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Posted on Tue, Nov. 22, 2005
Young feels heat from Phil Simms
EX-GIANTS QB DEFENDS SON
By John Ryan
Mercury News
Five years after he retired and a day after the 49ers honored him, Steve Young was backpedaling again.
Sunday morning on ESPN, Young questioned whether Tampa Bay's third-year quarterback, Chris Simms, had the proper mental makeup for an NFL quarterback. Monday, on a national conference call to promote CBS's Dallas-Denver Thanksgiving game, Phil Simms -- longtime New York Giants quarterback, fellow Super Bowl MVP, current CBS analyst and Chris' father -- shot back.
``You know, Steve,'' Phil Simms said in his last and harshest point, ``follow football more than one day a week and you might know some of those answers.''
When questioned about Simms' response, Young reviewed the tape and saw some words he wanted back. (Ironically, Chris' performance in a victory at Atlanta had gone a long way toward changing Young's opinion even before the flap.)
Here's what Young said in the pregame show, according to an ESPN transcript:
``Watching him deliver the football, watching his footwork, I like what I see. It tells me he's got a future in the league. But I worry about his mental toughness.
``His dad was one of the greatest at being tough and handling all the criticisms; I worry that he grew up in a much different atmosphere, laissez-faire kind of atmosphere. And I'm worried that he really doesn't have the mental toughness to deal with the information overload that comes with the NFL. Until I see that from him week after week, like last week, I'm still not a believer.''
Phil Simms seized on the ``laissez-faire'' wording.
``That's fantasy football talk,'' he said. ``There's one thing I know my son doesn't lack is toughness. And he didn't grow up in a laissez-faire atmosphere, far from it. Come to my house, live with me, and let's see how laissez faire it is. I don't know how Steve Young lives his life, but I don't live mine that way. And I didn't raise my kids that way.
``You can say whatever you want about my son, but one thing that'll get me mad, and I'll stand in your face about it, is about toughness. Who in the hell can be tougher than him, physically or what he endures?''
Young said Monday that he was referring not to Chris Simms' privileged upbringing -- after all, Young grew up in Greenwich, Conn. -- but to changes in society.
``The word I would have changed is laissez-faire generation'' instead of atmosphere, he said.
``The hard thing is, no one ever sees anything in its entirety. When I talk about young quarterbacks, you've got to take what I say in its entirety. I'm always waiting for young quarterbacks to be able to handle the huge leap from college.''
Young called Phil on Monday and left a message. He said they have always been friendly.
And the father of two young boys offered the highest praise he could:
``I'd let Phil Simms raise my own kids.''
Contact John Ryan at jryan@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5266.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/football/nfl/san_francisco_49ers/13230152.htm
Young feels heat from Phil Simms
EX-GIANTS QB DEFENDS SON
By John Ryan
Mercury News
Five years after he retired and a day after the 49ers honored him, Steve Young was backpedaling again.
Sunday morning on ESPN, Young questioned whether Tampa Bay's third-year quarterback, Chris Simms, had the proper mental makeup for an NFL quarterback. Monday, on a national conference call to promote CBS's Dallas-Denver Thanksgiving game, Phil Simms -- longtime New York Giants quarterback, fellow Super Bowl MVP, current CBS analyst and Chris' father -- shot back.
``You know, Steve,'' Phil Simms said in his last and harshest point, ``follow football more than one day a week and you might know some of those answers.''
When questioned about Simms' response, Young reviewed the tape and saw some words he wanted back. (Ironically, Chris' performance in a victory at Atlanta had gone a long way toward changing Young's opinion even before the flap.)
Here's what Young said in the pregame show, according to an ESPN transcript:
``Watching him deliver the football, watching his footwork, I like what I see. It tells me he's got a future in the league. But I worry about his mental toughness.
``His dad was one of the greatest at being tough and handling all the criticisms; I worry that he grew up in a much different atmosphere, laissez-faire kind of atmosphere. And I'm worried that he really doesn't have the mental toughness to deal with the information overload that comes with the NFL. Until I see that from him week after week, like last week, I'm still not a believer.''
Phil Simms seized on the ``laissez-faire'' wording.
``That's fantasy football talk,'' he said. ``There's one thing I know my son doesn't lack is toughness. And he didn't grow up in a laissez-faire atmosphere, far from it. Come to my house, live with me, and let's see how laissez faire it is. I don't know how Steve Young lives his life, but I don't live mine that way. And I didn't raise my kids that way.
``You can say whatever you want about my son, but one thing that'll get me mad, and I'll stand in your face about it, is about toughness. Who in the hell can be tougher than him, physically or what he endures?''
Young said Monday that he was referring not to Chris Simms' privileged upbringing -- after all, Young grew up in Greenwich, Conn. -- but to changes in society.
``The word I would have changed is laissez-faire generation'' instead of atmosphere, he said.
``The hard thing is, no one ever sees anything in its entirety. When I talk about young quarterbacks, you've got to take what I say in its entirety. I'm always waiting for young quarterbacks to be able to handle the huge leap from college.''
Young called Phil on Monday and left a message. He said they have always been friendly.
And the father of two young boys offered the highest praise he could:
``I'd let Phil Simms raise my own kids.''
Contact John Ryan at jryan@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5266.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/football/nfl/san_francisco_49ers/13230152.htm
