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| AP Photo | Winslow Townson New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates after Laurence Maroney rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Patriots’ 21-12 win in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday. |
From The Associated Press
Who needs Xs and Os when there is Tom and Gisele?
NEW YORK—Even by Super Bowl standards, this one has it all. Unbeaten team vs. unpredictable team. Most valuable player vs. least likely Manning. New York vs. Boston. Plus a supermodel, to boot.
And kicking off the hype, Tom Brady’s bum foot.
Who needs Xs and Os, anyway? Bring on Gisele!
The week before the week before the big game has barely begun, and already the buzz is brewing over the New England Patriots and New York Giants. Off the field, especially.
Fine by the NFL. In a league that loves attention and promotes itself with a TV network that provides 24-hour coverage, this is more perfect than the Pats. Besides, isn’t this exactly why they have the extra-week break before the game?
Been a while since Joe Namath lounged poolside with the blondes and promised a win, or Jim McMahon paraded down Bourbon Street. Neon Deion Sanders and Terrell Owens were rank amateurs, by comparison.
If Super Bowl XLII publicists needed any more eyeballs, they’ve found them in XL fashion.
Funny thing, the epicenter of the football world—for the moment, anyway—isn’t a snowy practice field in Foxborough, or an indoor bubble at the Meadowlands or a giant dome in the Arizona desert.
Nope, it’s a neatly appointed, brick town house on a quiet, quaint street tucked away in the old, historic section of Greenwich Village. That’s where the NFL’s All-American boy—the dimple-chinned Brady—limped around with a walking boot on his right foot, spending time with girlfriend Gisele Bundchen.
Williams gone, Sharapova takes toll on Henin
MELBOURNE, Australia—Serena Williams stumbled one round short of a rematch, so Maria Sharapova had to unload a year’s worth of retribution on somebody else.
Justine Henin caught the brunt of it.
Sharapova advanced to the Australian Open semifinals for the fourth straight year with a convincing 6-4, 6-0 win over top-ranked Henin, snapping the Belgian star’s 32-match winning streak.
“Even though I beat Justine, it’s definitely not over,” the 20-year-old Russian star said. “I still have a lot of business to take care of.”
Defending champion Williams had slumped 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the afternoon to third-ranked Jelena Jankovic, who reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time and only the third time in a major.
Williams was unseeded and ranked No. 81 when she made her stunning run to an eighth Grand Slam title 12 months ago, punctuating that with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 win over Sharapova in one of the most lopsided Grand Slam finals.
It was a big setback for Sharapova, who struggled with a shoulder problem for most of the season and her ranking slipped outside the top 5.
But the winner of two Grand Slam events started returning to her best at the WTA championships in November before losing in three sets to Henin in three hours, 24 minutes—among the dozen longest women’s tour matches in the Open era.
Holmgren will return for final season as Seahawks coach
KIRKLAND, Wash.—Mike Holmgren will return for a final season as coach of the Seattle Seahawks—but only a final season.
The 59-year-old veteran of 16 seasons as an NFL head coach announced his decision Tuesday to fulfill the final year of his contract, after spending the weekend with his wife at their offseason Arizona home.
“Kathy and I came to this decision to finish my contract,” said Holmgren, who had hinted at retirement for weeks. “This will be my last year. We are going to make it the best year ever.
“And then probably after that, I will take a little time off—but not yet. We are going to go after it hard.”
Two days after Seattle lost at Green Bay in the NFC divisional playoffs, Holmgren was asked if there was a third possibility beyond retiring or finishing the final season of his contract. He signed that extension soon after the Seahawks lost in the Super Bowl to Pittsburgh 23 months ago, at the end of a deal that was paying him about $7 million per season.
Holmgren said yes to the the “longer, larger” option of another contract extension beyond 2008, but the Seahawks have never approached him about it.
Tuesday, Holmgren said his comments about an extension were overblown and “misinterpreted,” that the decision was always about working one more season or retiring.
The Seahawks have a likely heir to Holmgren in place in Jim Mora.
