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Main page | January 31, 2008 » January 30, 2008
Multimedia: Patriots Super Stories Part 5: Super Bowl XXXVIIIThis is the fifth edition in a six-part series by sports columnist Jim Donaldson. Jim, who has covered each of the Patriots' five Super Bowl appearances to date for The Journal (he'll make it six next weekend) looks back in these audio slideshows at each of the games, and his thoughts are accompanied by pictures from Bob Breidenbach, who has photographed each of the games. Today's presentation focuses on Super Bowl XXXVI, when the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in a thriller.
Posted by Mike McDermott Wednesday participation reportNEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS NEW YORK GIANTS
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Practice report: Brady moving wellDan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, the Patriots' pool reporter for this week, has filed the following practice report for New England: Quarterback Tom Brady's injured ankle was not much of an issue during the Patriots practice Wednesday. Brady participated in all phases of practice and moved better than he did Monday. He did not have his ankle taped outside of his shoe and he was not limping noticeably. The Patriots did not list Brady's ankle on the injury report. Asked about how Brady moved, coach Bill Belichick said, "Everybody practiced. They're fine." Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney's participation in practice was limited because of a shoulder injury, however. Though Brady did not appear affected by his ankle, the passing game was a little uneven. Asked about the practice, Belichick said, "I've seen better. There's always things to work on. We have plenty of them." In a two-hour practice at Sun Devil Stadium under sunny skies, the Patriots wore pads for the first time this week. "We tried to get the tempo up a little bit and we did that," Belichick said.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Sanders knew his chance was comingHe is quite possibly the quietest member of the Patriots' defense in the locker room, but James Sanders has announced himself to NFL opponents. The third-year safety out of Fresno State started 15 games this season, first in place of Rodney Harrison, who was suspended for the first four games of the year, and then for Eugene Wilson, who was first hurt and then surpassed by Sanders. A hard worker who had responsibility thrust on him at a young age when he helped his mother care for his five brothers and sisters, Sanders had a career-high 73 tackles during the regular season along with two interceptions, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He has learned at the knee of Harrison, one of the hardest hitters and most versatile safeties of his era. "Each and every year, I come in and I work extremely hard. I learn from Rodney. I try to come in each year like I'm a rookie," Sanders said. "I constantly learn, ask questions, and always try to get better and more consistent on the field." Bill Belichick lauded Sanders' work ethic recently, and clearly his friend and former assistant Pat Hill, the coach at Fresno State, was right when he undoubtedly recommended Sanders to Belichick before the 2005 draft. He was thrust into a starting role last year, when Harrison suffered different injuries in the latter half of the season. He recorded 17 tackles in three postseason games, including a key third-down sack against San Diego in the divisional round. But Sanders said he really felt comfortable midway through this season. "In the Indianapolis game, I went out there and was just playing my game off emotion and playing physical. The coaches had my back; they didn't tell me too much, just let me play the game," he said. "I didn't have to look over my shoulder and worry about doing something wrong. I went out there and played my game. I think that might have been the game when I turned the corner." It was the result of more than two years of hard work: "I kept grinding and I kept working hard. I just knew when that opportunity presented itself, I would be ready," he said.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Super Bowl XLII officials namedThe NFL today released the full roster of officials for Sunday's game. The referee will be Mike Carey, the first African-American to referee a Super Bowl. Carey, in his 18th season as an NFL official, was also the referee when the Patriots and Giants played on Dec. 29. This will be his 14th playoff game as an official. The umpire will be Tony Michalek (six years NFL experience, two prior playoff games); Gary Slaughter is the head linesman (12, 7); Carl Johnson is line judge (7, 4); Boris Cheek is field judge (12, 6); Larry Rose is side judge (11, 7) and Scott Helverson is back judge (5, 3). Under the NFL's officiating program evaluation system, the highest-rated officials at each position with the appropriate experience earn the right to work the Super Bowl. Super Bowl officials must have five years of NFL experience and previous playoff assignments.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Scarlet tiesBill Belichick took to the podium for his press conference today in yet another different style of shirt: a red Rutgers lacrosse windbreaker with a number 23 on the arm. “It’s my son’s. He used to wear my stuff, so now I’m getting into his closet," Belichick explained. Stephen, the middle of Belichick's three sons, is a freshman defenseman for the Scarlet Knights. His daughter, Amanda, plays at Wesleyan, and youngest Brian does as well. Belichick was a midfielder at Wesleyan.