MIAMI – Art Shell has three Super Bowl rings, one as an assistant coach and two as a player. He’s a member of the NFL Hall of Fame and he compiled a record of 54-38 in his head coaching stint with the Raiders. For all Shell has accomplished, he has been unable to land another head coaching job.
“I’ve always felt I would get another opportunity,” said Shell, in his second year as Falcons offensive line coach. “It hasn’t happened that way yet.”
The multitude of coaching openings this offseason did not help Shell, whose only action during the hiring frenzy was an interview with the expansion Browns. The league has attempted to accelerate the hiring of minority candidates, and Shell’s resume is certainly impressive.
“I’m trying to follow the program, I want to do everything I can to enhance the opportunity I may have,” he said. “Why hasn’t it happened? You have to ask the general managers and owners.”
With the Falcons, Shell has produced some of his best work, turning a line without star power into a cohesive unit. *Two Falcons starters are listed as questionable: DE Lester Archambeau (ankle) and TE-FB Brian Kozlowski (ankle). Both practiced yesterday and expected to play … When the Broncos’ offensive line went out for dinner to legendary South Beach hot spot Joe’s Stone Crab on Monday night, they rang up a $1,856.92 bill – excluding gratuity.
Among other items, the bill included 20 orders of jumbo stone crab for $1,039.00, $317.50 in liquor, $59.50 in key lime pies and $79.75 in crab cake appetizers. The state tax on the bill was $111.25 and the city tax $34.22. *Scalpers are having difficult times making big money on Super Bowl tickets this year. The face value on the tickets is $325 and $400 and they’re being scapled for $1,100 to $1,400 – hundreds of dollars less than last year’s game, according to some area brokers. “It’s a pig,” said one broker. “We’re already dumping tickets for next to nothing.” *The game-day weather forecast is for partly-cloudy skies with a high temperature of 78 and a low of 65 with moderate winds. It is, however, supposed to rain on Saturday, which could have a slight effect on the field Sunday.