Super Bowl Media Day is a 39-ring circus
By JIM WYATT
Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Another Super Bowl, another media day.
Reporters and cameramen from all over the world converged on the Patriots and Eagles in Alltel Stadium yesterday and got an hour with each team. Questions — and reporters — ranged from serious to wacky.
Seeing as this is Super Bowl XXXIX (39), here are 39 facts and moments from the day:
I
More than 3,800 members of the media were credentialed for the event.
II
Eagles receiver Terrell Owens attracted many of those 3,800. He declared he's playing on Sunday even though doctors haven't cleared him for action on his injured leg.
''I will be ready and I will be playing,'' Owens said. ''And I'm going to be very effective. If you guys are looking for me to go out there and dilly-dally around … it's not going to happen. I'm not going out there to be a decoy.''
He also revealed his favorite touchdown celebration: When he grabbed a cheerleader's pom-poms and danced.
''I won a Michael Jackson dance contest when I was little,'' Owens said, ''so I've been a dancer all my life.''
III
On a serious note, several Eagles were asked who will carry Coach Andy Reid, no stranger to the 300–pound mark, off the field if Philadelphia wins.
''Man,'' defensive end Hugh Douglas said. ''I love the big guy to death, but I don't know if anyone is going to try and lift Big Red. Maybe we could get a go-cart and cart him off the field.''
IV
Speaking of big, the biggest man on the scene was William ''The Refrigerator'' Perry. The former Bears defensive lineman was working for comedian Jimmy Kimmel's TV show.
Perry was asked about one of his former teammates, Titans Coach Jeff Fisher.
''His team didn't do so well this year, but he'll be back here at the Super Bowl soon,'' Perry said. ''That's the kind of player and the kind of coach and the kind of guy he is. He's going to keep on fighting.''
Later The Fridge showed off his investigative journalism skills. He got Reid to admit he's ticklish.
V
A marshmallow-eating contest broke out when Mitch Fatel of The Tonight Show ran across Patriots fullback Patrick Pass.
Fatel ate more marshmallows than Pass but only because Pass lost interest and began stacking marshmallows on Fatel's head.
VI
A young Chinese correspondent introduced himself to Patriots Coach Bill Belichick.
''I hope you don't want me to say anything in that language,'' Belichick said.
Then the youngster asked the coach if he'd read Sun Tzu's Art of War.
''I have,'' Belichick said. ''The one thing he said that I firmly believe is every battle is won before it is fought. I think that speaks to our attitude and philosophy toward preparation.''
VII
ESPN's Chris Berman and Stuart Scott didn't ask many questions. They spent most of their day fielding them — from other reporters.
VIII
What's the reward for kicking two game-winning field goals in the Super Bowl?
For Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, it was a media day seat at the podium with nine teammates. At past Super Bowls he was seated with the reserves, away from the heart of the media action.
''Up until this year I had been sitting in the nosebleed seats,'' he said.
IX
Eagles linebacker Ike Reese is sticking by his story that Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel squeezed his privates under the pile during a game last season.
''Mike is going to kill me for saying that, but it's true,'' Reese said. ''That's not something I can prove now, but I know what happened.''
Said Vrabel: ''That never happened. … It sounds like a funny story, but it's not true.''
Will Reese get any payback on Sunday?
''Not in that form,'' Reese said.
X
Nickelodeon's Pick Boy, outfitted in tights, cape and mask, asked Eagles center Hank Fraley how many times he's passed gas when quarterback Donovan McNabb is lined up behind him.
''I know some centers who do that, but I wouldn't do that to Donovan,'' Fraley said. ''I have too much respect for him — and for myself.''
XI
Vrabel smiled when he noticed his podium was located next to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
''Great,'' he said. ''It should be a light day.''
He was right. Brady didn't draw an Owens-like crowd, but he was pretty close.
XII
Ex- Giants QB Jesse Palmer, who was also The Bachelor on ABC, was working for a TV network.
''The first Super Bowl you want to be playing in,'' he said, ''but this has been fun.''
XIII
McNabb ran into a real jokester.
Reporter: ''Hey Donovan. Are you sick and tired of being asked the same question?''
