Pranks, Studs and Sweet Rides

Media day... (I can think of a few other things to call it but so be it)

I have one year under my belt with how this thing works. Covering Super Bowl XLI in Miami was a first. And as they say, you never forget your first. Which in the scheme of things isn't really much when compared to the Berman's of the sports world. Yet all you need is one, and forever more you've got a reference on how things work.

Reflecting back on Miami, this year brings some similarities and refreshingly enough, some nice surprises. Last night our crew met for dinner in hopes of a chance to discuss our game plan going into today's media spectacle. What was a simple meal hoping to generate ideas turned into a long conversation about ____________ and a slight argument with our waitress over the price of wine. Apparently our version of a certain Sonoma Coast bottle and her interpretation of a distinctly different Sonoma Coast bottle cost an extra 35 bucks. Consider it noted. And for the curious, this might be a place to skip when visiting the greater Phoenix area.

Moving on... we accomplished little at the dinner yet we did finally come to a few conclusions: no swarming the booths, no slugging around step stools, and no annoyingly common and predictable questions. Avoid the obvious. Immediately Belichick, Coughlin, Brady, Manning, Strahan, Welker, Moss, Burress were out of the plan. Our proposal was to grab the fun guys, hand them a mic and let 'em rip. Initiate a conversation that led to us learning about their teammates, hear about the funny jokes, get the scoop behind the locker room pranks, and perhaps a little slip of a secret or two.

We arrived at the University of Phoenix Stadium and parked. Victory was short as we reached the entrance (along with a handful of other naive credential holding reporters) and were told it was the wrong spot. Sweet. Upon reaching the desired and real entrance a familiar vision flashed before me. The security line, the try-not-to-be-obvious-and-fail-miserably-as-you-check-out-the-who's-who-of-the-line, the wait, the cue that signals the massive cattle call down to the field, even the muffins on the catering table were the same from last year.

The athletes are even similar. This years class can easily be lumped into two groups: Pats/Colts. Giants/Bears. The favorite versus the underdog, the QB people wanted to see win vs the QB who's path to the big game was rocky and often doubted, the explosive offense versus the dominant defense, the team ready to take care of business whereas the other team was happy just to be invited to the office party.

Upon first glance you might not think they are similar. Then again maybe you find them to be exactly the same. I found them to be predictable. Now I'll give you one guess on who was more fun to interview. Times up.

Once for a hockey interview, I had to ask some of the guys who they would pick if they were stranded on an island. After today, I know which team I would pick. The Giants are fun. They are fearless. They are enjoying all of this. The sheer magnitude of it all is not lost on them nor does it scare them. It excites them. The Pats aren't scared. They aren't worried. They are just kind of ________. Don't take this observation the wrong way. I am in no way taking a swipe at what could be one of, and in some minds the, greatest NFL team ever. I'm just saying that when you 're in my position and competing against thousands of journalists from all over the world, some who think it is a good idea to dress up as brides and crazy magicians mind you, it's invigorating to be with a team who still finds humor in it all. The unit that lives up to the larger then life hype of the game through words, their own emotions and a harmless dose of teasing (on each other).

We have some great videos out on all of it. My favorite questions to ask that got the best answers were "Who has the best car?", "Who is the biggest ladies man?" and "Who does the best pranks?" Ohhhh the answers we got. Look for our video. Classic.

(I'll try to link it as soon as it is up. In the meantime, it is 1:20 am ET and I'm beat. Night.)