This weekend Houston Oilers cornerback Cris Dishman reaped the benefits of last year's Babygate incident.

Dishman learned close to midnight Saturday that his wife, Karen, was going into labor. He contacted Oilers officials, who chartered a plane for him from Kansas City to Houston.Dishman left Kansas City at 2:30 a.m. Sunday and watched the birth of his son, Cris Dishman Jr., at 7:12 a.m. in Houston. Dishman then returned to Kansas City at 1:30 p.m. and started the game at 3 p.m.

"Mentally I was drained, but once I walked into the locker room, my teammates really pushed me through it. Seeing my teammates helped," he said.

The commitment the Houston organization made to help Dishman see the birth of his first child AND make the game pleased him.

"I think the organization handled the situation a lot better," Dishman said. "It shows how things can go smoothly when everybody is working on the same page."

Controversy erupted last year when Oilers offensive tackle David Williams chose to witness the birth of his child at home in Houston instead of playing in a game against the New England Patriots in Foxboro, Mass. Williams was subsequently fined one game's paycheck.

The incident set off a furor nationwide and became so big that it was termed "Babygate."

"I'm very happy for Dishman and his family," Williams said. "Other than that, I don't want to comment. I'm not going to get into it. There is no need bringing up the past."

Houston Oilers general manager Lloyd Reese said in a press release that the team was prepared this time around. Reese said he talked with Dishman earlier this week just in case Karen Dishman went into labor.

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"I'm relieved this situation has come to a happy conclusion," Reese said. "Fortunately we were prepared, Karen and Cris Jr. are healthy, and we are ready to play football."

Dishman said the entire experience was tiring, but satisfying. His only disappointment came from the final score: Kansas City 31, Houston 9.

In fact, the only meaningful statistic to Dishman on Sunday read Cris Jr., 7 pounds, 20 inches long. Dishman said it's tough to describe what he was feeling when he watched Karen give birth.

"There are so many feelings," he said. "I was scared. I was worried if she was all right and if the baby was all right."

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