McNabb: ''Yes I am.''
Reporter: ''Hey Donovan. Are you sick and tired of being asked the same question?''
McNabb: ''Very funny.''
XIV
Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse was asked about his nickname, The Freak.
''I love it,'' he said. ''It's a conversation piece for a lot of people, actually.''
Is he offended that Vikings receiver Randy Moss is known as Super Freak.
''That's fine,'' Kearse said. ''When I see him I don't call him that. I just say, 'What's up Randy?' ''
XV
Patriots guard Russ Hochstein stole a reporter's microphone and started interviewing teammate Brandon Gorin.
''Are you really planning on getting married this offseason?'' Hochstein asked.
XVI
Brady did his best to shoot down a reporter outfitted in aviator glasses.
Growing weary of some of the questions, Brady pointed to the man and said, 'Hey, it's Top Gun over there.' ''
Everyone laughed, except that guy.
XVII
A reporter for a German television station talked Eagles fullback Josh Parry into doing a promo for the station — in German. Parry obviously wasn't familiar with the language.
XVIII
A Kansas City Star reporter said he was determined not to ask any serious questions, but he tried to stir things up anyway.
He asked some of the Eagles, ''Who makes better meatloaf — your mother or (Patriots safety) Rodney Harrison's mom?''
Reese bit: ''My mother's meatloaf is good, and I'm sure Rodney Harrison's mom makes good meatloaf, too. I've just never had it.''
XIX
Patriots receiver Kevin Kasper was asked if he is a friendly ghost.
XX
Patriots center Don Koppen was asked how long he's had red hair.
XXI
Pick Boy rolled a football at the feet of Eagles linemen Dominic Furio and Drew Strojny, then yelled ''Fumble!''
They just looked at him and kept talking to each other.
XXII
Patriots running back Corey Dillon fielded one question after another about his attitude problems. He looked to where Belichick was sitting.
''If he didn't think I was a quality guy, I wouldn't be here,'' Dillon said.
XXIII
Turns out the Super Bowl wasn't always a goal of Eagles safety Brian Dawkins.
''Actually, I dreamed of playing in the NBA Finals,'' said Dawkins, who was a star high school basketball player.
''I guess this is my second-tier dream.''
XXIV
Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones snuck up on the NFL Network's Rich Eisen, who was on the air, and put a green necktie on him.
XXV
Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest was asked if going to the Super Bowl has gotten boring. This is New England's third appearance in four years, after all.
''Boring? Really? It never gets boring,'' he said.
XXVI
Eagles tackle Jon Runyan was on the field for the last play of Super Bowl XXXIV.
He was a Titan when teammate Kevin Dyson was tackled a yard short of the end zone in Tennessee's 23-16 loss to St. Louis.
''I thought we had a chance to score on that play, but the Rams made a great play,'' Runyan said. ''That was just one of those games where we had a bad first half and couldn't overcome it. If we would've played the whole game like we did the second half, it wouldn't have come down to that last play.''
XXVII
Two reporters almost came to blows after bumping into each other in a crowd and exchanging words.
XXVIII
Brady is a two-time Super Bowl MVP and was awarded a car both times.
But he hasn't let teammates drive them.
''He has all these free cars and I can't get any of them,'' linebacker Ted Johnson said.
XXIX
Jeff Thomason went from sitting behind a desk at a construction company in New Jersey last week to joining the Eagles as a tight end after Chad Lewis was injured in the NFC Championship game.
Thomason's feel-good story earned him one of 10 podiums, spots usually reserved for the stars.
''How many guys sitting at their desk get a phone call to come play in the Super Bowl?'' he asked.
XXX
Owens was compared to horses.
McNabb calls him Seabiscuit and Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder calls him Smarty Jones.
''We're going to get him to the gate and let him loose,'' Burkholder said.
XXXI
Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour, who's missed three games with a knee injury, didn't get as many questions about his status as Owens, but he got a few.
''I've been doing everything I can to get ready,'' he said. 'We'll see.''
XXXII
Eagles defensive lineman Corey Simon tired of the line of questioning from one reporter.
''Some guy asked me if I had a soft side and wrote poetry in my off time,'' Simon said, shaking his head in disgust.