Knoblauch subpoenaed by House committee
WASHINGTON—Four-time All-Star Chuck Knoblauch was subpoenaed Tuesday by a congressional committee investigating steroids in baseball after he failed to respond to an invitation to give a deposition.
Knoblauch, who played for the Yankees, Twins and Royals, was asked to appear Thursday, the first of five depositions or transcribed interviews scheduled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee prior to its Feb. 13 hearing.
Roger Clemens is scheduled to speak to committee staff Saturday, followed by Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte on Jan. 30. Brian McNamee, a former personal trainer for Clemens and Pettitte, is due in Jan. 31, with former New York Mets clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski to appear Feb. 1.
They all had until close of business Tuesday to respond to their invitations; Knoblauch’s deadline was last Friday, because his deposition was scheduled first.
“The committee has taken this step because Mr. Knoblauch failed to respond to the invitation to participate voluntarily in a deposition or transcribed interview and the Feb. 13 hearing,” committee chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis said in a statement.
Archbishop condemns abortion remark by Majerus
ST. LOUIS—A Roman Catholic archbishop said Tuesday that he will ask officials of Saint Louis University to take “appropriate action” against its basketball coach, who said in a television interview that he supports abortion rights.
One of the game’s winningest coaches, Rick Majerus made the comment at a weekend rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.
St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke declined to say what the action against Majerus should be, saying that was a decision for the Jesuit university. But he said the coach is a leader and shouldn’t support views in opposition to church teaching.
“I’m concerned that a leader at a Catholic university made these comments. It can lead Catholics astray,” Burke said by telephone as he attended March for Life anti-abortion events in Washington. “I just believe that it’s of the essence for people to understand as a Catholic you just cannot hold these beliefs.”
Burke said he will seek to speak with university president Rev. Lawrence Biondi, or a representative, when he returns to St. Louis.
During an interview with KMOV-TV at Saturday’s Clinton rally in suburban St. Louis, the first-year Billikens coach identified himself as a Catholic and called himself pro-choice. At first when asked for his views on abortion, he said he didn’t want to “go there,” but then said he is personally “pro-choice.”
Who needs Xs and Os when there is Tom and Gisele?
NEW YORK—Even by Super Bowl standards, this one has it all. Unbeaten team vs. unpredictable team. Most valuable player vs. least likely Manning. New York vs. Boston. Plus a supermodel, to boot.
And kicking off the hype, Tom Brady’s bum foot.
Who needs Xs and Os, anyway? Bring on Gisele!
The week before the week before the big game has barely begun, and already the buzz is brewing over the New England Patriots and New York Giants. Off the field, especially.
Fine by the NFL. In a league that loves attention and promotes itself with a TV network that provides 24-hour coverage, this is more perfect than the Pats. Besides, isn’t this exactly why they have the extra-week break before the game?
Been a while since Joe Namath lounged poolside with the blondes and promised a win, or Jim McMahon paraded down Bourbon Street. Neon Deion Sanders and Terrell Owens were rank amateurs, by comparison.
If Super Bowl XLII publicists needed any more eyeballs, they’ve found them in XL fashion.
Funny thing, the epicenter of the football world—for the moment, anyway—isn’t a snowy practice field in Foxborough, or an indoor bubble at the Meadowlands or a giant dome in the Arizona desert.
Nope, it’s a neatly appointed, brick town house on a quiet, quaint street tucked away in the old, historic section of Greenwich Village. That’s where the NFL’s All-American boy—the dimple-chinned Brady—limped around with a walking boot on his right foot, spending time with girlfriend Gisele Bundchen.
Williams gone, Sharapova takes toll on Henin
MELBOURNE, Australia—Serena Williams stumbled one round short of a rematch, so Maria Sharapova had to unload a year’s worth of retribution on somebody else.
Justine Henin caught the brunt of it.
Sharapova advanced to the Australian Open semifinals for the fourth straight year with a convincing 6-4, 6-0 win over top-ranked Henin, snapping the Belgian star’s 32-match winning streak.