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Giants Veteran Punter Started Out As A PatriotSCOTTSDALE -- It's taken him 20 years, but Jeff Feagles finally has made it to a Super Bowl. And talk about coming full circle. Feagles, who's been the Giants punter since 2003, began his NFL career with the Patriots, who signed him as a rookie free agent in 1988 out of the University of Miami, where he was a member of the Hurricanes' national championship team as a senior in 1987. Although Feagles won all-rookie honors with New England, he played only two seasons for the Pats, who waived him in the spring of 1990. He was picked up by the Eagles and spent four years in Philadelphia before signing with the Cardinals as a free agent in 1994. A free agent again in 1998, Feagles signed with Seattle, spending five years with the Seahawks before going to the Giants as a free agent in 2003. He averaged 40.4 yards on 71 punts this season, with a net average of 36.0, and had one blocked, by the 49ers. He has been even better in the postseason, averaging 40.7 yards on 15 punts, with a net of 38.5. "This is spectacular," Feagles said. "I tell the younger guys how long I've waited to get here, and how special it is. I want them to understand how difficult it is to get here." This is a homecoming for Feagles, who played high school football at Gerard High in Phoenix and spent a year as a Fighting Artichoke at Scottsdale Community College before going to Miami. "It's been a long journey," he said, "and it's been quite a story as to how I've gotten here, with a lot of hard work, a little luck, and a lot of organizations that believed in my talents over the years. Coming back to Arizona is so surreal right now. I'm just taking it all in." Although he'll be 42 in March, Feagles says he has no intention of retiring from football. "I'm enjoying the game still at my age, and I want to keep going as long as there is a team that wants me to play for them."
Posted by Jim Donaldson Giants GM Impressed by PatsSCOTTSDALE -- New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese thinks his counterpart in New England, Scott Pioli, has done a marvelous job. "You kind of sit back," he said, "and marvel at what they have done, because I don't think this league is built for teams to be this dominant six or seven years in a row. (The Patriots) continue to put a tremendous product on the field and my hat is off to them."
Posted by Jim Donaldson Moss Disses PackersSCOTTSDALE -- Randy Moss says he thinks he would have enjoyed playing with Packers quarterback Brett Favre, but knows he would not have liked playing in Green Bay. "I think Brett Favre wanted to talk to me," said Moss, who wanted to get out of Oakland after a couple of dismal seasons with the Raiders. "Green Bay was in the picture. But things were told to me about manuevering money around and making it a good fit. The Packers were really talking about the wrong things, and not the right things. When they started talking more about the wrong things, I just hung up the phone and didn't want to talk to them any more. "I didn't think that was right because, my whole career, I have been taken out of context sometimes, but, at the end of the day, all I wanated to do was win games. I didn't really feel they wanted me. I felt that Brett Favre wanted me, but I didn't really feel the Packers wanted me."
Posted by Jim Donaldson Burress stands by his statementsGiants receiver Plaxico Burress predicted earlier this week that the Giants would beat the Patriots, 23-17, in the Super Bowl. Earlier today he said that he stood by those comments. "What I said is what I said," Burress said. "I believe in my guys just as much as they believe in me. It is very evident. They stand by me and what I say, and we believe in each other. I really don't consider us to be teammates or a team. It's more like a brotherhood. That is how close we are as a team. We have so much respect for each other, and guys go up and beyond to do things to get the job done. We play hard for each other. I think that has shown in some of the games we've won and the way that we've won them. There is no quit in this football team. We don't know what that word means." No team has held the Patriots to 17 points this season. The Patriots averaged an NFL-best 411.2 yards per game and 36.8 points per game during the regular season. "I'm not taking anything away from what they've done in the conference or what they've done in the NFL records," Burress said. "Tom Brady is a great quarterback and is the NFL MVP and a three-time Super Bowl winner. Randy [Moss] set a record, and they have two guys with over 100 receptions. I'm not taking taking anything from those guys. The numbers don't lie of what they've done. It's going to be tough matchup for us. I know we can't stop them, but for us to win the game we have to control the ball, be effective on third down, and keep them off of the field." Burress, who said that the score 23-17 was the first score that popped into his head, said that none of his teammates are upset by his prediction. "I don't think anyone is upset," Burress said. "They don't have to say anything to me. They know I'm going to go out and performa at a high level, and I think we expect that of each other. We all expect for us to play hard. There is nothing else to be said. The rest of the talking is going to be done on the football field."
