Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
DENVER ó John Fox brought his spiffy new orange tie to Denver along with a proven blueprint for resurrecting a downtrodden team.
Fox finally arrived in Denver early Wednesday afternoon to meet with the Broncos about their head coaching vacancy after his flight out of North Carolina was delayed three times this week by winter weather.
Fox then met with John Elway, who is leading the teamís second head coaching search in two seasons, to see if he was a good fit with the Broncos, who are coming off a franchise-worst 4-12 season.
Fox touts a top-of-the-pile resume.
ěIíve been doing it. I have a plan, whether itís a bye week schedule, a training camp schedule. Itís not my first rodeo, so to speak,î Fox said. ěSo, I think I do have a blueprint to do it. Weíve had success, some years more than others. But you know the full body of work I think holds a blueprint for success.î
Fox has built a team from the ground up before.
ěWhen I went into the Panthers we were 1-15 and it was very similar, a second (overall) pick, much the same situation,î he said.
Foxís contract wasnít renewed by the Panthers following an NFL-worst 2-14 season. He is the fifth candidate the Broncos have interviewed to replace Josh McDaniels, who was fired Dec. 6 amid the teamís worst slide in four decades and the embarrassing Spygate II videotaping scandal.
18 GAMES
WASHINGTON ó NFL union executive committee members Scott Fujita and Domonique Foxworth say concerns about injuries make the leagueís push to switch to an 18-game regular season a major sticking point in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
Speaking Tuesday on a media conference call arranged by the union, Cleveland linebacker Fujita called the NFLís 18-game proposal ěcompletely unacceptableî and ěa slap in the face.î
BROWNS SEARCH
CLEVELAND ó Perry Fewell, the New York Giants defensive coordinator who served as Buffaloís interim coach for seven games last season, interviewed on Tuesday with the Cleveland Browns, the third known candidate to formally meet with team president Mike Holmgren.
Fewell followed St. Louis offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.
VIKINGSí ROOF
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. ó Though Minnesota state lawmakers appear likely to insist that a roof be part of any public deal for a new Vikings stadium, the team is sticking with its offer to pay about a third of the bill ó minus whatever a roof would cost.
FAVORING THE JETS
NEW YORK ó The Mexican television reporter who said she felt uncomfortable in the Jets’ locker room in September is picking the team to win the Super Bowl.
Ines Sainz of TV Azteca says in an interview with Steppin’ Out magazine that the Jets “are like a star in the movies” with the dramatic way they have pulled out some victories this season. She adds: “I think Mark Sanchez will do it!”
Sainz was at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, N.J., to interview Sanchez when a few players made catcalls as she waited for the quarterback. The NFL responded by developing a workplace conduct program, underwritten by Jets owner Woody Johnson.
She tells the magazine she “never thought my story would get so much attention.”