February 3, 2005
It seemed as though there were hundreds, maybe thousands of reporters here, there, and everywhere. It was certainly exciting to be even a small part of it, but it was out of the ordinary, to say the least, and not something a person could ever be fully prepared for if they had never been part of it before.
Because I happen to be the only Canadian player who will be on the field this Sunday, a few Canadian journalists were interested in chatting with me during media day.
Most were so friendly, which was great. It's a challenge for a young guy like myself without a lot of media exposure to handle all the attention.
I did have fun with it, though. One of the Canadian TV networks, Rogers Sportsnet, asked me to do a bit where I went around interviewing my own teammates. That was a blast.
SIGHTSEEING
I've also spent some time with my teammates seeing some of the sights down here in Jacksonville.
Brian Westbrook, Donavan McNabb and I drove around town checking things out. It was a lot of fun.
Of course, we are not having too much fun. Every guy on the Eagles knows we are here for one reason, to play the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday. So most of our time is spent practising, watching film, and in meetings.
I think the coaching staff has done a very good thing by having us stay in a hotel away from where most of the Super Bowl action seems to be.
When it's time to pack it in for the night, we have ample opportunity to get some rest before we go back at it first thing the next morning.
Like so many things in life, the challenge for me as a first-year player, and maybe even for my more veteran teammates, is to achieve some balance in our approach to preparing for the game, while still taking part in the festivities.
There will be a little time spent souvenir-hunting, as well. Because of my undergraduate degree in economics, a couple of summers ago I worked as an intern at Scotia Capital, part of the Bank of Nova Scotia. I've promised some of my friends at Scotia that I'd bring them back some Super Bowl memorabilia!
Our coaching staff wants the guys to let their hair down a bit, and enjoy the experience to the fullest. At the same time, as I said before, each and every player and coach knows we are really only here for one reason, to play the Patriots.
I have to admit though, with all the craziness surrounding us -- good craziness, I should add -- I'm looking forward to having some good friends from my St. Mike's days join me later this week.
That said, I'd better run. We just finished a two-hour practice this (Wednesday) afternoon, followed by some weight training. I have a few minutes before we have dinner, more meetings, and hopefully, a few minutes to spend with my teammates out and about.
But while I'm out, I'll keep thinking about Sunday, and what I need to do to be ready.
Enjoying media circus
TORONTO NATIVE MIKE LABINJO TRYING TO HAVE FUN BUT ALSO FOCUS ON THE BIG GAMEBy MIKE LABINJO - Toronto Sun
I'VE GOT to admit, I've never experienced ANYTHING in my life like Super Bowl media day on Tuesday. This may be an annual event, but for me, it was an unbelievable experience.
It seemed as though there were hundreds, maybe thousands of reporters here, there, and everywhere. It was certainly exciting to be even a small part of it, but it was out of the ordinary, to say the least, and not something a person could ever be fully prepared for if they had never been part of it before.
Because I happen to be the only Canadian player who will be on the field this Sunday, a few Canadian journalists were interested in chatting with me during media day.
Most were so friendly, which was great. It's a challenge for a young guy like myself without a lot of media exposure to handle all the attention.
I did have fun with it, though. One of the Canadian TV networks, Rogers Sportsnet, asked me to do a bit where I went around interviewing my own teammates. That was a blast.
SIGHTSEEING
I've also spent some time with my teammates seeing some of the sights down here in Jacksonville.
Brian Westbrook, Donavan McNabb and I drove around town checking things out. It was a lot of fun.
Of course, we are not having too much fun. Every guy on the Eagles knows we are here for one reason, to play the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday. So most of our time is spent practising, watching film, and in meetings.
I think the coaching staff has done a very good thing by having us stay in a hotel away from where most of the Super Bowl action seems to be.
When it's time to pack it in for the night, we have ample opportunity to get some rest before we go back at it first thing the next morning.
Like so many things in life, the challenge for me as a first-year player, and maybe even for my more veteran teammates, is to achieve some balance in our approach to preparing for the game, while still taking part in the festivities.
There will be a little time spent souvenir-hunting, as well. Because of my undergraduate degree in economics, a couple of summers ago I worked as an intern at Scotia Capital, part of the Bank of Nova Scotia. I've promised some of my friends at Scotia that I'd bring them back some Super Bowl memorabilia!
Our coaching staff wants the guys to let their hair down a bit, and enjoy the experience to the fullest. At the same time, as I said before, each and every player and coach knows we are really only here for one reason, to play the Patriots.
I have to admit though, with all the craziness surrounding us -- good craziness, I should add -- I'm looking forward to having some good friends from my St. Mike's days join me later this week.
That said, I'd better run. We just finished a two-hour practice this (Wednesday) afternoon, followed by some weight training. I have a few minutes before we have dinner, more meetings, and hopefully, a few minutes to spend with my teammates out and about.
But while I'm out, I'll keep thinking about Sunday, and what I need to do to be ready.