Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

On page 52 of the September 9, 1994 issue of Inside Sports (NFL Preview), Bob Trumpy said that the Patriots are going to be the best team in the NFL in five years. Interesting, because he ended up being off by two years:

https://archive.org/details/inside-spor ... 2/mode/2up

Not only did Trumpy say that, but Greg Garber had a feature starting on page 60 called The Man and The Plan. Pats had a bright future, according to Inside Sports. They would be right, but not how anyone could have even imagined.

The Bears preview has be dying with laughter.

Important offseason departures gives "QB Peter Tom Willis (released)" a mention. LOL

Ditka's analysis hilarious.

On Conway: "He's got to be a big play guy. He's got to be a tough guy. He's got to be a guy who doesn't bitch and just goes out there and plays."

On the draft: "I think Coach Dave Wannstadt has some control over the draft day decisions. I really don't know who else would. The owner doesn't know anything about football."

The entire magazine is worth a re-read because Ditka handles the entire NFC.

-Ditka picked the Cardinals to win the NFC East

"Philadelphia doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell"

"Any team that doesn't carry a tight-end is stupid"

Hail Casares wrote:The Bears preview has be dying with laughter.

Important offseason departures gives "QB Peter Tom Willis (released)" a mention. LOL

Ditka's analysis hilarious.

On Conway: "He's got to be a big play guy. He's got to be a tough guy. He's got to be a guy who doesn't bitch and just goes out there and plays."

On the draft: "I think Coach Dave Wannstadt has some control over the draft day decisions. I really don't know who else would. The owner doesn't know anything about football."

The entire magazine is worth a re-read because Ditka handles the entire NFC.


-Ditka picked the Cardinals to win the NFC East

"Philadelphia doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell"

"Any team that doesn't carry a tight-end is stupid"

What was that about? Was there perhaps a thaw in the Ditka/Ryan war at this point?

fwiw the Cardinals were being talked up a bit. Buddyball etc. Probably just trying to sell tickets as they'd really struggled playing in that awful frying pan of a stadium. But that team had so many question marks. Unsettled at QB with McMahon/Beuerlein/Schroeder, middling receivers. Too much reliance on vets getting long in the tooth like Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Wilber Marshall.

sheajets wrote:
What was that about? Was there perhaps a thaw in the Ditka/Ryan war at this point?

fwiw the Cardinals were being talked up a bit. Buddyball etc. Probably just trying to sell tickets as they'd really struggled playing in that awful frying pan of a stadium. But that team had so many question marks. Unsettled at QB with McMahon/Beuerlein/Schroeder, middling receivers. Too much reliance on vets getting long in the tooth like Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Wilber Marshall.

Not sure. Could be the couple of former 85 Bears on the team. Buddy and Ditka could have had a better relationship by that point as well. Not sure.

Hail Casares wrote:

sheajets wrote:
What was that about? Was there perhaps a thaw in the Ditka/Ryan war at this point?

fwiw the Cardinals were being talked up a bit. Buddyball etc. Probably just trying to sell tickets as they'd really struggled playing in that awful frying pan of a stadium. But that team had so many question marks. Unsettled at QB with McMahon/Beuerlein/Schroeder, middling receivers. Too much reliance on vets getting long in the tooth like Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Wilber Marshall.

Not sure. Could be the couple of former 85 Bears on the team. Buddy and Ditka could have had a better relationship by that point as well. Not sure.

I took it to mean that Ditka wanted people to think that the Cards should win their division, and then when the Cards fall on their faces, it makes Buddy look like a bad coach.