Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Nothing good can come from NFL exhibitions

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 9:17 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076.

Every August, the debate surfaces, particularly when a star player gets injured.

Should the NFL preseason be shortened? Do teams really need four, and sometimes five, exhibition games to assess talent and finalize their rosters?

Some coaches favor playing four games. Some say two would be enough.

I favor cutting the preseason, all right -- to three hours.

The NFL should play one game -- the Hall of Fame Game -- and play it a week before the regular season starts. If the NFL can segue from Britney Spears to Aerosmith in one pregame show, they certainly can condense the preseason.

Who needs these preparation games? These teams scrimmage against each other throughout training camp. These guys are supposed to be professionals, aren't they? If a coach is unhappy with his starting quarterback, rather than risk injury in live play, he should take a more tried-and-true democratic approach: hold a recall election.

After all, college football teams have no preseason. They have a shorter schedule, where an early-season loss is more damaging, and still jump right in without exhibitions. The NFL should do the same.

Sure, every pro club would be lobbying the schedule-makers to open at home against Cincinnati Bengal State, but that's their problem.

The danger of preseason was magnified this year when two of the game's most exciting young signal-callers fell to injury -- the Falcons' Michael Vick and the Jets' Chad Pennington.

Pennington, out for an estimated 12 weeks with a broken wrist, was named the starter five weeks into last season and flourished. He set a club record by completing 68.9 percent of his passes and led the NFL with a passer rating of 104.2. He was 8-4 as a starter and led the Jets to the AFC East crown last year.

Vick, who will miss at least a month with a broken leg, is hands-down the most exciting player in the league. He, too, inherited the starting role last year, and set four NFL records, including his 173-yard rushing performance against Minnesota. the most by a quarterback.

Also, Detroit's James Stewart, who ran for more than 1,000 yards and led the Lions with 46 receptions last year, is out for the season after dislocating his shoulder in last week's preseason finale. The Lions' ground attack will be generated by Olandis Gary, who has been a proud member of the Detroit organization since ... Sunday.

You can't predict injuries, of course. But as a fan, I guess it boils down to this: I'd rather watch my team lose in September with its best players, even if they haven't completly sharpened their skills in game situations, than watch them lose because their star players were injured in a game that doesn't count in the standings.

New blood

It's an expansion season for Sal's Celebrity Selectors.

Two combatants have joined the contest, in which Las Vegas celebrities pick games against the point spread and compete for the (cough) prestigious Golden Nerf award.

Rio comic magicians Penn & Teller and Robin Leach, KVVU Channel 5 entertainment correspondent and host of the syndicated show "Penthouse Vegas," will toss their hats into the ring this year, by selecting three NFL games, or over/unders, each week.

The eight contestants from last season are all returning in 2003: Defending champion and Harrah's singer Clint Holmes, former champ and master magician Lance Burton, Mirage impressionist Danny Gans, Stardust entertainer Wayne Newton, New York-New York comedian and syndicated talk show host Rita Rudner, Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, KLAS Channel 8 meteorologist Kevin Janison and KMXB-FM morning radio hosts Mark and Mercedes.

I'll play along this year, taking the Colts-Browns over 45 1/2, the Chiefs -5 1/2 over the Chargers and the 49ers -7 against the Bears.

Best of luck to all.