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CNN Live At Daybreak

Interview With Chris Cotter

Aired September 09, 2002 - 06:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Pro football kicked off in dramatic fashion over the weekend. Four games went into overtime. And there was one game that was over, but a penalty changed the outcome. And was it ever embarrassing.
Chris Cotter of Atlanta's 790 the Zone is here with all of the highlights. And let's start with that embarrassing game -- the Browns-Chiefs game.

CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE: I have never seen -- I have never seen anything like a day that we had yesterday. With so many overtime games, last-second games, and the Browns-Chiefs game was...

COSTELLO: It was...

COTTER: Yes, it was something that you only dream of happening. I mean, here you'll see highlights of the final play right here. You've got Dwayne Rudd, the Browns' linebacker, thinks the game is over. Kansas City trying to drive. They're down by two points. Thinks the game is over. Takes his helmet off right there. You see him in the spot (ph) shadow? He's going to take his helmet off and celebrate. Well, the play is not over. The game is not over yet. A big rumbling, rumbling, stumbling lineman running down the field. That's an unsportsmanlike penalty.

COSTELLO: Because he threw his helmet.

COTTER: The game can't end on a defensive penalty, so the Chiefs get another chance, and they kick a field goal, and they win the game.

COSTELLO: Well, what should happen to Mr. Rudd? Shouldn't Mr. Rudd be penalized in some way for such a bone-headed move?

COTTER: I mean, you know, he's not a rookie. He has been around a long time. You know, you had your helmet on the whole game. Keep it on a few more seconds, like just a couple more seconds, and the game would be over. That lineman is not going to get very far running the football. You know it's going to be over. I've never seen anything like it.

COSTELLO: So had he done...

COTTER: I don't think you can punish him or anything right now.

COSTELLO: He's a good player overall.

COTTER: It was just a stupid, bone-head move. COSTELLO: Had he done a somersault, it wouldn't have mattered, right?

COTTER: No, he could have done a jig out there. He could have been dancing for 10 minutes. And he could have done a on walk across the 50 yard line, and no one would have cared.

COSTELLO: OK.

COTTER: So he took his helmet off, steadfast rule, it's a penalty.

COSTELLO: OK. Jets-Bills.

COTTER: Another unbelievable game. A guy returns the ball. Chad Morton returns the kickoff twice for touchdowns in the fastest overtime game in the history of the NFL; 14 seconds. The overtime kickoff -- here it is right here -- he picks it up, and he's going the distance. This is his second kickoff return for a touchdown of the game, and it's all over. The kicker, forget about it...

COSTELLO: Oh!

COTTER: ... you're not going to get it.

COSTELLO: That is so embarrassing.

COTTER: And the Bills played all game long, and they get it to overtime, and they play a good game, and it's over in 14 seconds.

And all of these games are on the road. The road team won all of these close games. So the home team, first game of the year, everyone is pumped up and excited, and...

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, whatever. You know, I really thought in watching the Atlanta game that the Falcons were going to win.

COTTER: That's one home team that did win, Green Bay.

COSTELLO: Oh, OK.

COTTER: And Michael Vick, though, that's a big story, a ref (ph) ball of the old veteran, a former MVP. And Michael Vick, the -- you know, the young star for Atlanta, a kid that everybody thinks is going to be great in this league, had struggled a little bit here and there. But in this game, boy, he was fantastic, and he showed everybody how good he might be come the future.

COSTELLO: Oh, but those Green Bay Packers somehow manage to pull it out, don't they?

COTTER: They got the win. They are good.

COSTELLO: We must talk about the Redskins and Steve Spurrier, because, boy, did the Redskins look good! COTTER: Was it last week we talked about Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel, and these other quarterbacks that couldn't make it anywhere in the league, but Spurrier was bringing them in, his former University of Florida quarterbacks?

COSTELLO: Yes.

COTTER: And Matthews throws for 326 yards in this game.

COSTELLO: And Wuerffel -- is it Wuerffel, is that how you pronounce it?

COTTER: Yes, Danny Wuerffel.

COSTELLO: Yes, he actually made a tackle. And what did he do? He...

COTTER: Yes, he kicked the ball, because their kicker had a pulled hamstring, or a hamstring injury. So, Wuerffel had to go in and kick the ball, and Spurrier threw his visor -- something happened on that play, like Wuerffel didn't throw a pass when he was kicking off, so Spurrier was unhappy or something like that, so.

COSTELLO: And he injured himself. He had a big gash on his finger, and...

COTTER: He had to make a tackle. When was the last time Danny Wuerffel had to make a tackle? When was the last time Danny Wuerffel played appreciable minutes, much less having to make a tackle?

COSTELLO: Well, all of Washington is very happy.

OK, shall we talk about the Texans against poor Dallas?

COTTER: You know what? I don't -- I would never say "poor Dallas." America's team, forget about it. An expansion team just beat them. The Houston Texans beat them. The first time an expansion team won their first game -- it's their first game in the NFL. The first time an expansion has done that since 1961, when the Minnesota Vikings did it. And of course, this was a huge game for everybody in Houston. I mean, Dallas has been the team in the state of Texas for so long.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

COTTER: And now, Houston has their team, and they get the upper hand now, at least for a year of bragging rights.

COSTELLO: Yes. Exactly.

Let's talk tennis for just a short time, because we say it's the battle of the old timers, but these guys are -- what -- 32?

COTTER: Yes, I know. In tennis, that is old. That's -- you know, 16 is young in tennis; 32, and you're already twice as old as the young phenoms coming up.

COSTELLO: But it was Agassi against Sampras, and Pete Sampras pulled it out.

COTTER: Sampras is playing better tennis than he has played in so long. It's his first tournament win, any tournament, since Wimbledon 2000. And not even just Grand Slams, but when you talk about anything on the ATP (ph) tours, this is the first time he has won something in over two years. And it's his 14th Grand Slam title. Everybody thought he was done...

COSTELLO: Yes.

COTTER: ... 17th seed coming into this thing. Nobody envisioned Sampras and Agassi, the two old warriors, the two old rivals, going at it. And it was great for the U.S. Open, because with football starting this weekend, and the women's draw always -- you know, now being the more popular. The men's draw has lost so much. And to get these two playing on Sunday was really great for them, because their ratings just went through the roof...

COSTELLO: Oh, I'm sure.

COTTER: ... I'm sure, compared to what they have been in the last couple of years.

COSTELLO: I'm sure. Chris Cotter, thank you very much for stopping by, and we'll see you again on Friday.

COTTER: Absolutely.

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