Sunday, October 26, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Ten years later, the Denver Broncos have another Tommy Maddox story going, only it's not the kind they had on their hands in the early 1990s.

Danny Kanell, the Broncos' new starting quarterback, has a Maddox-like resume of today, not the one when Maddox was a first-round draft pick from UCLA.

Like Maddox, Kanell renewed his football career by playing in the Arena League after he was cut in 2000 by the Falcons, the same team that gave Maddox his walking papers, sending him into the insurance business for two years. Kanell played for the New York Dragons of the AFL. He even played for the independent minor-league baseball team, the Newark Bears, where he replaced Jose Canseco at first base.

Kanell and Maddox have other connections. When the Giants cut Maddox in 1996, he sold his 740 BMW to Kanell, who was their fourth-round pick that year. In Atlanta, Kanell backed up Chris Chandler, the quarterback Maddox backed up with the Rams in 1994.

That's why Kanell sprinted to Maddox after the Steelers lost in Denver Oct. 12, thanking him for the inspiration.

"I told him how he was a great example for me and how seeing what he did really kept me pursuing a comeback," Kanell said. "Guys like Tommy, Kurt Warner, Jeff Garcia -- guys who have kind of taken their various ways -- those are the guys I looked at and said, 'Hey, if they can do it, I can, too.' "

Kanell also followed Maddox's example by sending letters to 15 NFL teams asking for a job. He will make his first start for Denver today in Baltimore.

"I just hope I have half the success that he's had since he's come back," Kanell said of Maddox.

Shaken by defeat

It's not quite like Sam Wyche complaining in the 1980s that Chuck Noll would not shake his hand after games, but it did surprise many when Baltimore coach Brian Billick gave Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis a barely-there handshake after the Bengals upset the Ravens last week.

"Forgive me if I'm not popping champagne bottles for him," said Billick, who employed Lewis as his defensive coordinator until Lewis left for Washington in 2002. "I'm critiqued a lot of ways, but to be now critiqued on how long I linger on a handshake at the end of a game, I don't know. I went over, congratulated Marvin. It was a great win for him. Our guys have a lot of affection for Marvin."

Run over

Dave Campo must have that run-down feeling. He's the coordinator of a Browns defense that gave up an NFL-record 295 yards rushing to Jamal Lewis in the second game of the season, and 200 more to San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson last week. Campo also was the head coach in Dallas in 2000, when the Cowboys allowed a hat trick of three 200-yard rushing games.

Quick slants

The Bengals have 13 players on their roster with playoff experience after acquiring punter Kyle Richardson recently. None, of course, earned it with the Bengals.

Tennessee scored 30 points in four consecutive games, the first time for the Houston-born franchise since 1962.

Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich needs 212 yards passing against Tennessee today to have the most passing yards of any rookie in his first four starts since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. He has 823 yards; Vinny Testaverde had 1,034.

Miami might surpass its 1972 undefeated team if it could play only AFC West opponents. The Dolphins, who play San Diego tomorrow night, are 15-1 in their past 16 games against the AFC West.

The state of Texas boasts the most NFL owners with six, and the way some of their teams are playing, two Texans could square off in the owners' boxes at the Super Bowl in Houston. The Texas owners are Bob McNair (Texans), Bud Adams (Titans), Jerry Jones (Cowboys), Lamar Hunt (Chiefs), Red McCombs (Vikings) and Tom Benson (Saints). Their teams' combined record is 28-11.

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