With the help of super producer Matt Casey, the hardest working man at NBCSports.com, we tackled the big issues of Media Day, like who's the best Ladies man. Also included at the end is video proof that Cardinals MLB Gerald Hayes digs my sunglasses. Success!

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Steelers defense knows that it will be a tall task to stop Larry Fitzgerald on Super Bowl Sunday, and have a few different ideas on how to do it.

Safety Anthony Smith and others said the best way to slow Fitz down was to hit him - often. "As a safety, I’m going to hit him any time that I can. Try to tire him out. Because if he’s fresh, he’s going to be a problem."
Surging outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley thinks you have to stop Fitzgerald by concentrating elsewhere.
"To slow Larry down, you gotta go back there and hit the quarterback. You gotta hit the guy that is most dangerous. And the most dangerous is the guy with the ball."

As I mentioned below, Fitzgerald's teammates are his biggest fans. Video Evidence below.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I focused most of my media day energy on some goofy videos that we'll get up on the site over the next few days. That didn't leave a lot of time for "football" questions, but that's what the rest of the week is for. I found last year that the sessions with the players from Wednesday-to-Friday were a lot more useful for getting good info. With that said, here are a few stray thoughts from the proceedings.

Both teams were very loose, unlike the Patriots last season. Media Day is inherently trivial and silly, but most of the players, especially the lesser ones, seem to enjoy the moment.

More than any player, Larry Fitzgerald inspires awe from his teammates. Everyone had a crazy Fitzgerald practice catch story to tell, and we'll get those up on the site shortly. Apparently he pulled off a one-handed cross-hand grab with his fingertips that is hard to imagine.

Ryan Clark and Adrian Wilson got the nods for the players who can lay the most wood on the field. Early Doucet said he's cautious around Wilson even in practice, when he knows they can't hit at full speed.

I hesitate to draw any conclusions from these gab-fests, but nothing about the Steelers smack of overconfidence. They are ready to play, but their healthy respect for the Arizona offense seems genuine. They also have enough new or young players who have talked about getting their ring. It's a good mix of youth, talent, and experience.

Surprise funniest player: Steelers C Justin Hartwig. He'll be a star of the videos.

I've come to the conclusion that tight ends are the scariest looking dudes on a football team. Heath Miller comes to mind. The offensive linemen are bigger, but they are the best talkers and not in conventionally great shape. My favorite story about some of the ridiculous eating that linemen undertake was about Max Starks. It seems he's developed a way to sneak cheeseburgers into meetings by pressing them under his arms. Then when the coach isn't looking, he takes a bite and puts it back. Yummy.

There were a lot of comments from the male population at the stadium about the impressive female talent this year. I concur. Maria Menuonous was a personal favorite. I give a lot of credit to the beat writer who essentially was hitting on her after it was over.

Cardinals MLB Gerald Hayes complimented me on my sunglasses, which is the first time anyone has ever said anything complimentary about my appearance in my life. My wife, as usual, is to thank.

More than once, I saw a young defensive back tell Deion Sanders that he was their idol and ask for a picture. It's fun to see the pros acting like nervous kids.

The NFL Players have spoken: Madden '09 was a step backward.

I'm working on a column now that will try to be a little more coherent than this mess. Thanks for stopping by.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (59)

Most players are shy about saying too much on Media Day. Cardinals rookie running back Tim Hightower is not one of those players.

"I'm not going to be shy about (saying I'm going to score.) It's going to happen. It's going to happen twice. ... It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm going to enjoy it."

Hightower will probably be in at the goal line over Edgerrin James. The Cardinals have improved their short-yardage offense in recent weeks, but running on Casey Hampton and the Steelers is another matter.

Maybe Hightower got his candor from his mentor James, who was soaking in the moment on Media Day, loose as ever. Like many of the Cardinals, James feels he has something to prove.

"I'm an African American. I'm always the underdog."

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Heading out for Media Day shortly. I'll be collecting quotes and some video clips throughout the day at the stadium, so it will oddly be a quiet early part of the day on the blog. We'll be back here to report on the shenanigans in the middle of the afternoon. If you have any questions you want asked today or for the rest of the week, leave them in the comments and we'll see what we can do. Remember: the less famous the player, the easier it is to get to them!

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Six Cardinals got in a 15-minute practice today for answering dumb questions.  This will make tomorrow's hour-long Media Day less of a shock. 

One thing you quickly notice at the Super Bowl is that the media festivities are not for the big-time football media.  They stand on the sidelines, knowing they won't get much of value from the big setting.  These pressers are for the people that barely cover another game all year.  Like me.  

