Gronkowski sheds boot, says ankle better
January 31, 2012
Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was without the walking boot he wore last week.(Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The boot is off and Rob Gronkowski’s ankle is feelingmuch better.
New England’s All-Pro tight end shed his walking boot in time for media dayTuesday, and sounded optimistic he’d be lining up against the New York Giants inthe Super Bowl on Sunday.
“I’m improving every day,” Gronkowski said. “The only reason it’s gettingso blown up is because it’s the Super Bowl. It’s just like any other injuryduring any other week.”
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Gronkowski, who suffered a high left ankle sprain in the AFC title game Jan.22, said he could be anywhere from in perfect health to “2 percent” for thegame, adding that it’s still six days away.
The outgoing Gronkowski smiled frequently from the podium during hishour-long appearance that opened with a question, of course, about how he wasfeeling.
“Good. How are you feeling?” he replied.
At one point, Gronkowski even put on a red tri-cornered hat, reminiscent ofthose worn by the original patriots during the era of the American Revolution.
“He’s obviously making progress,” quarterback Tom Brady said of his keypass-catcher. “He’s out of his boot today, which makes me feel a lot better. Itold him he should write like `Mom I love you’ on his sock or something becauseI’m sure there’ll be a lot of pictures of his sock.
“If anybody wants to be out there, it’s him. No one’s as tough as him.”
Gronkowski was careful not to convey an overly optimistic attitude about hischances of playing, repeatedly saying he was working with the Patriots trainingstaff and approaching the situation on a day-to-day basis.
He also was non-committal when asked if he could play if he had the injuryduring the regular season.
“I couldn’t answer that,” he said. “It’s not a regular-season game. It’sthe Super Bowl this week and (we’re) just preparing like it’s a big game andit’s the biggest game. It ain’t no regular-season game. So you’ve got to treatit a lot differently.”
Gronkowski set an NFL record for his position this season with 17 touchdowncatches and had 90 receptions overall for 1,327 yards. He’s made a team-high 15catches for a 15.5-yard average and three touchdowns in the postseason. He alsodeveloped into a powerful blocker.
He missed the Patriots last three practices on Thursday, Friday and Monday.They didn’t practice on Tuesday.
But many of his teammates are confident that he’ll be ready to play.
“Rob’s a big boy. He’s tough and everything else, so I’m not too worriedabout him,” wide receiver Wes Welker said. “I know he’s going to give his bestout there and do whatever he can do to help us win the game.”
“We’re trying to get everybody to play,” linebacker Tracy White said.“We’re not too worried about Gronkowski. He’ll be out there.”
Gronkowski has started every game this season and was healthy for nearlyevery practice before the ankle injury.
“I think he’ll be fine, but it would obviously change the game a lot” ifhe’s not, tight end Aaron Hernandez said. “It would basically be like playingwithout our main player.”
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Steelers interview Haley to run offense
January 31, 2012
Todd Haley met with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday.(Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Steelers have interviewed former KansasCity Chiefs coach Todd Haley for the team’s vacant offensive coordinatorposition.
Haley, fired by the Chiefs in December, met with Pittsburgh coach MikeTomlin on Tuesday.
The Steelers need to replace Bruce Arians, who was not retained. Arians washired to the same position by the Indianapolis Colts on Monday. Pittsburghfinished 12th in the NFL in yards in 2011 but just 21st in points scored.
The 45-year-old Haley went 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs,leading them to the 2010 AFC West title.
Haley spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City. Hewas offensive coordinator for Arizona in 2007-08, helping lead the Cardinals totheir only Super Bowl appearance.
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Lawsuits blaming NFL for dementia merged
January 31, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—At least four lawsuits blaming the NFL forconcussion-related dementia and brain disease will be consolidated inPhiladelphia, and more could follow.
A U.S. judicial panel approved requests Tuesday by the NFL and plaintiffslawyers to try similar cases before Senior U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody inPhiladelphia.
The lawsuits represent more than 300 retired players or spouses, includingtwo-time Super Bowl champion Jim McMahon.
