In August, Dan Hampton made some predictions for the Tribune that make him justifiably proud as he enters his final regular season game with the Bears.
They also should help get him a job in the TV booth as soon as he wants one.
First of all, Hampton predicted he would make it to the final game on knees that weren`t so sure.
”I`ve got a real crazy feeling about this year. That`s why I wanted to come back,” he said.
His other observations drew scoffs, cards, and letters accusing him of suffering the ”drain bamage” he swears he has escaped despite 12 years of knocking heads.
”Green Bay won`t win eight games,” he said.
All of Wisconsin was offended. The Packers enter the season finale 6-9.
”Minnesota, they`ll be darn lucky to win 10,” he said.
All of Minnesota laughed. The Vikings enter the season finale 6-9.
”I think we`ll win 12,” he said.
After winning only six? Entering Saturday`s finale, the Bears were 11-4.
”Detroit scares the heck out of me,” he said.
All of Michigan agreed. The Lions always frighten their fans. But the Lions finished fast and buried the Bears in their second game.
”Tampa could win 10 games,” he said.
All of Florida was happy. When the Bucs won four of their first six against the weak fifth-place schedule, they should have won six of their next 10. When they lost six in a row instead, coach Ray Perkins was fired.
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”Tampa and Detroit are the teams that could affect our division more than any other,” he said.
Detroit knocked Green Bay out of the wild-card chase last week and Tampa Bay sent Minnesota reeling two weeks ago for the second time this season.
”I`ll bet either Detroit or Tampa Bay will have a better record than Green Bay,” he said.
All are 6-9 entering the final game.
”I`ll bet even more we`ll have a better record than Minnesota,” he said.
Enough said.
Hampton was asked about the Bears` quarterback situation.
”Least of my worries. I think either one of them will be fine. (Mike)
Tomczak just needs to play with confidence, and (Jim) Harbaugh is still on the come,” he said.
What about defensive ends Richard Dent and Trace Armstrong?
”I look for Richard to have a great year,” he said. ”Trace is coming on. I hate to say it, but he reminds me of me 10 years ago.”
Not everything he said came true. Yet.
”The 49ers? I`ve got to take my hat off to them, but I`m not crazy about them. They can be had,” he said. ”I wish we played them this year. They`ll have their hands full with the Rams, and I bet the Falcons beat them at least once.”
If he had just said Saints instead of Falcons. . . .
”It`s Washington and Philadelphia in the East. I`m not a Giants fan,”
he said.
With Phil Simms hurt, it does look like wild-card Washington and Philadelphia in the East.
But the Giants and 49ers did have better seasons than Hampton predicted, didn`t they?
”You wait,” Hampton said recently. ”It`s not over yet.”
Hampton, of course, did not make bets. It was just a figure of speech. But if he had, you can bet he could afford retirement.
– At least one 8-8 team or worse is going to get into the new expanded playoff, but history shows that embarrassment to be unusual.
Since the 16-game schedule in 1978, winning teams have been left out of the playoffs every year, excluding two strike seasons, except 1981.
Last year, for example, the 10-6 Packers and 8-7-1 Chiefs would have advanced under the new 12-team playoff.
In 1985, the 11-5 Broncos and 10-6 Redskins sat home. The same year, the 8-8 Browns won the AFC Central Division.
In 1981, the Redskins, Packers, and Lions were 8-8 and one would have qualified as the third wild-card.
But never have there been so few candidates for the new playoff spot as there are in its first year.
– Detroit`s Barry Sanders is 16 yards behind Buffalo`s Thurman Thomas for the NFL rushing title. Sanders used to sit on Oklahoma State`s bench behind Thomas, too.
The Lions are going for it against Seattle, because Sanders lost the title by 10 yards last season to Kansas City`s Christian Okoye when Sanders refused to enter a game on the final series. The Bills play Washington.
The Lions haven`t had a league-leader in anything since Bryon ”Whizzer” White led in rushing in 1940. That`s Supreme Court Justice White.
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– Steelers` running back Merrill Hoge was a 10th-round draft choice from Idaho State in 1987 hoping to get to the second preseason game against the Bears so he could meet his idol, Walter Payton.
”When I met him I laid out what he`d done, oh, the last 10 years, and why he was my hero,” Hoge said. ”He looked at me with the nicest smile and said, `That`s the nicest thing anyone ever told me.` He shook my hand and told me, `Keep working hard and you`ll do well.` ”
Hoge leads the Steelers in rushing with 735 yards.
– David Moore, president of American Indian Bible College in Arizona: ”If the NFL were really motivated by ethnic concerns, why would (it) have a team called the Redskins?”