you’ve been as low as we’ve been, you take nothing for granted.”

Nice move, Bill

Not that Browns coach Bill Belichick is losing it, but one week he called a timeout with 1 second left to kick a field goal in a 31-13 loss to the Chargers, then the next he engaged in a sideline shouting match with mild-mannered Vikings receiver Cris Carter.

The day after their encounter, which was captured on national television, Belichick denied it had occurred.

Tough love

The word on the league’s streets is that the Chicago Bears have finally buckled under the tough regime of Dave Wannstedt.

Opponents say their players are quitting late in games because there is nobody in their huddle to lead them. By design, everything on that team revolves around the coaches, who are bright but need to let up on the pressure before even they are squashed.

The Aint’s again

New Orleans quarterback Jim Everett’s second touchdown pass in Saturday’s loss to Green Bay broke Archie Manning’s club record of 23 in a season. Saints fans apparently didn’t care.

In fact, fans cheering for Packers quarterback Brett Favre may have outnumbered those in support of Everett. More than 50 of Favre’s friends and relatives made the 1-hour drive from Kiln, Miss., (pop. 410), to the Superdome for Saturday’s game.

Favre’s immediate family lives on Kiln’s Irvin Favre Road, named for the quarterback’s father, a retired high school football coach.

, DataTimes