“(This) allows Judge Brody to now bring everybody together and put this inan organized environment where all the legal issues and the medical issues andthe scientific issues can all be decided in one place,” said lawyer Larry Cobenof Philadelphia, who filed the first lawsuit in August on behalf of McMahon andsix others.
The players accuse the NFL of negligence and intentional misconduct in itsresponse to the headaches, dizziness and dementia that former players havereported. Some say they have no symptoms but want to be monitored for futurehealth problems.
Former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Brent Boyd is described bylawyers as the only living player so far diagnosed with chronic traumaticencephalopathy. The degenerative brain disease, known as CTE, has typically beenfound in autopsies of people who have had multiple head injuries, including morethan a dozen former NFL and NHL players.
The NFL vows to vigorously defend the claims. Spokesman Brian McCarthydeclined to comment Tuesday, but the league had supported the consolidation inPhiladelphia for logistical purposes.
In the first lawsuit, the NFL has tried to block Coben from takingwide-ranging depositions early on as the league seeks to have the lawsuit thrownout. The NFL argues that the claims are barred under the players’ collectivebargaining agreements.
Brody delayed ruling on the depositions while she waited to see where thecases would end up.
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation assigned them to her onTuesday during a meeting in Miami.
Brody will handle all pretrial issues, including potentially key rulings onwhat evidence can be used at trial, and whether a class can be certified formedical monitoring or other purposes. The cases might then return to thedistrict where they were filed for trial, Coben said.
As many as a dozen similar NFL concussion lawsuits have been filed in NewYork, New Jersey, Georgia, Florida and Philadelphia. They, too, could end upbefore the same judge.
Brody spent a decade on the bench in suburban Montgomery County beforePresident George H.W. Bush nominated her for a federal judgeship. She tookoffice in 1992 and took senior status in 2009.
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Gronkowski unsure how ankle will feel
January 31, 2012
Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was without the walking boot he wore last week.(Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski says he couldbe anywhere from in perfect health to “2 percent” for the Super Bowl with hishigh left ankle sprain.
Seated at a podium and without the walking boot he wore last week,Gronkowski didn’t seem overly concerned Tuesday that he would miss Sunday’s gameagainst the New York Giants, saying “`The game is six days away. I can be 100percent by then or I can be 2 percent by then. It’s day to day.”
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Gronkowski set an NFL record for his position this season with 17 touchdowncatches and had 90 receptions overall for 1,327 yards. He’s made a team-high 15catches for a 15.5-yard average and three TDs in the postseason. He hurt theankle in the AFC title game victory against Baltimore.
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Giants-Pats rematch worth 4-year wait
January 31, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—That was then. This is now.
That’s what players on the Giants and Patriots are saying about theirprevious Super Bowl meeting, New York’s 17-14 stunner over the then-unbeatenPatriots four years ago.
To hear them talk, it has little or no relevance to Sunday’s matchup atLucas Oil Stadium.
“Honestly, for us, that ’07 thing was kind of like us coming together as afootball team,” defensive end Justin Tuck said Monday when the NFC championsarrived in Indy. “We just said we wanted to kill a dynasty, and that’s whatthey were. But now, we’ve been here before and we felt as though all that issecondary. We just want to come in here and have our mind focused on playing agreat football game, and not really getting caught up in all the hoopla aroundthe game.”
Or the hoopla still attached to the 2007 NFL championship. Replays of DavidTyree’s incredible ball-against-helmet catch or Plaxico Burress’ winning TDreception in the final minute seem to be shown around the clock—along with theGiants sacking Tom Brady five times.
The Giants (12-7) might need to replicate that performance to stop NewEngland (15-3) from winning its fourth Super Bowl under Bill Belichick and Bradyat quarterback.
“We had a lot of hits on him,” Tuck said. “Even when we didn’t hit him,he didn’t have the time to sit back there and allow some of the routes todevelop. We know that as a D-line, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to makesure that we are in his face. He is a hell of a quarterback, and he is going todo a lot of things to throw us off our rhythm.
