2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2008
Give me victory, or give me teeth!
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Guinean soccer fan during their Africa Cup of Nations group B soccer match against Namibia in Sekondi, Ghana, Monday.
sports trivia
— nflplayers.com
Q: Where did New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan go to college?
calendar
TOMORROW
Michael Strahan set the all-time-season sack record with 22.5 in the 2001 season. The sack to break the record came in the final game of the season against Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. The record, however, is tainted in the eyes of some because they accuse Favre of purposefully falling down so Strahan could touch him and break the record. Favre and Strahan, who are friends, deny the conspiracy theory.
sports fact of the day
A: Texas Southern. Strahan attended the college in Houston after growing up in Germany. Strahan was named Division 1-AA Defensive Player of the Year during his senior season.
— sportingnews.com
sports quote
Track & Field: Husker Invitational, All day, Lincoln, Neb.
"Who says I'm quitting? You know everybody says that I am going out like Bettis and Elway. OK, they both won Super Bowls and went and quit. But Elway won two in a row, so who is to say that next year I don't come back and try to win another?"
— Michael Strahan on the possibility of retiring if the Giants win the Super Bowl.
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>> NFL
Saunders new St. Louis coordinator Former Chiefs coach hired to improve dismal Rams attack
BY R.B. FALLSTROM ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Entering his third season with the St. Louis Rams, coach Scott Linehan has given up play-calling duties for the third time.
On Wednesday he handed that responsibility to Al Saunders, who got a three-year contract as the team's offensive coordinator. Saunders replaces Greg Olson, who was impressive in a six-game stint at the end of 2006 after Linehan decided to delegate authority in his first season, helping the Rams finish 8-8, but then struggled with a
beat-up offense during a three-win season before Linehan seized back that responsibility.
Saunders, 60, was offensive coordinator and associate head coach the last two seasons at Washington before being fired on Saturday. Lineah said he jumped at the chance to hire Saunders, probably the final hire in a coaching staff overhaul.
"I was very, very open to the fact I needed help," Linehan said in a teleconference. "We had a tough season and it's what you learn after you think you know it all that counts. I learned that the hard way."
Saunders begins his second stint
with the Rams after serving as an assistant under Dick Vermeil in 1999 and 2000, helping the Rams win their first Super Bowl after the '99 season. Olson has been hired by the Bucs as quarterbacks coach.
The Redskins' rushing attack was fifth in the NFC last year and 12th overall, averaging 116.9 yards per game with Clinton Portis rushing for 1,262 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2006, Washington was fourth in the NFL with 138.5 yards per game and the offensive line allowed only 19 sacks.
Linehan said Saunders was on his "fantasy list" as a possible replacement for Olson. He said the two have similar philosophies and that Saunders would have "full authority" of the play-calling.
The Redskins had only 17 turnovers in 2006, second-fewest in the league.
Linehan said none of the changes was mandated by team president John Shaw, with whom he met in Los Angeles a few weeks after the season. He said he didn't anticipate any additional changes.
"I've got to say it re-energized me just to have an opportunity to do this," Linehan said. "It really sets the tempo for our season."
Earlier in the month, the Rams fired offensive line coach Paul Boudreau, secondary coach Willy Robinson and running backs coach Wayne Moses. All served two seasons under Linehan.
Linehan has also hired Art Valero as assistant head coach and running backs coach and Steve Loney to coach the offensive line.
"John didn't tell me anything as far as what I had to do and didn't have to do," Linehan said. "I said I'd like to make some changes and I made a few changes prior and a few since.
"There were never any mandates of any kind, it was a very open discussion of the areas where we fell short, which were many."
Saunders was associate head coach and wide receivers coach in his earlier stint with St. Louis, helping the Rams lead the NFL in total offense and points per game in 1999 and total 540 points in 2000, the third-highest total in NFL history. He was known for his high-energy style in practice, typically sprinting downfield to offer instant coaching tips to the wide receivers.
Prior to joining the Redskins, Saunders was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. During those seasons, the Chiefs led the NFL with 2,157 points.
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