Say What?

By Tim McManus

The 2006 football season was, if nothing else, memorable. We witnessed maybe the greatest rushing performance of all-time. Saw T.O. take his circus act to new heights. And got to see what happens when a Denny Green-coached team lets their opponent off the hook.

A star en espanol. A handful of coaches and players saying things they'd regret. A passing of a legend. For better or worse, this was 2006 in the NFL. And it all got underway with 16 of the most historically-significant and utterly confounding words the league has ever heard:

"With the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select Mario Williams."

--- Commissioner Paul Tagliabue

"My name isn't Chad no more. Anybody that writes about whatever I say today, you call me Ocho Cinco. Do not say 'Chad.' You're going to get a pay cut. I'm not playing. Questions? DeAngelo Fall. Do not say Hall or I'm going to stop the interview."

--- Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson

"Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive."

--- Terrell Owens' publicist Kim Etheredge

"The fact of the matter is we are 6-5. We have lost three games in a row. What do you want us to do, put our head down and run to a corner? We don't do that. We're men. We get back, we practice hard. We prepare to play to win. We don't prepare to come in and have someone who wants to take a comment and try to divide teammates in a way that it just disrupts this team.

"We don't have that division. So if you want to come here with a negative, you are coming to the wrong guy, because I am not a negative guy. I don't kill my teammates. I'm a man and I talk to my teammates."

--- Giants defensive end Michael Strahan

"The Bears are who we thought they were! Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But they are who they thought they were! And we let them off the hook!"

--- Former Arizona coach Dennis Green

"Well, I really have a lot of respect for Ty, and I know he'll do a great job. But if he ever decides to move on, and get in the NFL, or, you know, go back to Notre Dame or whatever ... if that job's open, you'll find me at the friggin' head of the line, with my résumé in hand, ready to take that job...I don't care if we're in the middle of a playoff run, I'm packing my stuff and coming back to Seattle."

--- Former Atlanta head coach Jim Mora Jr.

"When I was in college, it was always (speculation) about coming to the pros. This is the challenge I wanted. I had a good college job. Why would I have left that if I was going to be interested in other college jobs?"

--- Former Dolphins head coach Nick Saban

"Unfortunately, I can't hold their hands 24/7, but it is embarrassing. It's an embarrassment to our organization, to our city, and to our fans."

--- Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis, after the 15th Bengal of the year was arrested

"Or a Marvin Harrison. ... I always think about that, Cris. I always think, if I played in Indianapolis, what type of effect would I have on that team? Or what would I be able to do different? It's something I wish I could do for just one week."

--- Falcons quarterback Michael Vick

"I believe he is the finest running back ever to wear an NFL uniform."

-- San Diego head coach Marty Schottenheimer, on LaDainian Tomlinson

"Maybe because I'm unhappy and I'm not too much excited about what's going on. So, my concentration and focus level tend to go down sometimes when I'm in a bad mood. All I can say is if you put me in a good situation and make me happy, man, you get good results."

-- Oakland wide receiver Randy Moss

"I always felt that he placed playing, in every way, by the rules in front of winning. Winning by the rules of the game or the rules of life was extremely important to him. Unlike most, he did not feel that bending the rules to help him win was worthwhile.

"No one I've ever known in coaching have I admired more than him."

-- Bobby Knight on Bo Schembechler

McManus' column will appear on The Phanatic every Thursday. You can contact Tim at tmcm1997@yahoo.com


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