Wilkommen bei den Schatten » fourth-and-1 from the Colts 19-yard line

TAMPA, Fla. -- Nine games into his bid to transform the bumbling Tampa Bay Buccaneers into championship contenders, the normally unflappable Tony Dungy reached a boiling point.A 1-8 record was discouraging, but hardly the only disheartening aspect of yet another slow start for a perennial last-place franchise that suffered through 13 consecutive losing seasons before the young coachs arrival in 1996.The soft-spoken Dungy, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, recalled walking into his office after a third consecutive loss by six or fewer points on the road and learning one player failed to show up for an off-day appearance at an elementary school. Another was 45 minutes late for an autograph session at a car dealership.The Oakland Raiders were headed to town that week, but there was more pressing business at hand.We go into our nine oclock meeting, supposedly to introduce the game plan on the Raiders. I said: `Let me just show you something, and put the two notes on the overhead projector. This is what were dealing with, Dungy said.`You want to know why we arent winning. This is why we arent winning. I said, we can give you game plans, we can do tackling drills, we can do all that, its not going to change until you guys get this figured out, and I dont know how to do that because Ive been doing it for three months, the coach added. I left, let the players talk about it. We ended up beating the Raiders in overtime.Dungys even temperament and insistence on players doing things the right way not only helped him survive his only losing season to lead Tampa Bay to four playoff berths in six seasons, but also become the first African-American to win a Super Bowl as a head coach during a stellar seven-year run with the Indianapolis Colts.And while an impressive coaching resume speaks for itself, the 60-year-olds greatest legacy may be the impact hes had on peoples lives through various civic and charitable endeavors.I never felt our only job was to win, said Dungy, 139-69 in 13 seasons, including 85-27 with the Colts from 2002-08.The disciple of Hall of Famer Chuck Noll had a combined 9-10 postseason record, leading the Bucs to the NFC title game in 1999 and winning it all with the 2006 Colts.His place in history is not lost on Dungy, the first black elected to the Hall of Fame on the basis of coaching accomplishments. The time he spent as a player and assistant under Noll shaped his philosophy.Coach Noll was so tremendous in that regard talking about your life, not just football. That yes, we want to accomplish some things, but you had to get ready for life, Dungy said, You had to figure out what you were going to be all about as a person.There were only a handful of black assistants in the NFL when Dungy entered the league as a player in 1977. He spent 15 seasons as part of successful staffs in Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Minnesota before getting to lead his own team.I think, first, of the guys who could only coach in the black schools. You cant tell me that Eddie Robinson and John Merritt and Jake Gaither wouldnt have won in the National Football League.Then you had guys who were assistants, who were never thought of as coordinators or head coaches. It wasnt in the realm of things, said Dungy, now an analyst for NBCs Football Night in America.Despite leading teams to the playoffs in 11 of 13 seasons as a head coach, Dungy endured plenty of criticism.He was fired by Tampa Bay in 2001, two years after reaching the NFC championship game. Although the Colts made the playoffs in each of his seven seasons, some detractors argue Dungy should have won more Super Bowls with a high-powered offense led by Peyton Manning and receiver Marvin Harrison, whos also part of this years Hall of Fame class.Dungys resume includes an NFL-record 10 consecutive playoff berths with the Bucs and Colts. Still, he believes the contributions he -- and many of his players -- made off the field matter most.In our first meeting, he talked about changing the community, thats how were going to win, said former Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks, a first-ballot Hall of Famer enshrined two years ago.It wasnt about Xs and Os. I was a little appalled, thinking how can you start out and youre not talking about wins when I lost more games last year than I did in my whole (college) career. But it was intriguing.I talked to him after that, and he told me: `Derrick, this is bigger than football, Brooks added. Were going to change the community, and through that everybody wins.He sought to do the same in Indianapolis.That was what was so enticing to me about the Colts job. When Jim Irsay called me, he said we want to win, obviously, we want to go to Super Bowls, and thats the goal. But were relatively new in Indianapolis, and we dont have the history of 75 years of football, Dungy said.He said: `Weve got to attract the community, got to become a part of it. He mentioned he wanted to do it like the Steelers did.Though Dungy walked away from coaching after the 2008 season, his