“You are going to get your shots because they are an explosive offense andthey like to take shots downfield, too. We are going to have our chances, and wejust are going to have to do a great job of taking advantage of them.”
New England didn’t take advantage in that Super Bowl, the last time bothteams got this far. Dredging up what went wrong not only is painful but, thePatriots say, it’s useless.
“Every time you get to this level, it’s a special level. You have to enjoyit,” defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. “This is something that is going tostick with you for the rest of your life. 2007 was 2007, now we’re in 2012. Bothteams are different. I don’t think we’re looking for revenge.”
Belichick is playing down that angle, too—even if some believe he’sconstantly reminding his players that the Giants not only beat them in the SuperBowl four years back, but beat them at home in November.
“I’ve been asked about that game for several days now. All of the games inthe past really don’t mean that much at this point,” said Belichick, 3-1 in NFLchampionship games. “This game is about this team this year. There aren’treally a lot of us coaches and players who were involved in that game, and veryfew players, in relative terms, between both teams. We are where we are now, andwe’re different than where we were earlier in the season. The Giants are wherethey are now, and I think they’re different than where they were at differentpoints of the season. To take it back years and years before that, I don’t thinkit has too much bearing on anything.”
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Indy leaders eager for more Super Bowls
January 31, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The Super Bowl is still nearly a week away and cityleaders already are looking ahead.
Sunday’s big game will be the first for Indy, and Mayor Greg Ballardbelieves there should be more.
“I do think the regular cycle of four-to-five years for some of the othercities may not be the way to go, but for a city like us with a great volunteerbase and a great community support, I think every eight-to-10 years is doable,”he said. “I think we can get on a regular rotation.”
Ballard said he wouldn’t rush it.
“I was kidding when I told the host committee that I was going to give thema week to rest, then we’re going to go for it again.”
Colts owner Jim Irsay is excited about the chance to show off the city.
“I think that we’re going to be able to show the world and everyone thatwe’re deserving for a second chance someday down the line,” he said. “I reallydo. I think that’s the type of job that we’re going to do here, and theexperience is going to be great.”
Though the Colts finished 2-14 this season, that hasn’t shaken Irsay’sdesire to make the event special.
“This isn’t about the Colts, this is about Indianapolis, this is aboutIndiana,” he said.
— —
FAMILY TIES: Patriots receiver Matt Slater knows better than to take a SuperBowl trip for granted.
His father, Jackie Slater, was an offensive lineman for the Los Angeles Ramswho played in the Super Bowl after the 1979 season. The Rams lost to thePittsburgh Steelers, and Jackie Slater never went back to a Super Bowl in a Hallof Fame career that lasted until 1995.
“I think that was one of the biggest things that he kind of missed on hiscareer is he never won a world championship,” Matt Slater said. “I knew howmuch that meant to him because he was a huge team guy.”
Dad already has offered son some advice about handling the pressure in theweek leading up to the game.
“He told me just to do everything I can to prepare myself for the game onSunday so that I can live with no regrets,” the fourth-year player from UCLAsaid. “And realizing that this opportunity is not guaranteed to me in my careeragain, so just to do everything I can to take advantage of the opportunity andmaximize it so, at the end of the day, I have no regrets at all.”
Matt Slater wasn’t around when his father played in the Super Bowl—he wasborn in 1985—but Jackie’s vivid memories have connected Matt to theexperience.
“Even to this day, he talks about the game, and he can almost call offevery play to you and just remember the ebb and flow of the game,” Matt Slatersaid. “It meant a lot to him. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for him, butit’s definitely a memory he has and will have as long as he lives.”
— —
SUPER SCARVES: The Super Bowl host committee got more than expected out of asimple attempt to look out for its volunteers.
Host committee CEO Allison Melangton started the Super Scarves project twoyears ago to give Indiana residents a chance to make scarves that would helpvolunteers stay warm during a typically cold time of the year.
