Something Evil Underfoot

Sam Farmer of the San Jose Mercury News recalls that in the old days, the Oakland Raiders were accused of letting their grass grow to slow opposing teams.

“That was ridiculous,” team executive Al LoCasale scoffed. “Why would we want to do that when we had Cliff Branch?”

When it comes to conspiracy theories, The Raiders had a legitimate beef when they played the 1975 AFC championship at Pittsburgh. It snowed the night before the game, and the Steelers claimed the tarp blew off the field. Strangely, only the perimeters of the field were frozen, severely hampering Oakland’s perimeter passing attack. The Raiders lost 16-10.

“Jim Otto was our business manager at the time,” LoCasale said. “I told him, `Jim, if we have to play here late in the season again, you’re going to get a chair and a shotgun and watch that tarp. If it moves, you shoot.”’

Detouring their rivals

Add Farmer: That said, some teams will go to great lengths to get an edge. Take the Washington Redskins, for instance. Their owner, Daniel Snyder, made things as inconvenient as possible for the visiting Baltimore Ravens a couple of weekends ago in the “Battle of the Beltway.”

The Ravens have some legitimate gripes. They arrived at FedEx Field in seven buses filled with players and club personnel. The first three buses were waved into the parking lot, but the last four were routed to remote lots. The Ravens were charged $40 to park each of those four buses.

Making matters worse - or at least more humorous - Art Modell was aboard one of the latter buses and the Ravens had to scramble to get a golf cart to ferry the 75-year-old team owner to the stadium.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia News reports that: “Ricky Williams is playing much better (he has four straight 100-yard rushing performances) than he did as a rookie, but his behavior is no less bizarre.

“During an interview the other day, a reporter asked Williams about winning the Heisman Trophy. The Rickster’s response: `I didn’t win the Heisman Trophy. What are you talking about?”’

NFL life explained

New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Rick Venturi says, “I tell our guys we live the life cycle of a fruit fly each week. We live a few days and die every Sunday. Then a new life cycle begins on Monday.”

Dead is dead

Seahawks cornerback Shawn Springs, comparing the offenses of the Rams and the Colts:

“One is like an atomic bomb, the other is like a gas bomb. They’re both going to kill you.”

Of course, in the case of the Seahawks, they’re just a bomb, period.

The last word …

“Loneliest guy in town: Being punter for the St. Louis Rams is the new millennium equivalent of being the Maytag repairman.”

- Mike Ashley of Sportsnote.com.