The Seattle Seahawks will try to defend their Super Bowl – and the New England Patriots will go for their fourth – this Sunday in Arizona.
Today is media day, when those invited – those with a laminated pass and a byline – get to pitch their questions to the waves of players and coaches on the stand, in the booths with sponsor decals slapped from corner to corner to corner to corner, in front of the press gallery for which this day is purposed.
Mostly, the day’s just fluff. The whole week is fluff. Reporters burrow in, sticking their head down the hole like a gopher on a golf course, and they spit out quotes and headlines behind them for the rest of us. We’re sitting at home or at work, listening and watching so we can shower in everything between the lines.
And really, it is just dirt. There’s only so much you can pull from two quarterbacks, two conferences, two franchises that have – to this point – clearly done everything right on the field.
Two weeks is a long time off, after all, but that dead air has to be filled with something – just because no football’s being played doesn’t mean America stops watching football. Whether it’s a never-ending debate over whether a coach, a quarterback, a ball boy, or some evil triumvirate of the three deflated their footballs… whether it’s a rap song that serves as the only chip of rivalry between two historic, rarely meeting franchises… whether it’s something Randy Moss says… whether it’s Maria Menounos going all access on New England’s man of the moment…
No matter what the hook is, media day certainly accomplishes what it intends to. It certainly lives up to its name – it’s media day, and the media just loves it.
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Seattle Seahawks Quotes from Media Day (Glendale, Arizona)
Marshawn Lynch is a modern day Miguel de Cervantes…
“I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”
Russell Wilson’s not really into winning anymore… just kidding…
“A lot more relaxed (this year). I think the experience of being here before, you know how to do it… I’m just grateful to be here, man. It’s not about repeating, I don’t think. It’s great if we can get the win, obviously, but more so than anything, our focus has been on, How do we get to the Super Bowl again and how do we win it?”
“Every year’s different… last year was an amazing year, but (this year) to be 3-3 and 6-4, to have everybody doubting us out, thinking that there’s no way. That shows how great this team is.”
“The best thing we’ve learned is the selflessness and playing for one another. That’s the greatest thing you can ever learn in life, I think, is doing things for others. We play for each other, man.”
Peter Carroll has thoughts on pretty much everybody, but here’s what he thinks of New England coach Bill Belichick and his own quarterback, Russell Wilson…
“It’ll always be about the football… if we can take it away from them more than they get it, we’ll have the best chance to win.”
“(Belichick has) proven that he’s one of the real elite coaches in the game. By his ability to stay consistent, to continue to win divisions, and place themselves in great positions in the playoffs, and win championships like they have. You really can’t do more than he’s done.”
“I don’t think we can have a better guy for the Seahawks than Russell Wilson. He gives us such a dynamic approach to the quarterback position, in just the football aspect of it… He can pass from inside the pocket, he can pass on the move, and all that structured stuff. But then he has the dynamic ability to get out of the pocket and create. Really, with his legs, running as well as passing. His abilities run the full gamut of what you hope a quarterback can do.”
Richard Sherman – on the Patriots, himself, and Mexico…
“It feels good to face whoever we’re facing in this game. Obviously, they’ve worked hard, they’ve had a great season to make it to this point. It’s obviously going to be an outstanding opponent.”
“I kinda go to the beat of my own drum. If people feel a certain way (about me) – everybody has an opinion. I also have my own opinions, and I have my own way of doing things.”
“To the 30 million (NFL) fans in Mexico, we would appreciate if you were Seahawks fans. We have a seat on the 12th Man just for you. Viva la Mexico. Love you.”
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New England Patriots Quotes from Media Day (Glendale, Arizona)
Rob Gronkowski on facing Seattle Seahawks:
“I’ve just gotta go out there and play my game. Gotta go out there and do what I got to do. I’ve got much respect for everyone on the Seattle Seahawks defence. They’re all great players… We’ve gotta go out there as a team and execute as an offence.”
“(Kam Chancellor’s) a good player, he’s a big dude. No doubt. He’s got speed, he’s physical, so I’ve got to be ready and I’ve got to go out and bring it, too. I know he will be.”
Tom Brady on starting his sixth Super Bowl:
“I never imagined this in my wildest dreams. I loved playing sports growing up, I loved having a chance as a kid to go out there and play with my friends. To play football in the street with the older boys was fun, to get a chance to play in the Super Bowl, I never thought I’d play in one. It’s pretty unbelievable to be able to play in six.”
“This team has really got to establish its own identity, and we have a great chance to do it on Sunday.”
Bill Belichick on the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach:
“I have all the respect in the world, there’s not a coach in the NFL I respect more than Pete Carroll.”
“I have a ton of respect for what Pete does as a coach, how good of a fundamental teacher he is. The way his teams play, I’ve studied him from afar… over a long period of time. I’ve learned a lot from what he does. Indirectly, I think he’s made me a better coach.”
Darrelle Revis, when asked who the best cornerback in the NFL is by Hall of Famer Deion Sanders:
“Who’s the best corner? You are, Deion… You can answer that question. I don’t know.”
“Everybody has a lot of opinions. I respect them all. We have a lot of great corners in this league, I could go down the list… it’s a bunch, man.”
“We’re a group. We’re a DB (defensive back) group, so at the same time it’s great to see your fellow DBs play great.”
Vince Wilfork on Marshawn Lynch:
“You’ve gotta take it personal. It starts up front – offensive line, defensive line – when you have a back like this. Of course we take it personal.”
“They have a right to talk about their run game, because they’ve been so special over the years at running the football. I think our No. 1 objective is Marshawn Lynch – and Russell Wilson – to get those guys slowed down so the game can unfold for us. If we can’t do that, we’re going to have a long night. And I’m not looking for a long night.”
When asked, ‘Can you stop Marshawn Lynch?’
“Yeah, with three or four guys… Every time he runs, he runs like he doesn’t have a ball in his hand.”
LeGarrette Blount on Seahawks:
“I don’t care about them being a top defence. That don’t bother me. They were good enough to get here, just like we were good enough to get here. They’re not immortal. They can be beat.”
Courtesy of BC Local News
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