Family Feud Is Joined by an Outsider

The feud between John Elway and Dan Reeves continues.

The Denver Bronco quarterback wants to call his own plays. The Denver coach, after giving Elway that privilege briefly last season, has again reserved it for himself.

Not that it will help, but a frustrated Elway has an outspoken ally in former Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

“If you want to win so badly, where’s your brains?” Bradshaw told the Sporting News. “I mean, who’s stupid here? Is Dan Reeves going to play? Is he playing in the game Sunday?

“Somebody’s got to set aside his ego here, and it’s got to be the head coach. If Reeves can’t do it, then they’re going to continue to fight and Dan is going to continue to blow up and have temper tantrums.

“You’ve got to be smart here. I mean, I don’t know who’s right or wrong, but I do know Dan Reeves is not going to play a down. He’s not going to win a game for the Denver Broncos, John Elway will.”

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For the file: Since 1978, when the NFL went to a 16-game schedule, and excluding the abbreviated 1982 schedule, teams that won on opening day are more than twice as likely to make the playoffs than teams that lost on opening day.

According to the NFL, of the 182 teams that won on the first day of the regular season, 95 went to the playoffs. Of the 182 teams that lost, only 39 made it to into the postseason.

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Trivia time: Which NFL team has the best record on opening day of the regular season?

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Wayne’s world: Wisconsin’s Wayne Wicka, who attended Winona State and whose hobby is weightlifting, is trying to make the New York Jets’ roster as a defensive end. Wicka’s chances aren’t good, but his teammates are making the most of his stay.

“We call him ‘Wonderful Wayne Wicka of Winona, originally from Wisconsin,’ ” defensive end Dennis Byrd tells Rich Cimini of Newsday. “We try to find every ‘W’ word we can.”

Says Wicka: “What can I say? It’s my name.”

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Is that so? Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd, 32, cut by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this season, told the Boston Globe after working out at East Providence Country Day School in East Providence, R.I.: “If I walked onto a major league field today, I’d pitch a shutout.”

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The King rule: This week’s Pro Football Weekly looks back to July 28, 1957: “In testimony before a Congressional Anti-Trust Investigating Committee, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell cites TV’s censorship of Elvis Presley’s wiggle as justification for his censoring football telecasts in ruling they will not show fights, linger on injured players, or second-guess officials.”

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People’s choice: The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post conducted a poll recently asking readers who they would like to see as manager of the Florida Marlins. The winner was Chris Chambliss, manager of the Atlanta Braves’ triple-A team. The Mets’ Davey Johnson finished second in the poll, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jim Leyland third.

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Trivia answer: The Dallas Cowboys, who are 24-7-1 on opening day.

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Fab 50: Raymond Floyd, who turns 50 next month, on how he will fare on the Senior PGA Tour: “I’m a fabulous driver and I’m a fabulous short-iron player. From 130 yards in, frankly there just aren’t too many players who can compete with me. Well, that’s what the senior tour is.”

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Quotebook: Manager Sparky Anderson of the Detroit Tigers, on playing against the Minnesota Twins: “If we ever did shut out the Twins, I’d take off my clothes and run naked on the field.”