The project expanded, and now the committee has received blue and whitescarves from 46 states and four countries. The goal was to have 8,000 scarvesavailable, but eventually, the host committee received about 13,000.
The scarves got attention on a TV episode of ABC’s “The Middle.”
“I guess you’ve arrived when a national sitcom makes fun of somethingyou’re doing,” Melangton said.
Each scarf identified who knitted or croqueted it and included a message ofencouragement for the wearer.
“It was her idea,” Mark Miles, chairman of the host committee, said. “Ithought it couldn’t have been more hair-brained, and it couldn’t have been morebrilliant.”
— —
HOME COOKING: Mathias Kiwanuka might take a few teammates to his mother’shome for dinner this week.
He can’t take all of them.
“I don’t know if I could fit that many people into her house,” the NewYork Giants defensive end said Monday after arriving in Indianapolis.
Kiwanuka, the defensive end who attended Cathedral High School in Indy, iskeeping things simple. He’ll eat mom’s food, go to bed on time and try to addanother Super Bowl ring to the one he won four years ago.
As for all those Super Bowl parties in his hometown, Kiwanuka’s advice:There’s plenty of time to attend those after Sunday’s big game against NewEngland.
— —
MJD REPLACES OCHO: The Ochocinco News Network will be reporting from theSuper Bowl even if its namesake, wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, is a participantwhen the Patriots play the New York Giants on Sunday.
Since New England coach Bill Belichick isn’t likely to spring Ochocinco forany broadcast duties, he’ll be replaced by Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro runningback Maurice Jones-Drew, who has a background in radio reporting for SiriusXMNFL Radio.
The wide receiver created OCNN three years ago and has built a social medianetwork that serves an audience of about 1 million, the network says.
“MJD is the right guy to take on this task, and I have all the confidencein the world in him,” Ochocinco said.
— —
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbruntap
— —
AP Pro Football Writer Howard Fendrich and AP Sports Writer Michael Marotcontributed to this report.
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Colts hire Arians as off. coordinator
January 31, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—A person familiar with the hiring tells The AssociatedPress the Indianapolis Colts have hired Bruce Arians as offensive coordinator.
Arians recently left Pittsburgh, where he held the same position. He willjoin the staff of new coach Carl Pagano, the person said on the condition ofanonymity because the team has not yet announced the hiring.
Pagano was defensive coordinator in Baltimore and faced Arians’ offensetwice a season.
The Steelers said 10 days ago that the 57-year-old Arians was retiring, buthe resurfaced with the Colts, who are rebuilding. With Peyton Manning’s healthuncertain following three neck surgeries, including one that cost him the entire2011 season, Arians might be coaching Stanford star Andrew Luck next season.Indianapolis (2-14) has the first overall selection in April’s draft.
Arians was Manning’s first offensive coordinator in the NFL, in 1998.
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Eagles hire Bowles to coach secondary
January 30, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Former Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles has been hiredto coach the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary.
Bowles, a 12-year NFL coaching veteran, was 2-1 as Miami’s head coach afterTony Sparano was fired. He replaces Johnny Lynn in Philadelphia. The move wasannounced Monday.
Bowles previously served as the Dolphins assistant head coach/secondary forthree seasons (2008-11). Bowles has also coached for Dallas, Cleveland and theNew York Jets. Bowles was a defensive back at Temple and played eight seasons inthe NFL with Washington and San Francisco.
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Irsay: No Peyton talk before Super Bowl
January 30, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Jim Irsay did his own politicking Monday.
Instead of talking about Peyton Manning and the franchise quarterback’sfuture in Indianapolis, the Colts owner quickly tossed the football to a realpolitician.
“When I was asked about Peyton, I was going to say why don’t you ask Mitch(Daniels) about his presidential run? Any comments Mitch?” Irsay said drawinglaughter as he turned to the Indiana governor.
Irsay’s diversionary tactic didn’t work.
