It turns out that Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick picked his own poison.
Prior to the Giants’ winning drive in the Super Bowl, Belichick told his defence not to get beat by recievers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.
“This is still a Cruz and Nicks game,” Belichick was heard saying in audio recorded for NFL Films. “I know we’re right on them. It’s tight but those are still the guys. Make them go to Manningham, make them go to (Bear) Pascoe. Let’s make sure we get Cruz and Nicks.”
The Patriots got Cruz and Nicks.
And, Manningham and the Giants got the Patriots.
Manningham provided the Giants with momentum when he grabbed a 38-yard pass at the sideline on a highlight-reel catch.
Speaking of highlight-reels, NFL Network had many of the players miked, and its Sound FX show will be aired again, Saturday at 8 p.m. and midnight Eastern.
The Patriots had been forced to give up the ball after receiver Wes Welker failed to make a difficult catch that would have given the Pats a key first down as they tried to eat up the clock. Referee John Parry, talking to another official, was caught on tape saying: “That was the game.”
The show also chronicles how Tom Brady and Welker went from confident to frustrated. Prior to kickoff Welker told Brady, “I’m open on every play.” Brady answered, “I know you are.”
But after Brady had two passes knocked down by defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, he said, “It’s like throwing in a forest — those guys’ arms.”
In the third quarter, Giants linebacker Michael Boley can be heard referring to tight end Rob Gronkowski’s ankle sprain: “Hey, 87’s a (expletive) decoy, he’s a decoy. ... He’s about to be outta here.”
Guess Gronkowski was in a hurry: Didn’t want to miss the first dance.
BROWNS DON’T HAVE TO BE DULL
The Cleveland Browns had the NFL’s dullest offence but president Mike Holmgren could fix a lot of that with just one move.
All he has to do is trade up a couple spots in the draft and land quarterback Robert Griffin III, plus his favourite receiver at Baylor, Kendall Wright. Draft observers believe Holmgren can get both by dealing the Browns’ fourth pick this year and their first-round pick next year to move up two spots, which would allow them to pick the Heisman Trophy winner.
It would give Cleveland a quarterback of the future, which would be a huge boost to a city that hasn’t had much of a future for any of its professional sports teams since LeBron James went big-time. And, if Holmgren makes the deal and keeps the Browns’ 22nd pick in the first round, Wright should still be available.
Incumbent quarterback Colt McCoy has recovered from a concussion suffered against the Steelers but doesn’t rate more than as a competent NFL backup.
McCoy can manage a game given enough weapons but he has an average arm and he isn’t, himself, a playmaker. Griffin III can be.
Paired with Gregg Little, Mohamed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs, the addition of Griffin III and Wright would immediately give the Browns an offence that the Dawg Pound wouldn’t think should be treated like a fire hydrant.
BACK TO BEING CHAD JOHNSON
What’s in a name?
In Chad Ochocinco’s case it is confusion.
The Patriots’ wide receiver trades in monikers like some people trade cars — every four years, or whenever the old one wears out.
Just four years after changing his name to Ochocinco — Spanish for “eight-five,” he’s decided to go back to his birth name. Last year, after a Japanese film crew filmed a piece on the Bengals, he said he was changing his name to Hachi Go, Japanese for eight-five.
Ochocinco is engaged to be married to “Basketball Wives” star Evelyn Lozada and reports indicate he wants to change his name back to Chad Johnson prior to this summer’s wedding. Ochocinco, who turned 34 last month, announced via his Twitter account (@ochocinco) that he will change his name on July 4, responding to a fan who claimed to have five of the star’s jerseys on his wall.
“Take them down,” Ochocino tweeted. “I’ll be Johnson on July 4th.”
And, on July 5, he’ll be whatever Lozada tells him to be. But you have to be a guy, and be married, to understand why this is so.
A ROUND OF APOLOGIES, PLEASE
Who’s sorry now?
Hands up, Brandon Jacobs.
Jalen Rose, too. Well, sort of, although he left the impression he’s not horribly certain why he is sorry.
And, then there is Rodney Harrison, who is only sorry he wasn’t around to smack Rob Gronkowski and Matt Light upside the head.
Let’s start with Jacobs who apologized for saying Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele Bundchen should “stay cute and shut up.” The supermodel had criticized Brady’s receivers.
“Given the fact that it’s a colleague of mine’s wife, I do apologize for saying that, because I shouldn’t have said that,” Jacobs said. “It’s his wife and I should respect that just as much as anyone else.”
Rose. the former NBA star turned ESPN analyst stepped into a puddle of controversy. About Gronkowski’s post-Super Bowl partying he said: “He was having a good time. He was white boy wasted. He was having a good time.”
A couple hours later he was back on the air apologizing. “I made some comments that other people — some people — took as insensitive remarks, so for those that took it that way I definitely apologize.” But it still all sounded like he didn’t know why he was apologizing.
Meantime, Harrison said Light and Gronkowski “disrespected” themselves for dancing around shirtless like they were auditioning for the Fireman’s Annual Calendar.
“I guarantee you this, if Willie McGinest, Ted Bruschi, Larry Izzo, Richard Seymour or myself had been at that party, (Gronkowski) probably would have got his head rung,” the former Patriots safety told ESPN in Chicago. “There’s no reason for that to happen.”
Defeat should not rest lightly on their shoulders or, in Gronkowksi’s case, on his high ankle sprain.
SHOW US THE MONEY
Osi Umenyiora and Victor Cruz showed New York the Super Bowl.
Now they apparently want the Giants to show them the money.
The Giants defensive end hasn’t been happy with his contract, pretty much since the day he signed it. And with $3.975 million due to Osi in the final year of his contract, teammate Jason Pierre-Paul thinks the team should take care of him and sign him to a long-term deal.
“I think it’s very important,” Pierre-Paul told Mark Hale of the New York Post. “Give him what he wants, man. We’ve got the best defensive line in the country, and everybody sees that. So bring him back.”
Cruz, last year, earned $450,000. In return, the Giants received a franchise record 1,536 yards. Next year, Cruz is due $490,000. Cruz, who won the Vizio Award which goes to the NFL player who does the most for the least money, believes he should get more.
“I came in as a free agent so I don’t feel like I was underpaid,” said Cruz, who as an undrafted player got the minimum base salary. “After my performance this year, you know, I feel like I deserve to be paid more money at this point. But that’s something I’ll let my agents and those people take care of and I’ll just go out there and play the game.”