Posted by Rob Lee Protecting Brady SCOTTSDALE -- Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia cited two reasons it is all-important that his players protect quarterback Tom Brady.
Posted by Jim Donaldson As high ankle sprains go, Brady's apparently is the least seriousBY MIKE SZOSTAK The Patriots are extremely fortunate that Tom Brady suffered what was apparently the mildest possible high ankle sprain. Had the injury been more serious, he might not be available to play in the Super Bowl Sunday. A high ankle sprain is damage to the ligaments that connect the lower portions of the tibia and fibula, the two bones that extend from knee to foot. It is more serious that its cousin, the simple ankle sprain, because it involves weight bearing structures and can take twice as long to heal. Athletes with high ankle sprains can be sidelined as long as 12 weeks. Kim Bissonnette, head athletic trainer at the University of Rhode Island and the lead trainer for the URI football team, agreed that the Patriots took the proper approach with Brady by having him avoid any undue stress on his right leg last week. The All-Pro quarterback caused quite a stir when he was photographed wearing a protective boot while walking in Manhattan. “Take the initial window of three days and extend it to four or five days and let him rest,” Bissonnette said. “Then tape it up and see what happens.” Brady practiced Monday and completed the entire workout, even running a couple lengths of the field with the rest of the squad. A pool reporter noted that was limping slightly. If Brady did, indeed, suffer a low-grade high ankle sprain, the limp could have been the result of putting weight on that right ankle. The Patriots never disclosed the specific injury. A simple ankle sprain, usually the result of the foot twisting inward (or rolling so the arch faces up), involves stretching or tearing of the ligaments that connect the small bones in the ankle joint. Treatment involves rest, ice, compression and elevation to reduce swelling and provide support. Depending on the severity, recovery can take a few weeks. A high ankle sprain, or syndesmosis injury, named for the rough edges of the two leg bones held together by the ligament, is usually the result of the foot being twisted out (so the arch faces down) or by the toe being forced up. There can be pain in the middle of the ankle joint and tenderness in front of the ankle but less swelling than in a simple ankle sprain. Athletic trainers and doctors will suspect a high ankle sprain when squeezing the calf or rotating the ankle out causes pain. An x-ray made when the ankle is stressed will show abnormal motion of the lower ends of the leg bones in a high ankle sprain victim. “The higher the soreness, the longer the person will be out. You can have pain going all the way up the leg,” Bissonnette said. - Mike Szostak, projo.com Sources: clevelandclinic.org, orthogate.org, about.com and thedisabledlist.com Patience is a necessary virtue in healing a high ankle sprain. Patients must let the ligaments heal so they can maintain the proper distance between the ends of the tibia and fibular. The proper functioning of other bones in the ankle joint depends on correct spacing. Bissonnette said that athletes who come back too early run the risk of further injury that could require surgery to correct. Serious high ankle sprains can necessitate the insertion of screws through the fibula and into the tibia to stabilize the joint. High ankle sprains account for about 10 percent of ankle sprains, although they seem to be occurring with increasing frequency. “We have seen a lot more of them,” Bissonnette said. He is not sure if medical personnel are more knowledgeable than they were a generation or two ago or if the forces to which athletes are subject are greater because athletes are bigger, faster and stronger than a generation or two ago.
