Today’s Game Figures to Be Tough on Chargers’ Beathard : Pro football: San Diego general manager thinking more about retirement after the death last week of his good friend, Dick Steinberg of the Jets.
The games will go on today, but upon reflection after the death last week of Dick Steinberg, New York Jet general manager and friend, Bobby Beathard and associates now ponder how long Beathard will continue to work as general manager of the Chargers.
Beathard, so shaken that he could not speak at Steinberg’s memorial service, is approaching 59 while awaiting the births of grandchildren Nos. 7 and 8.
It was only months ago--the morning of the Chargers’ final regular-season game, against Pittsburgh--when Steinberg told Beathard he had stomach cancer. The Chargers play Pittsburgh today.
“This one will be tough,” Beathard said. “What’s happened really makes you think about retiring. This really hits you; I don’t know how it’s going to affect me. When I think about things now, it’s like, wow, I look at all the things Dick and I talked about doing when we retired.”
Beathard and Steinberg arranged scouting trips so they could travel together. Shortly after they first met, Steinberg stayed in Beathard’s Key Biscayne condominium, and later he purchased a condo in the same building.
Steinberg was the Rams’ personnel whiz when they went to the Super Bowl in 1979. While with the Rams, he persuaded owner Carroll Rosenbloom to try to hire Beathard, who decided instead to move from Miami to Washington.
They ran together, shared the same interests and love of the sun. They were frequently mistaken for each other. After a while, instead of correcting people, each answered to his counterpart’s name.
“I think of what Dick wanted and now what he is not going to have,” Beathard said. “It’s overwhelming; I think about it and I get choked up. Ever since I first heard about Dick, Christine [his wife] and I have been talking about [retirement]. I don’t know. . . .”
Those who know Beathard understand how emotional he can be. When his football team loses, he has it losing all their games. He can be the master of doom and gloom, but this punch to the stomach has packed a wallop that has been noticed by his closest friends.
“We were standing outside the hotel ready to go to the funeral and Bobby pointed to a guy, who had been in football and made the point that this guy’s brother had died two weeks ago,” said Teddy Grossman, Beathard’s friend for more than 35 years. “We talked to him then, and the guy said, ‘Boy, am I glad I retired.’
“That seemed to stick with Bobby. . . . Bobby was a junior lifeguard and his [mentor] retired recently and told Bobby, ‘There was just one problem; I didn’t do it soon enough.’ I looked at Bobby, and said, “Oh man, he didn’t do it soon enough.’ ”
Beathard left his job as general manager of the Washington Redskins, in part because he wanted to be closer to his parents and the ocean lifestyle he has always enjoyed. He returned to football because that’s what he does best, but battles with Charger owner Alex Spanos prompted Beathard to craft a letter of resignation a couple of years ago. The two men worked out their differences and Beathard now has four years remaining on his contract, but will he still be on the job four years from now?
“He’s talking more and more about it [retiring],” said Billy Devaney, the Chargers’ director of player personnel. “He’s a family-oriented guy, and he’s missing out on stuff now with his grandkids; his grandkids mean the world to him. It really hurts him not being involved with them more.
“I don’t think he will ever completely walk away from this, but what I do see him doing is being a part-time scout--not worrying about having to come into the office. I could definitely see him doing that.”
For now, the games will go on with Beathard remaining passionate about his work. But for how long?
“Time is a healer,” Grossman said. “But this really had a big impact on Bobby, so it will be interesting to see if he stays with it to the very end of his contract.”
ON TV
* MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
Dallas (4-0) at Washington (1-3), Channel 11, 10 a.m.: Time for Bill Clinton, a la Richard Nixon, to draw up a few plays for the Redskins. The Washington offense ranks last in third-down efficiency. The defense ranks last in sacks . The Cowboys shouldn’t work up a sweat. They are 44-11 in the last 55 games started by quarterback Troy Aikman.
He’s finished? The Rams thought wide receiver Henry Ellard had run out of gas; in the last two years, 88 of his 93 catches have resulted in first downs.
* FATHER KNOWS BEST
Miami (3-0) at Cincinnati (2-2), Channel 4, 10 a.m.: Miami Coach Don Shula has a career record of 141-92-1 and was 37-15 after his first 52 games as a head coach; son Dave, who commands the Bengals, is 13-39. Let that be a lesson to kids everywhere who don’t listen to their parents while growing up.
Go-to-guy: Bengal receiver Carl Pickens has 10 catches on third down resulting in first downs.
* AFC TITLE REMATCH
San Diego (3-1) at Pittsburgh (2-2), Channel 4, 1 p.m.: Steeler revenge week. San Diego linebacker Dennis Gibson knocked down a pass intended for running back Barry Foster at the goal line last season in the AFC championship game and the Chargers went to the Super Bowl. The Steelers, losers of two straight, miss quarterback Neil O’Donnell, and who thought anyone would ever be able to say that?
