Article: Small-town values help motivate interim Dolphins coach.

Byline: Dave Joseph

MIAMI _ The voice is hoarse and there's a buzz and crackle on the phone line. It's the same sound a cheap radio makes in a small town just before you lose reception.

``You know, the odds were always against Jim. Always against what he was trying to do.''

The voice belongs to Bud Laidlaw, who is sitting in Oxford, Mich., a small town that prides itself as the ``Gravel Pit Capital of the World'' because small towns will pride themselves on just about anything. He's 71, one of eight children, and he's talking about his nephew, Dolphins' interim coach Jim Bates.

``You know people told Jim he was crazy,'' Laidlaw said. ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!