Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 031-024
Date: Sunday, October 8, 1972 at 10:18 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Allen, George E.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-024

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Mr. Allen, sir.
[0:02] Oh, hi, Mr. President.
[0:04] How are you feeling tonight?
[0:05] Oh, I feel good after a win.
[0:06] You know how that is.
[0:07] Yes, sir.
[0:08] Yes, sir.
[0:09] Well, I saw it on television.
[0:11] Oh, did you?
[0:12] Yeah, I was at Camp Dubit doing some work, and I had to come down to speak to the Italian Columbus State dinner tonight.
[0:18] That's when you dropped by.
[0:19] I was just getting ready to go over there.
[0:20] Well, I had my family, and we just finished dinner, and I saw the helicopter.
[0:25] Right.
[0:25] Well, I just wish you could have come in.
[0:28] Well, it's a further woman's day.
[0:29] Right.
[0:30] Right.
[0:30] By the way, I was...
[0:31] But that was a good one.
[0:35] Actually, frankly, both weeks, I mean, the gear team was so far superior.
[0:42] I mean, the one week before was just one of those darn things.
[0:46] At this time, you know, except for those two interceptions in that first half, it had been
[0:55] 35 to nothing, wasn't it?
[0:57] Yeah.
[0:59] Well, Reeves has a lot of potential, but I would imagine in five or six years he's going to be quite a boy, don't you think?
[1:08] It's going to take quite a while, yes.
[1:11] Yeah, take a while.
[1:12] But how do you feel about the way things went today?
[1:15] I thought our defense was coming around again, and that's where we had last year a great defense.
[1:20] Oh, gosh, yes.
[1:21] You have to have that.
[1:22] Yeah.
[1:23] And Sonny,
[1:24] a little jittery in there.
[1:26] So you think that's what it was?
[1:27] Just a little rusty, huh?
[1:28] You know, just pushing, pushing.
[1:30] Here's a guy, 38, and he's played 17 years, but it just shows that no matter how much experience you have, that you get those butterflies and you're jittery.
[1:42] And for the second half, he didn't throw an incomplete pass, you know.
[1:46] Oh, I know, I know.
[1:47] And of course, what you have, it seems to me, isn't it?
[1:51] It seems to me that the offensive line...
[1:54] are blocking as better than last year.
[1:56] I may be wrong about that.
[1:58] No, you're correct.
[1:58] They are.
[1:59] There's something there.
[1:59] And my God, I think Haraway is stronger than he was last year.
[2:04] He's either heavier or something.
[2:06] I don't know what.
[2:06] He's running harder and he's lower.
[2:09] Oh.
[2:09] And he's taking off better.
[2:10] See, last year he was a slow starter.
[2:12] That is right.
[2:13] But Brown, God, he is something else, isn't he?
[2:20] Yeah, yeah.
[2:21] He really moves.
[2:22] He really moves.
[2:23] What about his health?
[2:24] Is he going to— Yeah, he takes—you see, Mr. Bresni's only—this year we got him up to 2.4, which is heavy for him, and his normal weight's about 195 grams.
[2:35] He takes it to beating because of his size, you see.
[2:39] Yeah.
[2:40] So what about this—I saw in one of the exhibitions, I saw a little of George with Knox's name.
[2:49] You know what?
[2:49] He looked awfully good.
[2:50] This is the next move I'm going to make.
[2:54] In fact, it's interesting you mention that because I just wrote it on the back of my play-by-play.
[2:59] See George Knox tomorrow morning.
[3:02] I'm going to activate him, but again, I won't mention it until his game time.
[3:08] What would you do, alternating with Brown or Haraway?
[3:11] With Haraway.
[3:13] Can he block as well as Haraway?
[3:15] No, not as good a blocker, but Haraway's a terrific blocker.
[3:19] He's a tremendous blocker, but he can play both positions.
[3:22] And he's a better runner than Haraway.
[3:25] Yeah, he'll give us the long gainer.
[3:27] What has he got, speed?
[3:29] He's elusive, and he's got...
[3:32] If you watch when he's tackled, he's got a late kick.
[3:36] He breaks tackles.