Posted by Art Martone Moss's first impression of McDanielsRandy Moss was shocked to find out that Josh McDaniels, who is 32-years-old, was the Patriots offensive coordinator when he first met him. "When I first got to Massachusetts, I flew in to take my physical and Josh picked me up at the airport. He told me he was the offensive coordinator and that he calls the plays, and he told me his age. I was kind of overwhelmed because we are in the same age bracket, and I really didn't know what to think to be honest with you. "Being with the New England Patriots, I figured he must know something. After being here during mini camp and training camp and seeing how the offense was made and designed, I thought he was probably if not the best, one of the best offensive coordinators in the League when it comes to scheming, calling plays and making adjustments. "Once I heard he might be up for a head coaching job I went to him and said, `Dude, you didn't tell me what's going on.' I have a lot of respect for Josh and I don't think age plays a factor at all with coaches in the NFL. The good thing about it is he's young and his upside is very high. The bad side of it is that I don't know how long he'll be a Patriots coach."
Posted by Rob Lee Multimedia: Projo PatsTalk with Shalise Manza YoungBefore beginning her day on Wednesday, Patriots writer Shalise Manza Young spoke to Mike McDermott for this multimedia show. Click the play button below to listen and watch. Shalise will file multimedia reports tomorrow and Friday as well.
Posted by Mike McDermott Multimedia: Patriots Super Stories Part 5: Super Bowl XXXVIIIThis is the fifth edition in a six-part series by sports columnist Jim Donaldson. Jim, who has covered each of the Patriots' five Super Bowl appearances to date for The Journal (he'll make it six next weekend) looks back in these audio slideshows at each of the games, and his thoughts are accompanied by pictures from Bob Breidenbach, who has photographed each of the games. Today's presentation focuses on Super Bowl XXXVI, when the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in a thriller.
Posted by Mike McDermott Wednesday Super Bowl photos
Posted by Mike McDermott Long LocksPHOENIX -- Offensive tackle Matt Light's hair has gotten so long that he sometimes ties it into a pony tail in back, prompting center Dan Koppen to nickname him "Fabio," after the similarly-maned male model who has been frequently featured on the covers of romance novels. "I appreciate Dan's support," said Light, "but the truth is that I've been too lazy to go to the barbershop. My barber, Chuckie, is about 74 years old and has a shop in Franklin, Mass. He's a third-generation barber. I know it looks grotesque, but it's going to stay this way 'til I can get there."
Posted by Jim Donaldson Bill's BrilliancePHOENIX -- He was talking about the qualities he looks for when he hires coaches, but Bill Belichick's wise words were applicable to a much wider array of life situations: "The most important thing," he said, "is to identify what you are looking for. Once you have a good job description, then you can look at people and try to figure out if that is what you want. If you know what you want, you have a better chance of finding it, rather than just taking a list of names and picking one out."
Posted by Jim Donaldson Stud Fees PHOENIX -- Great line about the Super Bowl from friend Bob Reinacher, a longtime trainer of thoroughbreds I first met several summers ago at Saratoga, and who currently is at the winter meet at Gulfstream Park, in Hallandale, Fla.
Posted by Jim Donaldson Hobbs respects Burress's Super Bowl upset predictionPatriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs respects guys like Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith who guaranteed a victory over the Patriots, and Giants receiver Plaxico Burress who predicted that the Giants would beat the Patriots, 23-17, in the Super Bowl on Sunday. “I always give my hats off to a guy like Anthony Smith or Plaxico for the confidence that they have in saying that because it speaks volumes. It speaks volumes in the confidence that you have coming into a game of this magnitude.”