With the Manning-Irsay spat still dominating talk around town, Irsay triedto deflect attention away from this week’s biggest distraction and put the focussquarely back on the Super Bowl matching the New York Giants against the NewEngland Patriots.
“I’m not talking about Peyton this week,” Irsay said as more than a dozenreporters followed him through the media center’s hallways. “When Peyton and Italked (last week), we both thought the focus should be on the Super Bowl. Wewant to focus on the Super Bowl.”
Good luck.
Yes, getting the game in Indy was a major coup for Irsay, who pushed thecity to bid twice for the big game and lobbied fellow owners to give his homecity its first Super Bowl.
But as the world turns in Indianapolis, Super Bowl week just happens to comeat the most tumultuous time in Indy’s ongoing soap opera.
Since finishing 2-14 and earning the first pick in April’s draft, Irsay hasfired vice chairman Bill Polian, general manager Chris Polian, coach JimCaldwell and most of Caldwell’s assistants. He’s hired 39-year-old Ryan Grigsonas the new general manager and former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Paganoas his new coach.
Last week, after Manning went public with his complaints about the douratmosphere at the team’s complex, Irsay retorted with his own public rant —calling Manning a “politician” and contending he had been “campaigning.”
The two tried to put an end to the spat Friday by issuing a joint statementthat essentially said they had spoken and reconciled.
It didn’t slow the speculation about Manning’s future. The September necksurgery that forced Manning to miss the season was his third in 19 months.
Irsay has indicated he won’t risk Manning’s long-term future by putting anunhealthy quarterback on the field, and even Manning’s old friends seem to beconcerned about his health.
“It would be hard to get healthy and prove he’s healthy before March,”former tight end Ken Dilger said referring to the deadline for Indy to payManning a $28 million roster bonus or risk losing him as a free agent. “It’sgoing to be hard, really hard.”
Daniels and Indy Mayor Greg Ballard both got caught up in the discussion,too, though they managed to stay away from discussing Manning’s plans.
“To have Peyton Manning be the caring guy that he is, we are so have luckyto have him, and we are so lucky to have Jim Irsay as an owner,” Ballard said.“How all this plays out doesn’t really matter to me.”
And Irsay contends there’s time to discuss all that—after the Super Bowl.
“Peyton is everything you dream about as an owner, getting that type ofplayer,” Irsay said. “I have just been so blessed with all that he’s done forthis franchise.”
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Ravens hire Caldwell to coach QBs
January 30, 2012
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)—Jim Caldwell is back in the NFL, this time as theBaltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach.
The 57-year-old Caldwell was hired on Monday by the Ravens. The appointmentcomes less than two weeks after Caldwell was fired as head coach of theIndianapolis Colts following a 2-14 season.
Caldwell went 26-22 in three years with Indianapolis, including a Super Bowlappearance.
After working with Colts standout quarterback Peyton Manning for 10 seasons,Caldwell will turn his attention toward improving Ravens quarterback Joe Flaccoand teaming with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to strengthen Baltimore’spassing game, which ranked 19th this season.
“After spending considerable time with Jim over the last week, we think hewill be an excellent fit with our team, coaching the quarterbacks and helpingwith our offense,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We believe he enhancesour staff. Jim has a tremendous history coaching at the college and pro level,especially working with quarterbacks and providing help with offenses.
“The timing is right to add a quarterbacks coach after Cam and Joe workedso closely and well together this year. It’s the right step for us now.”
Before taking over as head coach at Indianapolis, Caldwell spent sevenseasons as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Under his direction, Manning won threeNFL MVP awards. In 2004, Indianapolis went 12-4 behind Manning, who threw for acareer-high 49 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.
“I am really excited to work with coach Harbaugh, Cam and the rest of thecoaching staff,” Caldwell said. “It’s a great fit for me, and I’m happy theysaw it that way. I can’t wait to get started with the Ravens, an organizationthat from top to bottom is one of the NFL’s best.”
Baltimore is the only NFL team to reach the playoffs in each of the lastfour seasons. The Ravens were eliminated this year by New England in the AFCtitle game.
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