XXXIII
One reporter handed Vinatieri a paper football, made his hands into a field goal posts and challenged him to make it.
Vinatieri obliged, kicked the paper football with his finger and split the uprights.
XXXIV
It has been widely reported than Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will become head coach of the Cleveland Browns after the Super Bowl.
''Look, guys,'' Crennel said at one point. ''The rules are the rules, OK? The rules of the NFL say that there is a no tampering rule.
''If Cleveland decided they want to offer me the job after the game, then they will contact me. But until that time occurs I am Patriot.''
XXXV
McNabb, who has appeared in Campbell's Chunky soup commercials the past four years, said his favorite is ''pot roast savory beef. I am going to make sure I get that and get me ready for the game.''
Then he plugged all his other endorsements while talking about Owens.
'We have been feeding him Campbell's soup and Sierra Mist,'' McNabb said.
''We can put some Reeboks on him since they are the best footwear that you can have.''
XXXVI
Eagles No. 3 quarterback Jeff Blake was asked, ''If Donovan was a soup, what kind would he be?''
Blake looked in McNabb's direction and replied, ''Extra meat. That's 240 pounds right there.''
XXXVII
Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was asked if he could be a superhero, who would he be?
''I would be plastic man,'' he said. ''All my buddies joke around on how I can get bent and contorted and I am still able to get up and get off the field.''
XXXVIII
Near the end of the day, Pick Boy showed up at the podium belonging to the sometimes-irritable Harrison and asked him the key to winning the coin toss.
Harrison was polite, then shook his head as he studied Pick Boy's attire.
''I hope they are paying you a lot of money for this,'' Harrison said.
XXXVIX
Patriots linebacker Roman Phifer wouldn't have cared too much for this list — or for the origin of Roman numerals for Super Bowls.
''I have no idea where it came from,'' he said.
''I have never really thought about it. I think the Roman numerals kind of give it a gladiator effect. … It looks cooler than writing 39, I guess.''
Jim Wyatt is a staff writer for The Tennessean. He can be reached at [email protected] or 259-8015.
By JIM WYATT
Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Another Super Bowl, another media day.
Reporters and cameramen from all over the world converged on the Patriots and Eagles in Alltel Stadium yesterday and got an hour with each team. Questions — and reporters — ranged from serious to wacky.
Seeing as this is Super Bowl XXXIX (39), here are 39 facts and moments from the day:
I
More than 3,800 members of the media were credentialed for the event.
II
Eagles receiver Terrell Owens attracted many of those 3,800. He declared he's playing on Sunday even though doctors haven't cleared him for action on his injured leg.
''I will be ready and I will be playing,'' Owens said. ''And I'm going to be very effective. If you guys are looking for me to go out there and dilly-dally around … it's not going to happen. I'm not going out there to be a decoy.''
He also revealed his favorite touchdown celebration: When he grabbed a cheerleader's pom-poms and danced.
''I won a Michael Jackson dance contest when I was little,'' Owens said, ''so I've been a dancer all my life.''
III
On a serious note, several Eagles were asked who will carry Coach Andy Reid, no stranger to the 300–pound mark, off the field if Philadelphia wins.
''Man,'' defensive end Hugh Douglas said. ''I love the big guy to death, but I don't know if anyone is going to try and lift Big Red. Maybe we could get a go-cart and cart him off the field.''
IV
Speaking of big, the biggest man on the scene was William ''The Refrigerator'' Perry. The former Bears defensive lineman was working for comedian Jimmy Kimmel's TV show.
Perry was asked about one of his former teammates, Titans Coach Jeff Fisher.
''His team didn't do so well this year, but he'll be back here at the Super Bowl soon,'' Perry said. ''That's the kind of player and the kind of coach and the kind of guy he is. He's going to keep on fighting.''
Later The Fridge showed off his investigative journalism skills. He got Reid to admit he's ticklish.
V
A marshmallow-eating contest broke out when Mitch Fatel of The Tonight Show ran across Patriots fullback Patrick Pass.
Fatel ate more marshmallows than Pass but only because Pass lost interest and began stacking marshmallows on Fatel's head.