Posted by Rob Lee Maroney doesn't need to change his running styleThere has been a lot of talk about Laurence Maroney’s running style and he doesn't like it. He runs upright instead of getting low to the ground like most NFL running backs, but Maroney believes that just because he runs with a different style, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. After all, he’s been running that way his whole life and has been very successful at it. He was selected the St. Louis Player of the Year while attending Normandy High School where he was a four-time All-Conference selection and rushed for 4,808 yards in his career with 56 touchdowns. At the University of Minnesota, Maroney became one of only three players in Big 10 history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons (Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, and Sedrick Irvin, Michigan State). He finished his three-year college career ranking second on Minnesota’s all-time career list with 3,933 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. And he’s rushed for 550 yards and six touchdowns over his last five games. Those numbers are outstanding so Maroney doesn’t plan on adjusting his running style. “Well you know, a lot of people always talk about adjusting your style, but you know, I continue to do what I do,” Maroney said. “That’s what got me here. I really don’t try to change too much of nothing, you know, I just go out there and have fun. I really don’t know what my style is. Maroney said that showing off his talent in the Patriots two playoff games in front of a national audience meant a lot to him. Maroney had 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in both of the Patriots playoff games. “To be able to go out there and run the clock out on them having the confidence in me to run the clock out means a lot,” Maroney said. “…You know, one of the things I wanted to do was go out there and take advantage of the opportunities they give me and make them believe that we can run the ball when we need to.” Not only can Maroney move the chains running the ball, but he also doesn’t turn the ball over either. In fact, none of the Patriot running backs or wide receivers have fumbled the ball resulting in a turnover. “It is a good bit of us, but a lot more of Bill [Belichick],” Maroney said for the reason why the Patriots don’t fumble. “Every day he tells us, `protect the ball. Protect the ball.’ We don’t give teams turnovers…We work hard on ball protection every day.” So how does Maroney plan on attacking the Giants on Sunday? “Downhill,” Maroney said. “You know, when you have a physical defense like they do, you go down hill and hopefully they get tired of tackling.” Maroney said that he will attack the Giants both inside and outside. “It doesn’t matter; wherever the hole is at,” Maroney said. “I can go inside or outside. It really doesn’t matter.” Maroney said that he is looking forward to Sunday.
Posted by Rob Lee Wednesday morning in PhoenixHey all -- It's only 10:30 a.m. here, but it's already been a full day for those of us following the Patriots during Super Bowl week. New England began its media access for the day at 8 a.m. with Bill Belichick's press conference, and then the players and assistant coaches were brought in for their chat sessions. Today was the first day we were at New England's team hotel, the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, a gorgeous facility with its own golf course about 20 miles from the Media Center in downtown Phoenix. There was a large tent/temporary structure set up for the media time, which overlooked the course and had beautiful mountain vistas just beyond. The rest of the week, media-wise, won't be as wacky as yesterday's circus, and the team clearly is getting down to the business at hand, which is putting in its final preparations for New York. Not being the morning person -- that's colleague Rob Lee -- it was a struggle to get up at 5:20 a.m. to be on the bus out there at 6:45 a.m., but as my husband reminded me, I'm in Arizona for the Super Bowl, so it can't be all bad. And he's right. New England will practice later today, and when the pool report is filed, we'll let you know about Tom Brady and The Ankle. shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Download today's Sports coverDownload file
Posted by Rich Lee Another prediction! Giants co-owner says his team will winJan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Co-owner Steve Tisch predicts his New York Giants, after winning three playoff games as underdogs, will beat the undefeated and favored New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. "I'm going to put out there, 21-17 New York Giants when that clock ticks down to zero," Tisch, who co-owns the team with John Mara, said in a Jan. 25 interview airing this weekend on Bloomberg Radio's "On the Ball" program. The Giants, with a 13-6 record, are 12-point underdogs against the 18-0 Patriots and their record-setting offense for the National Football League championship game on Feb. 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. Tisch said the Giants, led by fourth-year quarterback Eli Manning and 15-year defensive end Michael Strahan, have bonded as a team since losing their final regular-season game to the Patriots 38-35 on Dec. 29. Tisch, 58, said it was a turning point in the season. "People were referring to the game as insignificant," Tisch said. "I think it became one of the most significant games this club has played in the last 20 years. We played the Patriots head-to-head, play-for-play and we almost won that game. Ironically, we're facing them in the Super Bowl and we're going to beat them in the Super Bowl." Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress had a similar prediction, forecasting a 23-17 win for New York. "We didn't come here just to play, we came here to win the game," Burress told reporters yesterday. "It's okay to want to win and predict and dream."
Posted by Mike McDermott |
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