NFL lowdown

Favre retires [David Elfin]

2008-03-04T18:08:07Z

Leave it to Brett Favre to fool everyone one more time. After a couple of down years, where most NFL observers expected him to walk away, Green Bay's immortal quarterback decided to hang 'em up today after leading the surprising Packers to the NFC title game in his 17th season.

Favre broke the records for touchdown passes, yards passing and quarterback victories during his final glorious year and at 38, apparently decided this was the right time to go after an incredible 275 consecutive starts.

Green Bay will never be the same. I'm very glad I got to cover Favre's Super Bowl victory and to see him play in person several times. He was always a joy to watch.

Different view from the aux box [David Elfin]

2008-02-03T23:13:47Z

Daly and O'Halloran might be having a great time in the spacious main press box, but things are very tight in the aux box where the wireless is slow, the noise is omnipresent, the temperature is chilly even with a jacket on and it took more than an hour to locate a soft drink.

As for "American Girl," it was one of Tom Petty's first two hits, along with "Breakdown," circa 1975. Petty's best work is the 1979 album, "Damn The Torpedoes". At least O'Halloran was conscious by then.

Pregame show has started [Ryan O'Halloran]

2008-02-03T22:12:47Z

If you squint carefully and see in the picture a woman in silver pants, it's Alicia Keys. The pregame entertainment -- even though the stands are about 40 percent empty -- has gotten underway.

Keys is up first. Jordin Sparks has National Anthem duties and then Tom Petty performs at halftime. I hadn't heard "American Girl" -- the song that will kick off Petty's 12-minute performance so I got on YouTube ... the video that came up was from Live Aid in 1985 and introducing the Heartbreakers was Sonny Crockett himself, Don Johnson.

Not that I'm suggesting Petty has been around the block a couple thousand times.

Just visited the 400 level and sampled the Super Bowl nachos. Good stuff. A funny moment was the person standing behind me in the food line being upset about a bag of Skittles costing $4.

"Why do they inflate the prices?" he asked.

(Duh. It's the Super Bowl. They could charge $10 for Skittles and some parent will fork it over for some little kid.)

Live from Phoenix [Ryan O'Halloran]

2008-02-03T21:04:02Z

Greetings from the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl is less than three hours away.

The photo is a view from myself and columnist Dan Daly's seat in the press box. This box was built with this game in mind -- it's gigantic. Three rows of roughly 65 seats apiece ... and plenty of room to move around. They got it right.

The field looks incredible. It looks like FieldTurf but it's natural grass. I'm sure Grass Guru George Toma is getting plaudits from the league for his work. But, seriously, how bad can you screw up a field in which you can wheel is out of the stadium and into the sun?

The field workers are doing something I've never seen at an NFL game. They're "dragging" the field like you would "drag" an infield. Not quite sure what they're trying to accomplish.

Traffic getting from downtown to the western part of the Phoenix area was minimal -- nothing compared to last year's debacle in Miami where traffic was so bad, fans were getting out of their party buses to urinate on the side of the freeway. Luckily, we saw none of that this time around.

Several players from both teams are on the field but unlike the Redskins, whom I can recognize, I can't tell who's who. The fact that both teams are wearing red shorts multiplies the problem.

One day away [Ryan O'Halloran]

2008-02-02T20:21:06Z

Thankfully, Super Bowl XLII can be counted down in hours, not days. We're t-minus 28 hours from kickoff, depending on which time you believe the game will start. We've seen 6:17, 6:18 and 6:30 p.m. The interesting thing so far about downtown Phoenix is that it's not as abuzz with Super Bowl fever as the last two locations -- Detroit and Miami. With Detroit, the stadium was downtown so the people flocked into the city starting Thursday night and they didn't leave. Granted, that was the place to be since more fun can be add there than out in Livonia. Last year in Miami, two words: South Beach. 'Nuff said. But the pretty people are evidently hanging out in Scottsdale and the outer suburbs for this Super Bowl. There is hardly any foot traffic in downtown Phoenix and myself and venerable columnist Dan Daly (props to DD for getting an LL Cool J reference to his Wes Welker column today) walked right into the Hard Rock Cafe Friday night at 7 p.m. The place was half full. When I arrived in Phoenix last Sunday afternoon, I thought as the week went along, I would find more reasons to pick the Giants in an upset -- such is the underdog mentality, things gain steam as the hype builds. Instead, I keep finding reasons why New England will cruise to a double-digit win. In other news ... * News today that the Patriots supposedly filmed the Rams walk-through before the Feb. 2002 Super Bowl was a revelation since the league has contended that no hanky-panky stuff with the Patriots was discovered from their previous three Super Bowl seasons. It will only feed the ESPN Conspiracy Beast. My only memory of that Super Bowl was watching at Patriots' fan's house in upstate New York. Ol' Jimmy had a cat and ROH is allergic to cats. I took two pills and passed out on the couch from mid-first quarter until halftime, just in time to see U2. * If I'm a Giants fan, I'm ticked off at Arlen "Nothing Better To Do" Specter. The only thing he accomplished on Friday was upset the Patriots, who will use his pathetic quest for the truth as motivation. * I was asked to provide my favorite Super Bowl memories. Of the two I've attended in person, I really don't have any. Seattle-Pittsburgh and Chicago-Indianapolis have been lousy games.

Another great, with a grunt [David Elfin]

2008-02-01T17:02:24Z

All week we've been talking about whether Tom Brady will end up as the greatest quarterback of all time. Yesterday, I chatted with Jerry Rice, indisputably the greatest receiver of all time. I just finished the trifecta by introducing myself to Jim Brown, maybe the greatest player of all time. Brown and I both own degrees from Syracuse and I told him I had covered Syracuse lacrosse, coached by his former teammate and friend Roy Simmons Jr. To which Brown replied, gruffly, "Good for you," and kept walking.

Strahan's a star [Ryan O'Halloran]

2008-01-31T18:42:53Z

The star for the Giants this week has been defensive end Michael Strahan. He's been engaging, funny, entertaining -- all of the adjectives that apply to the phrase "good quote." Everybody gets the feeling that Strahan, who has played more games for the Giants than anybody in franchise history, is trying to enjoy the experience because it could very well be his last. On Media Day, he did his best Alicia Keys imitation (it wasn't very good). And the big laugh has been a staple of his briefings. And he'll talk about ANYTHING. (video from Sports Net New York via YouTube) To wit, yesterday he was asked how much the gap between his front teeth is worth. The answer: "We could sell advertising in that sucker, I know that. I never sat back and looked in the mirror and wondered how much I could get for this gap. There was a time that I thought about fixing it. I went to the dentist and had all of the x-rays, charts and pictures of how it would look if it was fixed. I decided that if I did it, it would not be me. I decided to keep it. "People look and go, 'OK, here is a guy who is not perfect.' But to me it is perfect because it fits me. It makes people feel comfortable and I feel comfortable when I look in the mirror. You look at people who have imperfections and you say, 'I am good with that.' I never felt like I had to live up to what anybody else thinks or challenges. My teammates give me a hard time about it. You know what I tell them? When we go somewhere and you are standing at the back of the line and they don't notice you, I walk up, smile and automatically get in."

Stars in my eyes [David Elfin]

2008-01-31T18:03:06Z

Before we were sportswriters, we were sports fans. So it's always a kick when the stars of your youth appear collectively before your eyes. That's how I felt when the NBA All-Star Game was in Washington a few years back and I wound up standing a few feet from Oscar Robertson and Elvin Hayes shortly before they were introduced to the crowd. And that's how I felt this morning covering the Gridiron Greats press conference, held to help raise money for former players in need. Among the players on hand were Gale Sayers, Bobby Bell, Lem Barney, Carl Eller, Paul Krause, Joe DeLamielleure, Billy Shaw, Steve Largent, Tom Mack, Leroy Kelly, Charley Taylor, Anthony Munoz, Larry Little, Mike Ditka, Mel Renfro, Don Maynard, Michael Irvin, John Stallworth and Mean Joe Greene. From the time I was 8 until I moved out of my parents' house after college, I had a poster of Maynard over my bed. In junior high, one of my favorite shirts was burgundy and gold with Taylor's No. 42 on it. Their fight for their less fortunate brethren is a worthy one and the messengers made the message easier to absorb.

Postcard from Phoenix [Ryan O'Halloran]

2008-01-30T23:15:49Z

Traveling south to Chandler and the Giants' hotel in Parts Unknown yesterday morning, a New York writer summed up the feelings of most everybody covering Super Bowl XLII as it entered Day 4 in the desert: "At this point, I just wish the game would come." Sir Scribble couldn't agree more. There have been four interview sessions with the Patriots and three with the Giants. Scrib has enough material to fill the rest of the week (probably). The same goes for just about anybody who employs half their brain. Yesterday's festivities included 75 minutes with each team, including both teams' entire coaching staffs. That finally gives people a chance to chat informally with assistants while not worrying about "Entertainment Tonight" barging in with a paper-or-plastic, SUV-or-electric car question. Among Scrib's favorites on the Giants staff were safeties coach David Merritt, receivers coach Mike Sullivan and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. We don't know how Spags would fare in an interview with The Danny & Vinny Show but his players and fellow coaches swear by him. Then again, that counted for something when Gregg Williams was still a Redskins candidate. New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could also get a look from the Redskins. The guy's 31 years old, but looks like he's 17. But he's extremely insightful. Other things that caught Sir Scribble's attention: - Because of the Patriots' pursuit for perfection and the Giants' diehard fan base, ticket prices are sky-rocketing. A face value ticket ($700-$900) is fetching $4,190 on stubhub.com. A personal investigation revealed that the cheapest price is $2,350 and the most expensive is $8,377. - The media bus to Chandler has a police escort, causing one driver on Interstate 10 to snap a picture with his Blackberry, thinking we were actually somebody important. - The NFL lets its teams toy with the injury report, which effects the point-spread. Not so coincidentally, the Giants are staying on a resort that has a casino. - The racket in the conference room forced Tom Coughlin to quip, "This is a loud group. There must be free food or something."

Go, laddie, go [David Elfin]

2008-01-30T21:33:53Z

Just had a lovely chat with Gary Ralston of The Daily Record, Scotland's largest newspaper. In 25 years in the business, it was the first time I've ever interviewed a man wearing a kilt. Ralston, formerly the PR man for the Scottish Claymores of now-defunct NFL Europe, is in Phoenix only because Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes won the NFC Championship game with an overtime field goal. "This is my first Super Bowl and I'm very glad to be here," Ralston said. "I told Lawrence, who played for the Claymores in 2002, that I owe him a a big debt of gratitude for having the gallus. That's a Scottish term for someone who wants the ball when the pressure is the greatest. Lawrence has been in the States most of his life, but he still has the gallus." And Ralston has the gallus to wear a kilt in a room full of football writers.

The survivor [David Elfin]

2008-01-30T18:25:21Z

Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia is finishing his 26th NFL season, 24th with the Patriots. Other than 1991-92 when new coach Dick MacPherson somehow let him work in Indianapolis, Scarnecchia has been with the Patriots since before his Pro Bowl guard, Logan Mankins, was born in March 1982. Scarnecchia, 59, has worked under coaches Ron Meyer, Raymond Berry, Rod Rust, Bill Parcells, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick. He has coached tight ends, special teams and linebackers, but mostly he has coached the O-line, the position he played at California Western from 1968-70. "I've been really fortunate," said Scarnecchia, who followed Meyer from SMU to New England in 1982. "It's just been an unbelievable set of circumstances that I can't explain. It's been a real gift. To think that I could have this kind of run is pretty extraordinary. There are plenty of good coaches that have come and gone out of here, much better coaches than I'll ever be. Why for some reason, you're allowed to stay, who can explain it?"

Inside Brandon Lloyd's mind

2008-01-30T17:35:31Z

Embattled Washington Redskins receiver (yes, he's technically still with the team) is in Arizona for the Super Bowl. ... so of course he appeared on Steve Czaban's morning radio show, "The First Team on Fox," which originates out of Washington D.C. The Fox folks were kind enough to send over a transcript of the interview, which we've copied and pasted below. Enjoy. On his future with the Redskins: Steve Czaban: "Your head coach is gone. Your offensive coordinator is gone. Do you believe that you will be gone next year from this team?" Brandon Lloyd: "No idea. I think that the most important thing is the administrative aspect of this team. That's the coaches. They'll get to the players after the Super Bowl. I have no idea. I haven't had any inclination that I will or I won't. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still on the team until I'm notified otherwise." On his time in Washington: Steve Czaban: "Do you feel like you've been given a fair shake to show what you can do?" Brandon Lloyd: "I feel I haven't. It's obvious. All you have to do is look at the balls that were thrown at me and the balls that I caught and how many drops I had. It was obvious I wasn't going to be out there. Coach Gibbs expressed his unhappiness. But the first year, I didn't see any excuse for it. There was no reason why I shouldn't have been getting more passes thrown at me. Other than that, the 2nd year he already expressed his unhappiness, so it was obvious I wasn't going to be out there." On what he was told when he arrived in Washington: Scott Linn: "Do you agree or disagree with the offensive philosophy and personnel change?" Brandon Lloyd: "It was opposite of what I was told when I got here. That the ball was going to be spread around. When it came down to it, it was only Chris Cooley and Santana Moss really getting serious looks at the ball." Steve Czaban: "I would love to know what the sales pitch to you was?" Brandon Lloyd: "It was come on in here, we're going to have a blast. We're going to throw the ball around, score touchdowns, and have fun." Steve Czaban: "Didn't quite happen for you at least." Brandon Lloyd: "Right. Not for me."

Media Day weirdness [David Elfin]

2008-01-30T01:32:42Z

Colleague Ryan O'Halloran informed you of some of the usual bizarre happenings at Super Bowl Media Day, but here are a few others on my 15th of these annual biggest embarassing day in the profession.

-- Giants fullback Madison Hedgecock trying on a pair of red high heels courtesy of singer Kellie Pickler.

-- Patriots receiver Donte Stallworth joking about going on E-Bay to sell the boot that protected quarterback Tom Brady's injured ankle last week.

Said Stallworth, "Tom Brady, best-dressed guy. MVP Tom Brady. That Tom Brady? And it's a Gucci boot, too. That's what y'all don't know."

-- Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light holding forth on his favorite movie, one that's older than he is. Light was discussing guard Logan Mankins' bushy beard, which he referred to as "disgusting only because he doesn't believe in shampoo," when he decided that Mankins could have been in the flick.

"A little Brian Keith from 'The Mountain Man' " Light said. "You never saw it? Brian Keith, Charlton Heston. [Made in] 1972. You should get it. It's a classic. It's the story of two guys out in the mountains, dealing with all the Indians, trapping, they're bonding. It's the real deal. Mankins would be one of them. I could be the other one. We could remake that."

The idea of Brian Keith and Charlton Heston making a movie together is just plan weird. Unce Bill and Mr. French, fine. But Uncle Bill and Moses?

Pierce makes The Bowl [Ryan O'Halloran]

2008-01-30T00:36:12Z

Old friend Antonio Pierce, the Redskins' middle linebacker during Joe Gibbs' first season (2004) is in the playoffs for the third straight season and playing in his first Super Bowl. Pierce's departure was emblematic of the Redskins' flawed personnel procurement strategy. Pierce and Fred Smoot were both solid players in 2004. They were both free agents after the season. Instead of signing them to long-term deals before the season ended, the Redskins let them hit the open market with the idea that a) nobody would offer them the kind of money they would take and b) if a) happened, the Redskins would simply let them walk and replace them with somebody else.

Well, Smoot's back with the Redskins and London Fletcher needed to be added in place of Pierce after two seasons of Lemar Marshall.

Pierce has become one of the Giants' faces and as the picture shows, he wore impressive sunglasses during Media Day.

Among some of his better comments this week:

* On the underdog role: "That's where everybody put us so we definitely like it. That's how it's been since Day One. It didn't just because of Super Bowl Week. It's a label we've accepted."

* On the Giants' 10 straight road wins: "It's a tough situation being on the road and we've dealt with all kinds of elements, from traveling to London to the heat of Tampa Bay to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. It's been a fun ride and we want to continue that streak."

* On if it's easier to play for Tom Coughlin this year: "It's not easier to play but it makes you fight harder for that guy. It makes you understand what he really wants and what he's really about. When somebody's yelling at you and you don't understand them as a person, you take everything they say to heart and you take it personally. When you understand them and the reason why they're doing it, it makes it a little bit easier to work for him."

Postcard from Glendale -- Media Day Rundown [Ryan O'Halloran]

2008-01-29T22:27:44Z

There are certain perks to covering a Super Bowl, and this is No. 3 for Sir Scribble. The Perks: A week in a warmer climate than back home and dining on the company dime, a chance to potentially see history and meet up with other reporters. But the bill comes due on Tuesday -- Super Bowl Media Day. Nearly 4,000 of us were bused to Glendale and the University of Phoenix Stadium on Tuesday morning for the annual rite of passage -- an hour with the Patriots, an hour to recuperate over a bad brunch, an hour with the Giants, a bus ride back downtown and then time to crank out passable prose. A timeline of Media Day (all times Mountain): 8:45 a.m.: On the bus alongside venerable Times columnist Dan Daly, covering his 24th Super Bowl. We're dreading the bus ride ... until the police escort arrives. 9:15 a.m.: Pull up to the University of Arizona Stadium. It looks like a flying saucer. 9:43 a.m.: First celebrity sighting, if you can call former American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler a celebrity. She's working for The Tonight Show. We bet she'll ask better questions than Leno. 9:46 a.m.: The media is allowed on the sidelines. On field level are 11 risers for prominent players and the head coach. In the bleachers are seven "stands" for coordinators, ownership, starting players. Moments later, the roof is opened. 10:03 a.m.: Bill Belichick appears wearing blue jeans and flip-flops. 10:15 a.m.: "Entertainment Tonight" has set up a red carpet complete with a rope for stupid interviews involving a gorgeous woman and Patriots' back-up players. 10:20 a.m.: Another norm of Media Day is every Tom, Dick and Harry television and radio station wanting to interview ESPN's Chris Berman. And he'll acquiesce to nearly every request. But photographs are a little much. "I'm working here, but let's go," he told one person. 10:26 a.m.: Tom Brady gets a marriage proposal. It seems as if every single television journalist in Mexico is at the Super Bowl. This woman is dressed in a racy bridal gown and pops the question to No. 12. "That's the first proposal I've gotten at one of these," he said. "I'm a one-woman man." 10:35 a.m.: The stuffed animals are back. These things must be all the rage south of the border. An official count reveals two furry creatures and one fortune teller guy wearing a turban. 10:42 a.m.: The following exchange between Randy Moss and "reporter" Donte Stallworth. Stallworth: "Who's the fastest receiver on the team?" Moss: "I've got to say … Randy Moss." Stallworth: "The quickest receiver?" Moss: "Let me think about this -- Raaaandy Moss." Stallworth: "The strongest receiver?" Moss: "[Practice squad player] Bam Childress … or Randy Moss. … Next question -- get outta here Stallworth." 11:02 a.m.: Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, a possible candidate for the Redskins job, declines to give Scrib the name of his agent or even reveal if he has representation. 12:00 p.m.: The Giants get their turn in the spotlight. 12:20 p.m.: It took awhile -- or maybe we were paying to much attention to the Mexican bride -- but we get the first religious question. It's posed at Amani Toomer. We won't bore you with the answer. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is peppered later on with the same topic. 12:32 p.m.: For approximately the 123rd time since the Giants beat the Packers, punter Jeff Feagles is asked about being old as dirt by pro football standards. At age 41, he will be the oldest player in Super Bowl history. 12:43 p.m.: The Michael Strahan Show is into its second half-hour. In a span of 10 minutes, he will quote the "Rocky Balboa" movie ("I actually didn't mind that one," he said) and sing a few notes of an Alicia Keys song ("Don't sing," some Giants support personnel yell from the bleachers). 12:57 p.m.: A camera crew from the military asks Spagnuolo to send a few greetings to the troops. 1 p.m.: Several Giants practice quad players -- wearing eye-black stickers that say 'Kellie' and 'Pickler' get their picture with Deion Sanders. 1:04 p.m.: It's over. Thank goodness.