Minutes after he became the new coach of the Oakland Raiders, Joe Bugel carried out perhaps the most essential task that comes with the job — lavishing praise on team owner Al Davis.
“I love Al Davis. This love affair has been going on for 30 years,” said Bugel, who referred to Davis as “the coach.”
“This, to me, is the ultimate thing in my professional life,” added Bugel, who was 20-44 at Phoenix from 1990-93 in his only previous head coaching job.
Bugel spent the past two seasons as Oakland’s assistant coach for offense. Mike White was fired on Christmas Eve after compiling a 15-17 record and failing to make the playoffs in two seasons.
“There was overwhelming support from our players, and I was shocked by it, relative to the hiring of Joe Bugel,” Davis said. “There were visits to my office by players I hadn’t seen in a year.”
Packer expansion: With another Super Bowl trophy and a growing list of interested visitors, the Green Bay Packers will expand their Hall of Fame after the Packer Hall of Fame Board of Directors approved the $1.6 million project. The renovations include a new entrance, new exhibits, expanded storage and gift shop space and, most importantly, more toilets. “It’s really being driven primarily by a need for more restroom space,” Brown County Executive Nancy Nusbaum said. Nusbaum said Hall of Fame officials want to complete the project before training camp this summer.
Charger decision: The fate the 1998 Super Bowl and the Chargers’ 1997 season will be determined Feb. 20, when a judge is expected to rule on a lawsuit filed by opponents of expanding Jack Murphy Stadium. Superior Court Judge Anthony Joseph said he would rule that day on the scope of a Dec. 10 ordinance that added $18 million to the original $60 million stadium expansion deal.
Sapolu surgery: Center Jesse Sapolu, a member of four Super Bowl winning teams in his 14 years with the San Francisco 49ers, was recovering from open-heart surgery in which doctors repaired a leaking valve. A Stanford Hospital spokeswoman said Sapolu, 35, was in good condition. The 49ers said Sapolu’s condition was not football-related.