“Even though I beat Justine, it’s definitely not over,” the 20-year-old Russian star said. “I still have a lot of business to take care of.”
Defending champion Williams had slumped 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the afternoon to third-ranked Jelena Jankovic, who reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time and only the third time in a major.
Williams was unseeded and ranked No. 81 when she made her stunning run to an eighth Grand Slam title 12 months ago, punctuating that with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 win over Sharapova in one of the most lopsided Grand Slam finals.
It was a big setback for Sharapova, who struggled with a shoulder problem for most of the season and her ranking slipped outside the top 5.
But the winner of two Grand Slam events started returning to her best at the WTA championships in November before losing in three sets to Henin in three hours, 24 minutes—among the dozen longest women’s tour matches in the Open era.
Holmgren will return for final season as Seahawks coach
KIRKLAND, Wash.—Mike Holmgren will return for a final season as coach of the Seattle Seahawks—but only a final season.
The 59-year-old veteran of 16 seasons as an NFL head coach announced his decision Tuesday to fulfill the final year of his contract, after spending the weekend with his wife at their offseason Arizona home.
“Kathy and I came to this decision to finish my contract,” said Holmgren, who had hinted at retirement for weeks. “This will be my last year. We are going to make it the best year ever.
“And then probably after that, I will take a little time off—but not yet. We are going to go after it hard.”
Two days after Seattle lost at Green Bay in the NFC divisional playoffs, Holmgren was asked if there was a third possibility beyond retiring or finishing the final season of his contract. He signed that extension soon after the Seahawks lost in the Super Bowl to Pittsburgh 23 months ago, at the end of a deal that was paying him about $7 million per season.
Holmgren said yes to the the “longer, larger” option of another contract extension beyond 2008, but the Seahawks have never approached him about it.
Tuesday, Holmgren said his comments about an extension were overblown and “misinterpreted,” that the decision was always about working one more season or retiring.
The Seahawks have a likely heir to Holmgren in place in Jim Mora.
Knoblauch subpoenaed by House committee
WASHINGTON—Four-time All-Star Chuck Knoblauch was subpoenaed Tuesday by a congressional committee investigating steroids in baseball after he failed to respond to an invitation to give a deposition.
Knoblauch, who played for the Yankees, Twins and Royals, was asked to appear Thursday, the first of five depositions or transcribed interviews scheduled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee prior to its Feb. 13 hearing.
Roger Clemens is scheduled to speak to committee staff Saturday, followed by Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte on Jan. 30. Brian McNamee, a former personal trainer for Clemens and Pettitte, is due in Jan. 31, with former New York Mets clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski to appear Feb. 1.
They all had until close of business Tuesday to respond to their invitations; Knoblauch’s deadline was last Friday, because his deposition was scheduled first.
“The committee has taken this step because Mr. Knoblauch failed to respond to the invitation to participate voluntarily in a deposition or transcribed interview and the Feb. 13 hearing,” committee chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis said in a statement.
Archbishop condemns abortion remark by Majerus
ST. LOUIS—A Roman Catholic archbishop said Tuesday that he will ask officials of Saint Louis University to take “appropriate action” against its basketball coach, who said in a television interview that he supports abortion rights.
One of the game’s winningest coaches, Rick Majerus made the comment at a weekend rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.
St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke declined to say what the action against Majerus should be, saying that was a decision for the Jesuit university. But he said the coach is a leader and shouldn’t support views in opposition to church teaching.
“I’m concerned that a leader at a Catholic university made these comments. It can lead Catholics astray,” Burke said by telephone as he attended March for Life anti-abortion events in Washington. “I just believe that it’s of the essence for people to understand as a Catholic you just cannot hold these beliefs.”
Burke said he will seek to speak with university president Rev. Lawrence Biondi, or a representative, when he returns to St. Louis.
During an interview with KMOV-TV at Saturday’s Clinton rally in suburban St. Louis, the first-year Billikens coach identified himself as a Catholic and called himself pro-choice. At first when asked for his views on abortion, he said he didn’t want to “go there,” but then said he is personally “pro-choice.”
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