VI
A young Chinese correspondent introduced himself to Patriots Coach Bill Belichick.
''I hope you don't want me to say anything in that language,'' Belichick said.
Then the youngster asked the coach if he'd read Sun Tzu's Art of War.
''I have,'' Belichick said. ''The one thing he said that I firmly believe is every battle is won before it is fought. I think that speaks to our attitude and philosophy toward preparation.''
VII
ESPN's Chris Berman and Stuart Scott didn't ask many questions. They spent most of their day fielding them — from other reporters.
VIII
What's the reward for kicking two game-winning field goals in the Super Bowl?
For Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, it was a media day seat at the podium with nine teammates. At past Super Bowls he was seated with the reserves, away from the heart of the media action.
''Up until this year I had been sitting in the nosebleed seats,'' he said.
IX
Eagles linebacker Ike Reese is sticking by his story that Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel squeezed his privates under the pile during a game last season.
''Mike is going to kill me for saying that, but it's true,'' Reese said. ''That's not something I can prove now, but I know what happened.''
Said Vrabel: ''That never happened. … It sounds like a funny story, but it's not true.''
Will Reese get any payback on Sunday?
''Not in that form,'' Reese said.
X
Nickelodeon's Pick Boy, outfitted in tights, cape and mask, asked Eagles center Hank Fraley how many times he's passed gas when quarterback Donovan McNabb is lined up behind him.
''I know some centers who do that, but I wouldn't do that to Donovan,'' Fraley said. ''I have too much respect for him — and for myself.''
XI
Vrabel smiled when he noticed his podium was located next to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
''Great,'' he said. ''It should be a light day.''
He was right. Brady didn't draw an Owens-like crowd, but he was pretty close.
XII
Ex- Giants QB Jesse Palmer, who was also The Bachelor on ABC, was working for a TV network.
''The first Super Bowl you want to be playing in,'' he said, ''but this has been fun.''
XIII
McNabb ran into a real jokester.
Reporter: ''Hey Donovan. Are you sick and tired of being asked the same question?''
McNabb: ''Yes I am.''
Reporter: ''Hey Donovan. Are you sick and tired of being asked the same question?''
McNabb: ''Very funny.''
XIV
Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse was asked about his nickname, The Freak.
''I love it,'' he said. ''It's a conversation piece for a lot of people, actually.''
Is he offended that Vikings receiver Randy Moss is known as Super Freak.
''That's fine,'' Kearse said. ''When I see him I don't call him that. I just say, 'What's up Randy?' ''
XV
Patriots guard Russ Hochstein stole a reporter's microphone and started interviewing teammate Brandon Gorin.
''Are you really planning on getting married this offseason?'' Hochstein asked.
XVI
Brady did his best to shoot down a reporter outfitted in aviator glasses.
Growing weary of some of the questions, Brady pointed to the man and said, 'Hey, it's Top Gun over there.' ''
Everyone laughed, except that guy.
XVII
A reporter for a German television station talked Eagles fullback Josh Parry into doing a promo for the station — in German. Parry obviously wasn't familiar with the language.
XVIII
A Kansas City Star reporter said he was determined not to ask any serious questions, but he tried to stir things up anyway.
He asked some of the Eagles, ''Who makes better meatloaf — your mother or (Patriots safety) Rodney Harrison's mom?''
Reese bit: ''My mother's meatloaf is good, and I'm sure Rodney Harrison's mom makes good meatloaf, too. I've just never had it.''
XIX
Patriots receiver Kevin Kasper was asked if he is a friendly ghost.
XX
Patriots center Don Koppen was asked how long he's had red hair.
XXI
Pick Boy rolled a football at the feet of Eagles linemen Dominic Furio and Drew Strojny, then yelled ''Fumble!''
They just looked at him and kept talking to each other.
XXII
Patriots running back Corey Dillon fielded one question after another about his attitude problems. He looked to where Belichick was sitting.
''If he didn't think I was a quality guy, I wouldn't be here,'' Dillon said.
XXIII
Turns out the Super Bowl wasn't always a goal of Eagles safety Brian Dawkins.