My least favorite kind of question is the indirect slam.  It usually starts with "A lot of people are talking that you guys aren't very good at blank.  (Let's say 'playing defense'.)

Or:  "The perception by many people is Blank.  How does that make you feel?"

Or my favorite:  "What do you say to all the haters?"

This is annoying on so many levels.  First, no one cares.  Second, the reporter is the one bringing up the issue - no one else.  Stop passing off the buck to "The perception" or "A lot of people" or "America". 

A perfect example from today was a guy who asked this question to multiple Cardinals: "The problem a lot of people have with your defense is that you gave up more points than anybody else that has ever reached the Super Bowl.  How many times do you expect to be asked about this?"

"I don't (expect to be asked).  We were better than every opponent in the playoffs.  That's all that matters."

Defensive end Bertrand Berry answered it how I was hoping. 

"I'll just say this.  It doesn't really matter how many times I'm asked it because I still gotta talk about it.  If you want to waste your ink and paper on it, be my guest."

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One unsurprising theme I took from the Cardinals first media availability Monday, especially from their forgotten defense: They are going to play the Us Against the World angle.  Hard.  This can be tiring, but it works.  They believe in it.  And judging by some of the borderline insulting questions they received Monday, there is plenty of truth in the angle.

"The fact of the matter is that perception can't help us on Sunday. ... We don't care what people thing about us.  People have said they don't like the fact that the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.  Too bad.  We're here.  You don't wanna watch us, watch something else.  I'm sure there's programming on other channels.  Good luck with that. ... We deserve to be here, we've earned the right to be here and we're not making any apologies. ... Change usually comes with a lot of resistance."

Well said.  I also appreciated Berry's professionalism in wearing a sweater vest despite answering questions in a humid tent.  Between Berry and Fitzgerald, the Cardinals have the most sweater vests on a single team since my high school tennis squad.  And we won the state title!  Omen?

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I'm running out the door to get on a bus for the Cardinals presser, but wanted to pass along a quick tidbit from Warrick Dunn.  The classy Buc was talking about a worthy program for high scool kids called Financial Football.  Afterwards we talked briefly about the change in Tampa this off-season.  He made it clear he wasn't going to go Garcia by trashing the outgoing Jon Gruden coaching staff.  No surprise there. 

Dunn said he hasn't spoken to the new Bucs coach and GM (Raheem Morris and Mark Domenik) yet, but he knows them of course since they have been with the organization. 

Gruden really revived Dunn's career last season.  Dunn should be back with the team, but one wonders if he'll fit the new offense as perfectly as he did the last one.  

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

So I will be sharing a blog throughout the week at NBCSports.com with Tom Curran. I am going to try to post in both places, but already today I've fallen behind with a few posts over there that never made there way here in the afternoon. I'm posting them now for posterity.

***

As Tom mentioned earlier, radio row has a toned-down feel to it this year.  That is partly because it's Monday, the quietest day of the Super Bowl week.  But it's also a smaller area because fewer stations are sending crews.  The few that are left were fighting over the right to talk to Michael Irvin when I walked through.

The main hall of the media center is an odd-looking mix of sloppy-looking writers like myself walking past red and cream-colored leather couches.  A pool table is set up, along with video game systems on monstrous HDTVs; I have not been able to confirm that any writer knows how to play. (But I did see the "intern" from The Tonight Show chugging beers on the couch in the late afternoon. I once was an NBC page in LA and sat people at the Tonight Show. You don't know pain until you've heard Jay Leno say the same 6 warm-up jokes in the same exact way for three months.)

The whole Media Center shebang is set up right on the water; NFL Network put their main set out there.  Since I feel naked without actually mentioning, you know, football, here is point I've been meaning to make that the Cardinals and Steelers highlight: running the football is overrated.   

Also I can confirm based on NFL Network's breathless reporting: The Steelers have landed! We'll be talking to the teams at their hotels later this afternoon. 

-- Gregg

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There is some thought that perhaps Edgerrin James won't get cut after all.  He's been a nice story and all this post-season, but he's still a below average starting running back.  Barring a 200-yard game in the Super Bowl, I don't think there is much chance he's back in 2009 at $5 million. A ring would bolster his Hall of Fame credentials, though

Ken Whisenhunt learned something about having a consistent message from Dick Lebeau.   Expect me to talk about Dick Lebeau way too much this week as I join the Steelers players in trying to get this man into the Hall of Fame discussion next year. 

Continue reading "Skinny Posts: Will Edge stay" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (203)