influence remains.Six of his former assistants -- Mike Tomlin, Herman Edwards, Jim Caldwell, Rod Marinelli, Leslie Frazier and Lovie Smith -have held head coaching positions. Tomlin has won a Super Bowl, while Caldwell and Smith have guided teams to the title game.For guys like me, he was a living breathing role model, Tomlin said. He really provided great clarity in terms of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp calls Dungy the greatest man I ever met in my life. He and Brooks were drafted in the first round in 1995, the year before Dungy arrived.Did I ever think in 1996 when he challenged Sapp and I to be the Joe Greene and Jack Ham of his defense, that the three of us would be teammates 20 years later in the Hall of Fame? Brooks asked. Absolutely not. I had no idea. But here we are.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Real Nike Zoom .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Nike Zoom Shoes From China . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. http://www.nikezoomcheap.com/ . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Cheap Nike Zoom Free Shipping . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Wholesale Nike Zoom . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. INDIANAPOLIS -- The Tennessee Titans thought they finally had the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.Their ground game was chugging along, Marcus Mariota was playing the best football of his short career, the defense had just shut down Aaron Rodgers & Co. and they were about to face a team that had been struggling.Somehow, they still couldnt exorcise The Streak, and now the Titans are heading home looking for answers again.It hurts deeply inside, especially for me personally, having to lose to (Andrew) Luck again, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey said after the 24-17 loss. Like I always talk about, going back to my college days (at Southern California), it is time for me to get over the hump and beat this dude.Luck improved to 9-0 all-time against the Titans (5-6), who have lost 11 straight in the series.But as discouraging as the numbers look, Tennessee still has plenty at stake. The Titans are a half game behind Indy (5-5) in the AFC South chase and two games behind division-leading Houston (6-3). So playoff visions still exist -- if the Titans can rebound from another demoralizing loss to Indy.You cant come into their place and spot them 21 points, coach Mike Mularkey said. We did and we had a chance to come back in the second half and the way our guys came back, I give them a lot of credit. But we cant do that against teams in this stadium.Or any stadium if theyre going to be playing after New Years Day.Tennessee was undone in this one by a mish-mash of penalties, blown coverages and an ineffective offense that got within 21-17 in the fourth quarter despite never really being in sync.Now, its back to the drawing board before heading to Chicago next week.Stay positive, dont get too frustrated, dont do anything dumb and dont listen to the outside, cornerback Perrish Cox said after letting a seemingly sure interception slip through his fingers and into the hands of receiver T.Y. Hilton for a touchdown. We know what we have, and we know we can play with every team in this league.ddddddddddddThey just have to prove it.Some other things we learned Sunday:NOT SO AUTOMATICColts kicker Adam Vinatieri is human. The oldest player in the league at age 43 missed his first field goal attempt in 14 months when a 42-yarder sailed wide right. It ended Vinatieris NFL record streak of 44 in a row but he atoned by making a 49-yarder in the fourth quarter for the final points of the game. The ball was flying good for a long time, Vinatieri said. I had a little hiccup right there, and I guess were at one in a row now.GROUNDING MURRAYDeMarco Murray had been on quite a run lately until Sunday when the Colts limited him to 21 carries for 70 yards. The Titans running back did reach the 1,000-yard mark for the third time. He also caught a 3-yard TD pass from Mariota. But his longest run was eight yards and his franchise-record tying streak of five consecutive games with a rushing score ended and he was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Colts 19-yard line with 2:42 left.TRICKY COLTSIndy dug deep into its playbook against Tennessee. Three times on the first two series, they lined up in the wildcat formation with Andrew Luck lining up at receiver. The third time, Frank Gore took the snap, ran left, flipped the ball to Luck and then got it right back for a 49-yard pass play because he was uncovered. The Titans werent as fortunate Their fake punt on fourth-and-2 from their own 43 went for a 2-yard loss.SURGING MARIOTAMariota continues to impress, throwing two more touchdown passes on a day he did not turn the ball over. Mariota wound up 25 of 38 for 290 yards, ran five times for 29 yards and broke Warren Moons franchise record with his seventh consecutive multi-touchdown game. Continue to play that well, and the Titans will have their chances.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '