Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Football Forum (NFL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ALL IN PAUL who wrote (1899)	1/14/1999 1:59:00 PM
From: Thomas M.	Respond to of 45644

sportingnews.com JJ Stands For Just Joking; Johnson Stays in Miami JANUARY 14, 1999 DAVIE, Fla. -- Jimmy Johnson changed his mind about quitting and will remain coach of the Miami Dolphins. "I really believe that we're a couple of playmakers away offensively from getting that championship," Johnson said at a Thursday afternoon news conference. Johnson said former Chicago Bears coach Dave Wannstedt, a former Johnson assistant in Dallas, will join the Dolphins as an assistant. Johnson said the death of his mother a month ago had made him realize he needed to spend more time with his family, especially since he was marrying his longtime girlfriend, Rhonda Rookmaaker. But Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga convinced Johnson on Thursday that hiring Wannstedt would allow him to have more time off from the 15-hour workdays during the season. Huizenga had rushed back from a baseball meeting in California after word surfaced late Wednesday that Johnson had been prepared to end his tenure after three seasons. That stunning news came less than a week after the Dolphins were eliminated from the NFL playoffs with a 38-3 loss in Denver. "My determination and my commitment is not one bit less than it was before," Johnson said. "But I will spend a few more hours with my family." Johnson's voice broke and he turned emotional when he spoke of going to his mother's funeral last month. "There's time you pull back and you say, 'Be with people you care about. Don't shortchange them.' That's what I plan on doing." He said Wannstedt would be a "true" assistant, and not a figurehead. "He will work with all three areas -- offense, defense, special teams -- just like I do," Johnson said. Asked who will wear the headset on Sundays, Johnson said: "We'll both have headsets on." Johnson, 55, is under contract through 2000 after signing a one-year extension in April. Johnson's father, C.W., earlier had confirmed Johnson's retirement plans and his change of heart. "Jimmy has to do what he wants to do," C.W. Johnson said by phone from his home in Port Arthur, Texas. Saturday's loss was the most lopsided postseason defeat in Dolphins' history. Johnson coached the Miami Hurricanes to the 1987 national championship and led the Dallas Cowboys to consecutive Super Bowl titles in 1992-93. He was hired by the Dolphins in January 1996 and said he would have the team in the NFL title game in three years, but he has won only one playoff game with Miami. Miami has made steady progress since Johnson replaced Don Shula. The Dolphins went 8-8 in his first season, 9-7 in 1997 and 10-6 this season. They reached the playoffs in 1997 and earned their first playoff victory in four years this season, beating the Buffalo Bills 24-17. Johnson's competitive zeal seemed as intense as ever after that game, when he celebrated by crushing a box of Flutie Flakes in the locker room. Johnson said he believes Miami needs only a couple of offensive playmakers to join the NFL's elite. Following the Denver debacle, he said he did not consider the loss devastating, but said Miami simply must earn a higher seed in next season's playoffs. "I told our players that you need to win enough games during the season to get a bye, get people healthy and get ready for an opponent," Johnson said. "We didn't win enough games during the season to get that advantage." Johnson simplified the playbook this season to put more emphasis on the run and less pressure on his 37-year-old quarterback, Dan Marino, but the offense frequently sputtered. The defense, however, allowed the fewest points in the NFL. A wave of late-season injuries and playing at Denver were too much for the Dolphins to overcome. Johnson was uncharacteristically pessimistic before the game, saying the Dolphins faced almost insurmountable odds to win the Super Bowl.