THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 6, 1994 TAG: 9411060315
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
That was some reception Jets' kicker Nick Lowery received during a recent weekend trip home to Kansas City. By the time it was finished, the following had occurred:
Chiefs' GM Carl Peterson called NFL headquarters and the Jets to deny he was tampering with Lowery, a charge neither party was even vaguely aware could be raised.
Peterson evicted Lowery from the Chiefs' sideline during a game.
Lowery was mobbed by adoring Chiefs fans, who have fond memories of his 14 seasons with them.
Lowery wrote a letter of apology to Chiefs kicker Lin Elliott for appearing to gloat about a field goal Elliott missed.
Here's what happened:
Lowery owns 10 season tickets to Chiefs games and intended to use them to watch K.C. play Seattle. But Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith invited him to visit some of his former teammates before the game, then to stand on the Chiefs' sideline.
Peterson, who is said to be angry at Lowery and the Jets for signing the kicker and defensive tackle Tony Casillas, asked Lowery if he had a pass. Lowery didn't, and Peterson told him to leave.
``It was inappropriate for him to be there because he is a New York Jet,'' Peterson explained. ``He is under contract to another club.''
Lowery then went to his seat, where fans came over and prompted an impromptu autograph session.
Then, Elliott missed a field goal. Fans seated around Lowery began chanting, ``We want Nick!''
``I stood to acknowledge the applause,'' Lowery said, ``and even gave the fans a tomahawk chop. But when it was shown on television, it looked as if I was gloating that Lin had missed the kick.''
When he got back to New York, Lowery sent Elliott a letter by express mail, saying he wished him good luck and that he wasn't celebrating his missed kick.
The league and Jets GM Dick Steinberg insist Peterson was correct in bouncing Lowery. Lowery, however, says what he was doing before the game ``was not consorting with the enemy'' and doesn't think his actions were inappropriate. He calls it a ``healing experience.''
Too bad the Jets and Chiefs don't play this season.
Talk about Lovefests.
CHATTING WITH ... BRONCOS QB JOHN ELWAY
Q: Your team has won three of its last four games. Has that cooled some of the heat you and your teammates were taking in Denver?
ELWAY: It really got bad after we lost to the Raiders in Mile High. That's the first time in my 12 years I've seen it like that. All of a sudden, it felt like we didn't have a home.
It's always been up and down with me. When I play well, they're on my back, and when I don't, they get on me pretty hard. After 12 years, I've learned to accept that. It's a heck of a lot easier to handle it now than it was eight or 10 years ago.
Q: Did the Broncos believe too much of the preseason hype about themselves? Was that a factor in the bad start?
ELWAY: As much as we all tried to prevent that from happening, I think subconsciously it got to all of us. The way it went, with our picking up the Mike Pritchards, the Anthony Millers, the Leonard Russells and those type of players, there was almost a perception that there was going to be no one who could stop us; we were going to score every time we had the football.
There was no way for us to win because expectations were so high. It affected me and everybody else, and we were all trying a little bit too hard. We didn't let loose and play. I think that's finally behind us. We're playing the way we're capable of playing.
DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO: By his own admission, Broncos running back Leonard Russell had two directions he could have gone in life - the NFL or jail.
Russell's older brother, Tracy, is a seven-time convicted felon, jailed the first time at age 14. Leonard, five years younger, would visit him in detention centers and jails in California.
``He'd tell me, `You can do anything you want if you stay in line. You don't want to be living this life that I'm living. You don't want to always have to watch your back to where you can't sleep and you're always worrying someone else will get you,' '' Russell said.
Tracy now lives in St. Louis. His younger brother sends him money every month.
``I feel like it's payback,'' Russell said. ``He always saw the talent that I really never had that much confidence in. He helped bring it out of me.''
BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT: When Dolphins defensive tackle Tim Bowens arrived in Miami, he immediately deposited his $800,000 signing bonus in the bank. But Bowens, who to that point had never owned a credit card or written a check, called the bank every day for more than a week - just to make sure his money hadn't gone anywhere. Bowens bought himself a Lexus and a condominium, but he's giving a bigger chunk of his $3.1 million contract to build a home for his mother. She's been living in the same trailer since 1969 . . . Jets linebacker Marvin Jones, the fourth player chosen in the 1993 draft, already has forfeited a contract incentive that would have more than doubled his 1997 salary, from $730,000 to $1.5 million. Jones was required to start at least 70 percent of the team's 64 games his first four seasons. He has started only two of 23 so far, and couldn't reach 70 percent even if he started every game from now through the end of 1996 . . . Winning Super Bowl shares this year increase from $38,000 to $42,000. Players on a team that wins three playoff games, including the Super Bowl, will earn $80,000 apiece . . . Bills coach Marv Levy has an idea that owner Ralph Wilson will propose to the league next spring. ``Marv says it does not make any sense to be paying 53 players but only have 45 dressed for the game,'' Wilson said. ``He says, `Why not play all 53?' and I agree. This could cut down on a lot of injuries to some of your regular players who get banged up on special teams.'' MEMO: Material for this column was obtained from Virginian-Pilot and
Ledger-Star wire services. by CNB