Ram Notebook : Players Say Pro Bowl Selection Process Is Far From Faultless

Ram kicker Mike Lansford had an interesting comment about the way the National Football League’s Pro Bowl teams are selected.

“I think the media or the coaches should have a bigger part,” he said. “The players really don’t follow the game.”

Many players agree with Lansford, and not necessarily because they aren’t selected. Usually they complain because deserving teammates are overlooked.

After the Rams voted last Monday, Lansford came out of the meeting and said: “I didn’t know what was going on. Nobody does. The voting is rather confusing.”

Gary Jeter said earlier this week: “It’s a joke.”

When it came to selecting a kicker, Lansford said, “Somebody asked, ‘How about Rafael (Septien of Dallas)?’ I said, ‘Well, he’s about 10th in the league this year.’ ‘Oh.’ ”

That’s about the way it goes with every club in the league. The skill positions are easy to pick. Most players know who’s leading the league in rushing and who’s throwing and catching the touchdown passes, even if they don’t watch Monday night football. But who knows who’s doing the blocking and tackling?

Harry Carson, the Giants’ aging linebacker, was so embarrassed to be chosen last year that he suggested that the Rams’ Jim Collins, an alternate, go in his place. Carson knew who had the better season.

But this year it’s Carson again, with Collins on standby.

“I was a little surprised to be named, not that I don’t deserve to go,” Carson said. “Last year, I was hurt most of the year and I thought Collins deserved to go more than I did. But I’m not going to say that this year, although both of the Rams’ inside backers (Collins and Carl Ekern) are having good years.”

Frankly, a couple of Rams who had seen better seasons were elected this week, but that doesn’t balance it out for Collins.

The easy way is to pick the guys who have been picked before. Given that type of input, it’s no wonder that the Pro Bowl teams have become the NFL’s answer to Club Med for certain players whose low-profile positions are their greatest assets. Every year they get voted a free trip for two to Hawaii, whether they deserve it or not.

But if the players don’t like the system, they have only themselves to blame.

When Ram guard Dennis Harrah and cornerback LeRoy Irvin were chosen for the Pro Bowl this week, their first thoughts were of personal pride but their second thoughts were for others.

“Coach (John) Robinson called me,” Harrah said. “He started beating around the bush, and I started wondering what I’d done wrong. Then when he told me, I just slumped down on the couch. I was ecstatic.”

Center Doug Smith also was re-elected but may not be able to play in the game if his nerve problem is not resolved. He was placed on injured reserve last week.

“If anybody’s had a rough year, it’s been Doug,” Harrah said. “He was sick the whole first half with a strain of the flu that would kick King Kong’s butt, and now with the problem he has, I’m sure glad for him to be picked for the Pro Bowl again.”

Irvin leads the Rams with 22 passes defensed--10 more than the next player--and shares the interception lead with Gary Green at six.

“I feel good, but I feel bad that Gary didn’t get invited,” Irvin said. “He has been tutoring me for two years. The main reason I’m doing so well is that our defense is playing so well and taking a lot of pressure off me.”

Ever since Ron Brown returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against Green Bay a month ago, opponents have been kicking away from him.

The St. Louis Cardinals took it to extremes with squibs and onside kicks, surrendering field position rather than risk a long return.

Special teams coach Gil Haskell doesn’t expect the Raiders to do that Monday night.

“That’s not their style,” Haskell said. “I think they’ll kick to him.”

But if they don’t, Haskell said, “If we get it at our 30 or better, we’ll take it.”

Robinson was a Raider assistant under John Madden in 1975. Their offensive philosophy hasn’t changed much in 10 years, he said.

“In those days, they believed in pushing the ball up the field with the passing game,” he said. “They still do to some extent, but probably the biggest change is that they’ve become tailback-oriented rather than fullback-oriented.

“The fullback is now the straight man in the offense. Marcus Allen gives them the dynamics in the offense, and then some.”

Press relations became an issue when the Rams emerged from their slump to win the NFC West after absorbing critical abuse for several weeks. It didn’t seem to matter that most of the criticism was accurate.

Didn’t Harrah say at New Orleans: “We’re in first place, and we stink”?

Personally, Robinson has always had excellent rapport with the media, but this week he said: “It’s surprising how sensitive the press is. They had a chance to be on us at will for a long time, and I think our team was upset. Some of the buildup for our football team was using that anger.

“I think we hurt some feelings there, but that’s all right. That’s part of the relationship. The relationship that you have with press people isn’t a one-way relationship all the time, although sometimes the press thinks it is--that they’re the judges and the critics and they can treat you any way they want, and there’s no recourse.

Ram Notes Running back Eric Dickerson left Thursday’s practice early after suffering a strain in his right hamstring. He said he’ll be fine and is expected to practice today. . . . The Rams have listed guard Dennis Harrah (calf), safety Johnnie Johnson (hamstring), running back Mike Guman (back) and tight end James McDonald (ankle) as probable for Monday night’s game against the Raiders. . . . Here’s how the Rams voted for the Pro Bowl: Offense--Wide receivers: Tony Hill (Dallas) and Art Monk (Washington). Tackles: Jim Covert (Chicago) and Brad Benson (Giants). Guards: Russ Grimm (Washington) and John Ayers (San Francisco). Center: Jeff Van Note (Atlanta). Tight end: Doug Cosbie (Dallas). Quarterback: Joe Montana (San Francisco). Running backs: Roger Craig (San Francisco) and Walter Payton (Chicago). Defense--Ends: Bruce Clark (New Orleans) and Leonard Marshall (Giants). Tackle: Ken Clark (Philadelphia). Outside linebackers: Lawrence Taylor (Giants) and Rickey Jackson (New Orleans). Inside linebackers: Mike Singletary (Chicago) and E.J. Junior (St. Louis). Cornerbacks: Eric Wright (San Francisco) and Herman Edwards (Philadelphia). Safeties: Carlton Williamson (San Francisco) and Wes Hopkins (Philadelphia). Punter: Sean Landeta (Giants). Kicker: Morten Andersen (New Orleans). Kick returner: Willie Gault (Chicago). Special teams player: Major Everett (Philadelphia).