Editor's Note: Below are excerpts from a questions and answers column called "Coach's Corner." Staff writer Josh Koehn and former Gavilan football coach Bob Garcia, father of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia, will talk about all things football. A longer version of the discussion will be posted to the sports blog, GarlicSports.com.
Koehn: Bobby, it's Josh Koehn.
Garcia: Hey, Josh. What's happening?
K: Not much. How you doing?
G: I'm doing all right, just got a little chewed out by my son a little bit.
K: Really?
G: Well, that last article we put out, Tampa Bay, I don't know which paper it was, ran it in its full content. I feel bad that I mentioned, like, Derrick Brooks, a pulled hamstring, that he looked like he was in a wheelchair. He was really trying -- it kind of hurt him.
K: Well, you mentioned he had an injury and everything.
G: I know it. Anyhow, whatever. I feel bad about that. I really did.
K: Well, we're not trying to --
G: We're not trying to rip anybody. Whatever. ... I except full responsibility for what came out of my mouth. What the hell? What more can I say?
G: Well, we're going to try to keep you out of trouble this week and just talk about the playoffs then.
K: Well, you know what, my two teams that I picked (for the Super Bowl), hell, they're already out the door. So, I gotta hang it up, man.
K: You probably shouldn't be a fortune teller, but you still have some expertise.
G: Not as far as predicting. I told you the time we went to Tahoe, me and my brother-in-law, hell, between our coaching (experience) we got 50 years, or whatever, and out of six games I think we got one right.
K: That's why I say anybody that bets on football, especially the NFL, is crazy.
G: Oh, yeah, you really don't know. I thought Atlanta had been kind of rolling pretty good. They have a good running attack, they got the good rookie quarterback, good, young receivers, and the defense wasn't playing bad. And Arizona, losing the last two games, and just not playing very well, but they stepped up. Any given day.
K: You had Baltimore beating Miami so you had that one right. Then you had Eagles and Vikings.
G: Who did I have on that one.
K: You had the Eagles.
G: Well, I thought they were rolling pretty good into that game. And then which one did I have?
K: You had San Diego and Indianapolis and you took Indy. You kind of waffled on that one.
G: Yeah, I thought playing at home (on one hand), but then LaDainian Tomlinson being a little hurt (on the other.) But who knew about this (Darren) Sproles kid?
K: Man, that just shows it really doesn't matter how big you are. If you're a good player, you're going to get it done on the field.
G: The guy is a good player. He has tremendous speed and once he gets to the outside, I'm telling you, the little guy, hey, he can run. They say, 'Is he an every down player?' Well, you know what, he was that game.
K: Hey, Warrick Dunn did it. Maybe he can be as good as him.
G: Anyhow, I've said ever since I watched Baltimore a couple games, especially against Dallas, their defense is just unbelievable.
K: We talked about how good Ray Lewis is. How about Ed Reed? He's gotta be one of the best safeties of all time.
G: Well, people talk about who's the best centerfielder of all time in baseball. Is it Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio? Well, you know what, who's is the best to ever play safety? This guy just knows how to play that position.
Josh Koehn Josh Koehn is the sports editor of the Gilroy Dispatch.
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