OAKLAND — Talk about a party pooper! Rich Gannon, the player most responsible for putting the fun back in the Oakland Raiders, really isn't that much fun at all.
Earlier this season, when some of his teammates were playing video games in the lounge at team headquarters, Gannon complained about it. He wanted to see their noses buried in the playbooks. Out went the video games.
Then two months ago, Coach Jon Gruden was alone in his office at 6 a.m., drawing up plays on his computer. He heard a click on his window, then another. He looked down and saw his perturbed quarterback holding a handful of pebbles. Gannon wanted into the facility to do a little film study and was irked to find it all but deserted.
"I was mad," Gannon said. "I told them I wanted a damn key to the building. What other type of place is there where you can't get into your work in the morning? All the coaches have their own keys. I wanted one too."
Gruden happily granted that request, even setting up a special film room for the quarterbacks--Gannon, Bobby Hoying and Rodney Peete--to facilitate predawn cram sessions.
Clearly, it has paid off. The Raiders (11-3), who play at Seattle today, are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 1993. And Gannon is bound for his second consecutive Pro Bowl, this time as a starter.
"If he's not the MVP, then he's a close second to somebody," said Indianapolis defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, whose Colts gave up three rushing touchdowns to Gannon in a 38-31 loss. "With him, you always have to defend two plays--the one they call in the huddle, and the one he does when he improvises."
That's the funny thing about Gannon. He's serious as a safecracker when it comes to studying the playbook, then he steps onto the field and does his best work making things up as he goes along. He specializes in chest passes, sidearm slings and last-gasp dinks. Back when he was a standout at Delaware, some NFL teams considered drafting him as a running back. It's easy to understand why; he has a keen ability to sense pressure and scramble out of trouble.
Gannon, 34, has run for 471 yards in 14 games. Only Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb, with 609, has more among quarterbacks. Gannon's average of 5.8 yards a carry is best on the team.
"Every time he goes back from behind the center, you worry about what's going to happen," said former Raider defensive coordinator Willie Shaw, who now coaches defensive backs for Kansas City. "The whole thing just breaks down when he releases from the pocket."