Only when it counts: The Steelers are 9-0 against the Chargers in regular-season games in Three Rivers Stadium, but 0-2 in playoff games.
* LOOKING FOR HEIDI
Oakland (3-1) at N.Y. Jets (1-3), TNT, 5 p.m.: Twenty-seven years ago, TV executives switched to “Heidi’ while the Raiders were scoring two late touchdowns to defeat the Jets, 43-32. TV executives are the only ones who can save the Jets again. The Jets have more penalties than the Raiders, are the only team in the league without a rushing touchdown and have surrendered almost twice as many points as the Raiders, 102-55.
Headed in opposite directions: The Raiders are No. 1 in the AFC in first downs gained; the Jets are last in first downs allowed.
WHY OF COURSE
St. Louis (4-0) at Indianapolis (1-2): It’s no surprise here, of course, but who else can raise his hand and say he knew the Rams would be undefeated and one game up on San Francisco one month into the season? The Rams are the only team with no turnovers and have taken the ball from the opposition 14 times. Good teams do that, of course. The Rams’ Chris Miller has thrown 118 passes without being intercepted. Of course, that’s the mark of a great quarterback.
Keeping Miller sound: Fortunately for the Rams, the Colt defense ranks last in the league in sacks (1) and interceptions (0).
WHAT’S WRONG HERE?
New England (1-2) at Atlanta (3-1): The Patriots have the better team and the Falcons have the better record. New England now has to give Scott Zolak his first NFL start since Dec. 13, 1992 against Kansas City because quarterback Drew Bledsoe is still recovering from a shoulder separation. It gets worse: Zolak has thrown 11 passes in the last three years. And worse: Zolak started against Atlanta on Nov. 29, 1992 and the Falcons won, 34-0.
Zolak reprieve: Given everything that’s stacked against him, Zolak will be matched against the league’s worst-ranked pass defense.
Philadelphia (1-3) at New Orleans (0-4): The Saints are giving up 28.3 points a game, which gives them a clear edge over the Eagles, who are surrendering 28.8 points a game. The Eagles’ Rodney Peete, 22-26 as a starter, replaces Randall Cunningham, who couldn’t get a handle on the West Coast offense.
Let the record show: Saint quarterback Jim Everett is 24-53 as a starting quarterback in the ‘90s.
SACRIFICIAL LAMBS
N.Y. Giants (1-3) at San Francisco (3-1): What are the odds of the 49ers losing back-to-back games to the Lions and Giants? The last time the 49ers lost two in a row was the final two weeks of 1993 regular season against Houston and Philadelphia. The 49ers have lost two in a row under Coach George Seifert twice in his seven-year tenure.
Weakness spotted: Cornerback Marquez Pope might be an easy target, but that’s still Dave Brown throwing the football for the Giants.
B-O-R-I-N-G
Kansas City (3-1) at Arizona (1-3): Arizona quarterback Dave Krieg has been in the league five years longer than Kansas City quarterback Steve Bono and he has 79 more victories as a starter (89-10); 13 of those wins came when he played for the Chiefs (1992 and 1993). The Cardinals’ defense has given up a league-high seven touchdowns on the ground.
Can’t get to Super Bowl, but: Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer, who has been unable to get to the big game, holds a 16-7 advantage on the NFC.
Tampa Bay (2-2) at Carolina (0-3): The Panthers are averaging 13 points on offense and giving up 28.3 points on defense, which still gives them a fighting chance against the Buccaneers as long as Trent Dilfer is at quarterback for Tampa Bay. The only lower-ranked quarterback in the NFC is Carolina’s Frank Reich, who is no longer a starter.
Good luck: Rookie Kerry Collins is expected to start at quarterback for the Panthers.
Jacksonville (0-4) at Houston (2-2): The Oilers, who held off the Jaguars, 10-3, in their opener, get first crack at padding their record with two victories over an expansion entry. Houston will be without running back Gary Brown (knee); Jacksonville is without an offense.
Ball hogs: Only Oakland and Indianapolis rank higher than Houston in time of possession.
Denver (2-2) at Seattle (1-2): The Broncos have serious injury concerns. The Seahawks were given a week off to regroup. Starting linebacker Elijah Alexander (shoulder) and starting defensive end Dan Williams (knee) were added to a Bronco injury report that already includes a long list of key offensive personnel. Quarterback John Elway has thrown more touchdown passes against Seattle (28) than any other team.
Octoberfeast: The Broncos and Seahawks have met seven times previously in the month of October and Denver has won them all.
BYE WEEK
These teams have a bye this week.: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota.