|
|
|
|
|
Nothing like Media Day at the ol’ Super Bowl
By Daniel Dullum January 30, 2008 |
||
|
|
|||
|
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Sometimes, people can unwittingly sum up an event like Media Day at the Super Bowl without really trying. “Look … there’s a couple of hookers,” said a female reporter to her male colleague about some scantily clad, uh, “journalists” whose attire left little to the imagination. “How’d they get in here?” “No, no. They’re not hookers,” her colleague calmly responded. “They’re with Telemundo.” The whole Media Day experience at University of Phoenix Stadium on Tuesday got underway as it should, with a security check similar to the airport experience. The only difference is, media is allowed to keep their shoes on. With that many sportswriters confined in such a small area, that was probably a good idea. Where else can a radio station send Miss Nevada to conduct interviews, or The Tonight Show dispatching American Idol loser Kellie Pickler to do the same? Then, there was Ines Gomez Mont, a correspondent for TV Azteca, arriving in a wedding mini-skirt to unsuccessfully propose marriage to quarterbacks Tom Brady of New England and Eli Manning of the New York Giants, among others. Mont was so frustrated that she asked Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, “Don’t you think I’m hotter than Gisele (in reference to Brady’s girlfriend, model Gisele Bundchen)?” In one of his all-time lighter moments, the usually humorless Belichick responded, “Uh, I wouldn’t go that far.” While seated at his podium, Belichick looked like a man who’d rather spend those NFL-mandated 90 minutes at Sheriff Joe’s insect and rodent-infested Maricopa County Jail dining on moldy bologna and stale bread, instead of regaling a hoard of reporters – given the choice. Yet, those years of coach-speak paid off for the Patriots coach. It’s not easy to string three clichés together within one sentence, but Belichick was equal to the task, saying, “We just try to go out there and do the best we can, take each game a day at a time and try to find a way to win.” Giants Coach Tom Coughlin, a one-time my-way-or-the-highway-guy who essentially lightened up to keep his job, was just as good, saying of his perch behind his podium, “It feels like I’m in one of those dunk tanks.” Randy Moss, the former malcontent wide receiver for Minnesota and Oakland, displayed a personality that’s 180 degrees from the surly one he cultivated in his first nine pro seasons. Graciously answering all questions (he did admit the NFL would slap him with a fine if he didn’t) and explained, “How I approached the game when I was younger, it was very angry, not at anyone in particular, just the game of football. Now, I still carry that same chip on my shoulder, but now I do understand that I’m a little bit older.” There are those who are still waiting for “the real Randy Moss” to emerge, but landing on an undefeated team has changed all of that – for now. The fun continued when it was the Giants turn to meet the press. Bay Area native Amari Toomer was asked how often he’s called “Armani” and if he’d try to get free suits from the clothier. “I’d look good in that Armani suit,” he replied. Moments later, Kevin Frazier of “Entertainment Tonight “ presented Toomer with an award recognizing his brief appearance in a football film. This gave Frazier, a former sportscaster, the opportunity to do what TV people do best – rudely disrupt the proceedings for their own purposes. Toomer was clearly underwhelmed. It can be said that Frazier has found his niche with ET. Defensive end Michael Strahan was asked if having a gap in his teeth makes him “more sexy.” “Absolutely,” the 36-year-old 14-year veteran said. “It’s been working for me. … Sponge Bob, Lauren Hutton, and don’t forget Madonna too. “Trust me, all the gap-toothed people stick together!” Whether anyone can put this knowledge to good use for wagering purposes is anyone’s guess. Even with this kind of inside information, the Patriots are still listed as 12-point favorites. With that, it was time to leave University of Phoenix Stadium, which bears a strong resemblance to a spaceship in an Ed Wood flick, or the prototype for a new Sunbeam bagel toaster. It’s all perception. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||