Adopting McGraw’s Belief System

After the Philadelphia Eagles’ overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Eagle safety Brian Dawkins was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer saying, “Ya gotta believe. I don’t believe I’m the first person in Philadelphia to say it. I do believe there was another professional athlete in this town who said it first.

“Yes,” wrote the Inquirer’s Phil Sheridan, “Tug McGraw, you’re still winning friends and influencing sporting events.”

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Out-prayed: Reader James Bates, a Los Angeles freelance television writer and a die-hard Eagle fan, offered this:

“With the Eagles facing a fourth and 26, Irvin Favre watched from heaven and was pleased that Brett’s Packers would move on in the playoffs. Next to him at the Sports Bar in the Sky, another newcomer nudged him. ‘Sorry, Irv,’ McGraw said, ‘This save is mine.’ ”

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Trivia time: There were no punts in the Indianapolis Colts’ 38-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. What is the NFL playoff record for number of punts by one team?

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Honest answer: In a Fox conference call with reporters Wednesday, Troy Aikman was asked whether a front-office job similar to the one Dan Marino accepted this week would appeal to him.

“You know what, it would,” Aikman said. “Most guys would be reluctant to come out and say anything like that, but, yeah, there are elements to that job that would be very appealing.”

Said Fox Sports President Ed Goren: “Here comes a whole new set of rumors.”

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Defending Roger: The day after its “Roger the Rat” headline, the New York Post on Wednesday came back with: “He’s Not a Rat.” The newspaper quoted Roger Clemens’ older sister Janet Johnson as saying, “I have been beaten to death with people [being negative] for two days now. Roger is not a selfish rat.”

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Tracks in the outfield: Baseball scouts and former players were telling stories at a party at baseball executive Dennis Gilbert’s Calabasas home over the weekend. Gilbert, a former minor league outfielder, and Pete Bonfils, a former minor league pitcher who is now a Dodger batting practice pitcher, recalled playing in the Mexican League in the early 1970s in Tampico -- where train tracks ran through the outfield.

“We’d have to stop play whenever a train came through,” Bonfils said. “Sometimes players would jump on the train and get a free ride from right field to left field.”

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Trivia answer: 14, by the New York Jets’ Dave Jennings in a 1986 divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns won, 23-20, with 12:58 left in the second overtime period. It is the third-longest game in NFL history.

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And finally: Regarding the last item in Wednesday’s Morning Briefing about great coaches who have names containing the letter L, reader Mike Vitiello said, “Just a reminder: There are two Ls in Callahan.”

Reader Patrick Thompson offered this: “Last item of your briefs: L: Lame.”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.