[3:40] We got him from the Jets.
[3:42] He's only about 26.
[3:43] I think he's got a chance to help us.
[3:46] I want to give him some work this week before Dallas.
[3:51] Otherwise, we'll put him in against Dallas and he'll make some mistakes.
[3:56] Who do you play this week?
[4:00] This week we go to St. Louis.
[4:02] And they upset Minnesota today.
[4:05] Oh, no.
[4:06] Yeah, they beat Minnesota.
[4:07] What in the dickens is wrong with Minnesota?
[4:09] I can't understand.
[4:10] I tell you what, the league is so balanced now that if you think that you can go out and show up and win, you're in trouble.
[4:20] And I predicted that Buffalo would beat Boston because Boston would have a letdown, you know.
[4:27] They had a tremendous letdown, didn't they?
[4:30] Yeah, after beating Atlanta and the Redskins.
[4:32] Yeah.
[4:32] And the 49ers had a big letdown today.
[4:36] I was surprised.
[4:37] Of course, Gabriel seemed to be throwing again, didn't he?
[4:43] Yeah.
[4:44] When does Dallas come, George?
[4:46] When they come, Mr. Allen and I were talking.
[4:48] They're two weeks.
[4:50] They're a week from this next Sunday at Redskins Park.
[4:56] They're at Dallas State Stadium.
[4:57] And with you and your family, we'd love to come.
[5:03] I'll tell you, I think what I'll do, I think I'm deliberately going to wait until after the election so that everybody's going to read something into it.
[5:11] I know it.
[5:12] And I'm just not going to give them a chance.
[5:14] No, listen, I think you're doing everything just great, Mr. President.
[5:18] Well, we're good.
[5:19] I'm going to...
[5:30] But I'll come afterwards.
[5:33] As I told you, I'll come when you need me.
[5:35] Okay.
[5:36] Tell me one other thing.
[5:37] What about your defensive halfbacks and so forth?
[5:46] Yeah, he's playing as well as he did last year.
[5:49] Is it because they're a little slower?
[5:51] Yeah, I tell you what, Richie Petty, when I had a tough decision to make, I put him on the move list.
[6:00] It slowed down a little bit.
[6:05] And when you have two of them in that secondary, you know, it— Have you got anybody you could bring up or anybody you could trade for?
[6:14] It seems to me, just from what I see, that that's the one thing where they could—they've been able to pick—even today, that Reeves, that guy, he had one guy out there who shouldn't have had a touchdown.
[6:27] That's exactly right.
[6:28] We got a break there.
[6:30] We really don't have anyone.
[6:34] Monday I'm going to start calling around the league and see who's available, because we can't trade after six games.
[6:41] We only have two more weeks to trade.
[6:44] You know, you might just find—of course, this is rude experience—but you just might find some guy, you know,
[6:52] Young and eager and fast.
[6:55] That's a great specialty though, isn't it?
[6:56] Boy, you've got a good one back there.
[6:58] He can make all the difference, can't he?
[7:01] Last year we led the league in interceptions.
[7:03] Right, right.
[7:05] This year we're struggling, but we changed our defenses today completely, and that's one of the things that the Eagles went to a totally different approach.
[7:18] If we mix our coverages enough, then they can't pick on any one guy.
[7:22] Yeah.
[7:23] That's what we're trying to do.
[7:26] I tell you one guy who I think is really doing an enormous job is that big defensive end you got from the Jets.
[7:36] Me?
[7:36] My gosh.
[7:37] Yeah.
[7:37] He has been outstanding.
[7:40] Yes, he has.
[7:41] He's in there.
[7:43] I think he's as good as any of those you had in front for it already.
[7:47] What do you think?
[7:48] He is.
[7:48] Yeah, he's doing a great job.
[7:49] He has a tremendous attitude.
[7:51] How is he?
[7:51] Good attitude, you say?
[7:53] Yeah.
[7:53] Real good attitude.
[7:56] I think that's the one thing we have on our team that we can't hit last year.
[8:00] We've got two good guys.
[8:02] Right.
[8:03] Speaking, finally, of St. Louis.
