| |  Tuesday, November 14, 2000
10 questions with Melissa Stark
By Melissa Stark
Special to MondayNightFootball.com
A lot of people want to talk to Monday Night Football's Melissa Stark. Ten of you got the chance, courtesy of MondayNightFootball.com.
|  | | Melissa Stark feels that Isaac Bruce is the elite receiver in the NFL. |
The MNF sideline reporter recently answered user questions on a variety of topics, including the benching of Jon Kitna, the play of Randy Moss and her sudden celebrity status.
Below are Stark's responses to users who e-mailed their questions:
Do you think Daunte Culpepper is good enough to lead the Vikings to an NFC Central title?
Daniel Sicignano, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Stark: Daunte looks like he can do it this year, Daniel. He's already established himself as a pass-run threat with a lot of poise, which is tough to defend against in this explosive offense. Culpepper has a lot of offensive talent around him, with wide receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter and running back Robert Smith. So far Minnesota coach Dennis Green looks like a genius for going with such an untested young quarterback to lead them.
Plus, I don't think the NFC Central is a tough division. Only Tampa Bay, who certainly has flaws, can really shut down the Vikings offense. That's why this week's Monday night game should be a great one. I'm really looking forward to it.
Melissa: We will see three of the NFL's top receivers; Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Keyshawn Johnson on Monday. Who, in your opinion, is the top wide receiver in the game right now?
Rod Wilson, Raleigh, N.C.
Stark: Randy Moss proved yet again he can dominate a game with that three-touchdown effort in the Vikings 31-24 win against the Lions in Week 5. But right now, Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce is the best, with Jimmy Smith right behind him. Their numbers say it all right now.
Bruce, who leads the NFL in receiving yards with 604 and is among the leaders in receptions and receiving touchdowns, has Moss-like talent in the most devastating offense in the NFL. Jimmy Smith leads the league in receptions and touchdowns, yet his play isn't as well documented this year because the Jaguars have struggled (more on this later).
Melissa, is there a team out there that can beat the Rams?
Mario, Elsa, Texas
Stark: Yes of course, no team is unstoppable. I just don't know when it's going to happen (laughs). None of the teams the Rams have beaten so far have a record over .500, and it's been a topsy-turvy season already with a lot of upsets.
The St. Louis offense is the league's best this season, and may wind up being the most prolific one in NFL history by year's end. The Rams defense, however, isn't a dominating type like Miami or Tampa Bay -- it can be exposed somewhere down the line. If you want specifics, Washington, Minnesota and Tampa Bay have the talent to beat them, and this NFC threesome plays St. Louis in the second half of the season.
Is there a young NFL player today, like a Randy Moss, that you believe can break all the NFL records at his position?
Marc Lewis, St. Louis, Mo.
Stark: Obviously, the key to this is longevity. Dallas running back Emmitt Smith has been able to stay relatively healthy for years and because he pumps out those solid 1,000-yard seasons year after year, he has a shot at Walter Payton's NFL rushing record. So if we assume that some of the NFL's younger stars will be able to stay healthy, the first name that comes to mind is Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.
I think Manning could top Dan Marino's records of passing yards and touchdown passes. Running backs Edgerrin James (Indianapolis) and Marshall Faulk (St. Louis) have a shot at the NFL's career total yards mark, and Tennessee defensive end Jevon Kearse could wind up with the sack record. One long shot, but possible, is Randy Moss breaking Jerry Rice's career receptions mark. These young guys are already the focal points of their teams. But again, staying healthy and being an elite player for more than 10 years are the keys.
What did you think of the crowd noise at Arrowhead? Was it the loudest stadium that you have ever been to?
John Borberg, Blue Springs, Mo.
Stark: Al Michaels warned me that Arrowhead is the loudest place in the NFL because it was the first time I had ever been there. It was unbelievably loud. During the open of the show, I couldn't even hear myself and I felt that I was screaming to the camera. Thank God I wasn't. The stadium really quieted when the Chiefs trailed the Seahawks 17-7, and they never really reached that fever pitch again after the start of the game.
I also noticed the fans at Kansas City are gracious ones. They basically embraced us on Monday Night Football. You don't get that at a lot of places. Kansas City has that Midwest graciousness to it.
The Seahawks benched Jon Kitna in favor of Brock Huard. From what you saw of Kitna last Monday, is that really the answer?
Matt Laurie, San Diego, Calif.
Stark: The biggest place to shake up the team is at quarterback. Kitna didn't look good against the Chiefs on Monday night despite the fact that the Seahawks did have an effective running game. It was a huge contrast to Kansas City quarterback Elvis Grbac, who showed leadership, rallied his team and made some big plays, especially on that long completion to Derrick Alexander out of his own end zone.
Seattle is 2-3 and really needs to get it in gear if it wants to get into the playoffs. In doing interviews with Seattle players, I got the feeling they don't have a lot of confidence in Kitna. He looks more like a great backup quarterback. I'm not sure Huard is the answer here either, but like I said above, this position is the first place to really shake a team up.
It seems like sideline reporters get injury updates only moments after a player is taken off the field. Who gives you the information on the injury updates?
Chris Becker, Steubenville, Ohio
Stark: As soon as I see a player taken off the field or I hear the guys in the booth saying someone went down, I go right over to the bench and stand behind where trainers sit a player down. A lot of times they want to come down to me right away for an injury update before I have even talked to somebody. In those cases, I just stand there and look at what they are doing and make an educated guess.
I then talk to the trainer or a public relations assistant on the field assigned to talk to you about such matters. That's when you get official confirmation.
Have you visited any interesting tourist attractions while on the road for Monday Night Football?
Gary Gearman, White Plains, N.Y.
Stark: Unfortunately, we don't have much time to wander around each city we visit. We do have time to go to dinners, and to just see the area right by the hotel. In Kansas City for example, we stayed at the Country Club Plaza, which was terrific because we could just walk over to restaurants and movie theaters.
My friends and family are all so spread out, so whenever I can be close to them while on the road for this show is great. It's like a paid visit, a free trip (laughs). For example, I love Washington D.C. because I grew up in Baltimore and all my friends live around there. The Monday Night Football crew stayed in Georgetown, which was just terrific.
Does American culture take football a little too seriously? I ask you, Melissa, because you must see so many crazy fans in the stadium each Monday.
Bryan Colletti, New Paltz, N.Y.
Stark: I think it's good to be passionate about a team, player or rivalry, but people can go overboard. As long as fans are courteous and respectful, that's healthy competition. Then you have the people who pour beer on the players and throw batteries, and that's when you cross the line. You always have those bad apples around every stadium.
Were you aware when you were hired for this show you would achieve almost a rock star status at every city you go to?
Bob Scampoli, Indianapolis, Ind.
Stark: I had no idea (laughs). The fan reaction has been just amazing at every city. In Indianapolis, they had a pep rally downtown. Unfortunately, it rained that day, but it was still terrific. They named streets after us! In Kansas City, they had another pep rally and the mayor gave us a key to the city. A lot of people showed up for that one, like 3,000 people. It's really been a wild, wild time.
| | |
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