TAMPA -- The first time I attended media day at a Super Bowl, it was under the roof at Ford Field in Detroit. Last year, I was there under the brilliant sun of Phoenix. This year in Tampa, media day was held under the sun and hot temperatures at Raymond James Stadium.
This posed a big problem for me and the rest of the Sportsnet crew. For my cameramen, Mario and Alvin, they had to worry about the effect the heat would have on them lugging all their gear around the stadium. I had to worry about NOT getting a tan. I love my wife, but avoiding the sun on this kind of day was next to impossible.
Up first, we got to interview the Arizona Cardinals coaches and players. Taking a cue from their no-nonsense head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, the Cards are an easy football team to deal with. Larry Fitzgerald's dad is a sportswriter in Minnesota. I am hoping to meet Mr. Fitzgerald this week to compliment him on the job he did raising his son. Larry is first class all the way.
My favourite guy to talk to on the Cardinals is their offensive co-ordinator Todd Haley. Haley's dad was the Steelers director of player personnel during their glory days in the 1970s. You have likely seen the clips a thousand times of Haley yelling at Anquan Boldin on the sidelines during the NFC Championship game. In person, he's a passionate football man and can't stop talking about his respect and admiration for Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner.
After a one-hour break to eat the nice brunch provided for us by the NFL, it was back down on the field to talk to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the majority of the Cardinals have never been to a Super Bowl, the Steelers had that swagger of a team that had been there, done that. Not in your face cocky, but the Steelers definitely had a distinct air of confidence about them.
With all due respect to the Cards, the Steelers have a lot more interesting guys to talk to as a reporter. Hines Ward has always been one of my favourites. Ben Roethlisberger is a good guy to talk to. Mike Tomlin might be young, but he is a dynamic person to interview and he exudes leadership.
My favourite Steeler that I interviewed was their mammoth 345-pound offensive tackle Max Starks. A graduate of Florida, Starks speaks like a guy with his Masters degree from Harvard. Bright, eloquent, and open to any question; Starks will shatter anyone's pre-conceived notion that all athletes speak in clichés. Starks has a future in broadcasting should he choose to go that route.
Of course, the lovely Ines Sainz and the rest of the Latino hotties from TV Azteca were on hand to add to the international flavour of media day that NFL players love so much. While media this year was nuts, it wasn't quite as off-the-hook crazy as last year's in Phoenix.
On Wednesday, I will have a feature story on the Steelers top-ranked defence and their revered and respected co-ordinator Dick LeBeau. You will be amazed to see some of the toughest defensive players in the NFL talk openly of their love for the Steelers 71-year-old defensive guru.
