Steve Virgen: The meaning of 'she' in fantasy football
Sep. 29—If then-New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells would say what he said about Terry Glenn in today's world he would most likely be "canceled" and forced to issue an apology.
But 1996 was a different time. As it was, Parcells did enrage some women's advocacy groups when the coach referred to the wide receiver as "she."
Parcells also provided the Total Geek Fantasy Football League with a staple that remains in our league today.
Who are you starting at quarterback?
Didn't she retire?
She should have stayed retired.
You see? Practically everyone is "she" in the TGFFL, even the GOAT. Blame (or credit) Parcells.
When Glenn died in a car accident at age 43 in November of 2017, the TGFFL members sent the RIPs in our group text. It wasn't so much about his talent on the field or all that he overcame as an athlete from Ohio. The heartfelt farewells were also about "she."
In Glenn's rookie season, a reporter asked Parcells about Glenn's progress as he was dealing with a bothersome hamstring injury.
"She's making progress," Parcells responded. "Shouldn't be too much longer."
Parcells was a great coach, who provided many football heroes on his teams, including Glenn, Curtis Martin and Lawrence Taylor to name a few. They were all Parcell Guys.
Glenn responded well to Parcell's barb. Glenn wasn't always "she." I don't recall Parcells ever using that term again. Maybe it had to do with those women's advocacy groups.
But then again Glenn started 15 games in 1996 and set an NFL record for most receptions by a rookie with 90 catches for 1,131 yards and six touchdowns.
Glenn was no "she."
He grew up in Columbus, where he was born in 1974. He never knew his father, who had abandoned the family, according to the New York Times' obituary for Glenn.
When Glenn was 13, his mother, Donetta was murdered, beatened to death at age 29.
In 1997, Glenn told the Chicago Tribune that he briefly considered suicide until he realized he had to go on living because of his younger sister.
"Once I looked at my little sister, who was 7 at the time and so sad, I knew it wasn't about me," he was quoted as saying. "She was the only person I was thinking about once we got the call, because how do you explain to a 7-year-old she wasn't going to see her mother anymore?"
Glenn said they lived with aunts, being passed from home to home, four in the first year.
He graduated from Brookhaven High School in Columbus in 1992, the same year I graduated from high school. And afterward, in the fall, I started playing fantasy football.
Glenn was a walk-on player for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He went on to become a consensus first-team all-American in 1995.
She? No way.
He became a No. 7 overall selection for the New England Patriots. His career also included a noteworthy highlight: he caught Brady's first touchdown pass in the NFL, a 21-yard pass with 3:55 left in the second quarter of the Patriots' 29-26 overtime win over San Diego on Oct. 14, 2001, at Foxboro Stadium.
Glenn also helped produce another famous Parcells' quote.
When Glenn was selected No. 7 in the 1996 draft, Parcells was apparently overruled by team ownership with that pick because Parcells instead wanted defensive help.
When Parcells left New England, he delivered that well-known statement during his final press conference with the Patriots.
"If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries."
But Glenn was a Parcells Guy. The two later reunited with the Dallas Cowboys. Parcells traded for Glenn in 2003, when Parcells ended a hiatus to coach the Cowboys. In 2005 in Dallas, Glenn had a career-high seven touchdowns along with 1,136 yards. He finished his career with 8,823 yards receiving and 44 touchdowns.
Glenn is also an example of players who are forever revered in the TGFFL.
Among my favorite fantasy football players is running back Ricky Watters, whom I followed since his days at Notre Dame.
When Watters was in his second year with the San Francisco 49ers in 1992, no one expected him to do anything. But as a 49er fan, I knew about his swagger and how he was plenty capable of overcoming a rookie season of injuries.
He rushed for 1,013 yards and 11 total touchdowns in 1992 and led my Pittsburgh Players to a championship in our then-touchdown-only league. There were no yardage bonuses back then. No points per reception (and that remains in our old-school league), otherwise Watters would have been even more of a beast.
I picked Watters again in 1993 and repeated as the champion.
Watters, coined by Chris Berman as "Ricky Running Watters," should be in the Hall of Fame! He's certainly in my hall of fame.
But alas, Watters is a reason I missed out on another great running back: Shaun Alexander.
In 2001, after three straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Watters had established himself as a leader. When it came time to declare our keepers in our keeper league, I had the choice between Watters and Alexander on my roster.
My love affair wouldn't die for Watters. I made the wrong choice. Or as my leaguemates would say: She made the wrong choice.
Alexander went on to a highly productive career, including in 2005 when he rushed for 1,880 yards and scored 30 touchdowns.
She was a great running back.
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Steve Virgen is the assistant sports editor of the Albuquerque Journal. He has been in sports journalism for 25 years. As a (serious) hobby he plays fantasy football and is in his 30th season of being a geek and in the same league known as the Total Geek Fantasy Football League. To celebrate his 30th season, he has vowed to his leaguemates to write at least one story per week that will mostly reveal great moments in their league's proud history. Fantasy football advice, you won't find it here, but perhaps on Twitter, where he is @Atotalgeek.
He can also be followed on Twitter, @SteveVirgen.