[8:05] I mean, you handled them rather easily last time.
[8:09] Will the Bulls be up for it this time?
[8:10] Oh, they better be.
[8:13] Was Boston just a letdown, don't you think?
[8:14] It was a letdown.
[8:17] I could see it coming.
[8:18] Of course, I know you said it during the week.
[8:20] And I couldn't get it across.
[8:22] Of course, but your team was much superior to Boston.
[8:26] Apart from everything else, you should have beaten them a couple of touchdowns.
[8:32] We missed that damn easy field goal, you know.
[8:36] We should have had— Is Knight off a little?
[8:38] He's pressing.
[8:40] He's just— Is that it?
[8:41] He's just pressing.
[8:42] But he's a great kicker.
[8:44] He's bound to come back, don't you think?
[8:46] He will.
[8:46] He'll come back because he'll win.
[8:48] In fact, I told him today, I said, listen, you missed that one.
[8:51] So what?
[8:52] He'll win a couple of fourths.
[8:54] Right.
[8:54] We didn't need it today.
[8:55] What about St. Louis, though they don't have—
[8:59] They really don't have that great quarterback, though, do they?
[9:02] No, they're going with Coazo, who's probably better than Hart or Van Galder and Desi Thompson, St. Louis.
[9:13] And their win now puts them back in the race again.
[9:17] With you?
[9:18] Yeah.
[9:19] What happened to Dallas?
[9:20] They came from behind and they won.
[9:22] I expected they would.
[9:23] Yeah, they beat Pittsburgh 17 to 13.
[9:28] Well, all in all, though, George, it looks to me like Dallas isn't going to be as tough for you this year as last year.
[9:36] Well, I hope not.
[9:37] Do you think?
[9:38] I mean, it depends on who the quarterback is.
[9:39] Yeah, I think if they get that.
[9:42] See, Morton doesn't scramble, and that's an advantage.
[9:46] And the staff probably won't play against us in two weeks.
[9:49] I don't believe he will.
[9:51] But the big thing is to win next week.
[9:56] You've got to win next week.
[9:58] In fact, if the boys get that one, then you don't have to get them up for Dallas.
[10:02] No, you don't put it there.
[10:04] Well, anyway, good luck.
[10:05] And incidentally, you're absolutely right to keep the press out.
[10:09] Those bastards were knifing you.
[10:11] I mean, not you personally, but they're knifing the team.
[10:14] That's right, you see.
[10:15] And creating dissension, right?
[10:17] Yeah, they, you know, one of them told me, he said, well, I, you know, he said, I don't care whether the Redskins win or lose.
[10:23] He said,
[10:23] I just want to do my job, you know.
[10:27] And I said, gee, we owe something to this area.
[10:31] I really feel that I'm proud to be the Redskins coach in the capital, and I think we have an obligation to the fans.
[10:41] And if they're going to do something to our team, then we're not going to close it.
[10:47] And it's true in politics, and it's true of some sportswriters.
[10:51] They, by golly, they'd shoot their grandmother for a story.
[10:57] Yeah.
[10:57] Really?
[10:58] Yeah.
[10:58] And that many of them, I wouldn't confide in any of them.
[11:01] I'd play them pretty cool.
[11:02] Yeah.
[11:03] I mean, they have to be with you if you win.
[11:05] Yeah.
[11:07] I think the team probably is with you for keeping them out there.
[11:09] Well, the team appreciates it.
[11:12] I think most of them realize that
[11:17] all that counts is that we stick together and keep that same line.
[11:26] As of now.
[11:27] Oh, sure.
[11:28] And you can be generous once in a while.
[11:31] Yeah.
[11:32] Well, good luck and good luck to your wife, too.
[11:35] We'll see you after the election, George.
[11:36] Right.
[11:37] But don't you lose next week.
[11:38] No, we won't, Mr. Cruz.
[11:39] You tell those guys that I'll be around when they need me.
[11:43] Okay.
[11:44] Good luck to you and say hello to Mrs. Dunn.
[11:46] Okay, George.
[11:47] And we appreciate you calling.
[11:48] Thank you.
[11:49] Good night.