''Actually, I dreamed of playing in the NBA Finals,'' said Dawkins, who was a star high school basketball player.
''I guess this is my second-tier dream.''
XXIV
Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones snuck up on the NFL Network's Rich Eisen, who was on the air, and put a green necktie on him.
XXV
Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest was asked if going to the Super Bowl has gotten boring. This is New England's third appearance in four years, after all.
''Boring? Really? It never gets boring,'' he said.
XXVI
Eagles tackle Jon Runyan was on the field for the last play of Super Bowl XXXIV.
He was a Titan when teammate Kevin Dyson was tackled a yard short of the end zone in Tennessee's 23-16 loss to St. Louis.
''I thought we had a chance to score on that play, but the Rams made a great play,'' Runyan said. ''That was just one of those games where we had a bad first half and couldn't overcome it. If we would've played the whole game like we did the second half, it wouldn't have come down to that last play.''
XXVII
Two reporters almost came to blows after bumping into each other in a crowd and exchanging words.
XXVIII
Brady is a two-time Super Bowl MVP and was awarded a car both times.
But he hasn't let teammates drive them.
''He has all these free cars and I can't get any of them,'' linebacker Ted Johnson said.
XXIX
Jeff Thomason went from sitting behind a desk at a construction company in New Jersey last week to joining the Eagles as a tight end after Chad Lewis was injured in the NFC Championship game.
Thomason's feel-good story earned him one of 10 podiums, spots usually reserved for the stars.
''How many guys sitting at their desk get a phone call to come play in the Super Bowl?'' he asked.
XXX
Owens was compared to horses.
McNabb calls him Seabiscuit and Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder calls him Smarty Jones.
''We're going to get him to the gate and let him loose,'' Burkholder said.
XXXI
Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour, who's missed three games with a knee injury, didn't get as many questions about his status as Owens, but he got a few.
''I've been doing everything I can to get ready,'' he said. 'We'll see.''
XXXII
Eagles defensive lineman Corey Simon tired of the line of questioning from one reporter.
''Some guy asked me if I had a soft side and wrote poetry in my off time,'' Simon said, shaking his head in disgust.
XXXIII
One reporter handed Vinatieri a paper football, made his hands into a field goal posts and challenged him to make it.
Vinatieri obliged, kicked the paper football with his finger and split the uprights.
XXXIV
It has been widely reported than Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will become head coach of the Cleveland Browns after the Super Bowl.
''Look, guys,'' Crennel said at one point. ''The rules are the rules, OK? The rules of the NFL say that there is a no tampering rule.
''If Cleveland decided they want to offer me the job after the game, then they will contact me. But until that time occurs I am Patriot.''
XXXV
McNabb, who has appeared in Campbell's Chunky soup commercials the past four years, said his favorite is ''pot roast savory beef. I am going to make sure I get that and get me ready for the game.''
Then he plugged all his other endorsements while talking about Owens.
'We have been feeding him Campbell's soup and Sierra Mist,'' McNabb said.
''We can put some Reeboks on him since they are the best footwear that you can have.''
XXXVI
Eagles No. 3 quarterback Jeff Blake was asked, ''If Donovan was a soup, what kind would he be?''
Blake looked in McNabb's direction and replied, ''Extra meat. That's 240 pounds right there.''
XXXVII
Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was asked if he could be a superhero, who would he be?
''I would be plastic man,'' he said. ''All my buddies joke around on how I can get bent and contorted and I am still able to get up and get off the field.''
XXXVIII
Near the end of the day, Pick Boy showed up at the podium belonging to the sometimes-irritable Harrison and asked him the key to winning the coin toss.
Harrison was polite, then shook his head as he studied Pick Boy's attire.
''I hope they are paying you a lot of money for this,'' Harrison said.
XXXVIX
Patriots linebacker Roman Phifer wouldn't have cared too much for this list — or for the origin of Roman numerals for Super Bowls.
''I have no idea where it came from,'' he said.
''I have never really thought about it. I think the Roman numerals kind of give it a gladiator effect. … It looks cooler than writing 39, I guess.''
Jim Wyatt is a staff writer for The Tennessean. He can be reached at [email protected] or 259-8015.
