MIAMI (AP) -Adam Vinatieri is making the Super Bowl almost seem like an annual rite.
A winner of four Super Bowl rings in his career, the first three of those as the kicker for the New England Patriots before he helped Indianapolis win the championship three years ago, Vinatieri might know his way around the event better than just about anyone.
He’s been in the league for 14 seasons – nearly half of which ended with him in the title game.
“I’ve definitely been blessed to say this is my sixth one in 14 years to be a part of,” Vinatieri said. “Every one of them are special in their own way. The fact that a lot of people play their entire careers to try to get to this game, it’s really something that you can say ‘congratulations’ to our team and the Saints. … Every time you make it here, it’s a blessing.”
Vinatieri had surgery midway through this season on his kicking knee, prompting the Colts to start using veteran Matt Stover as their kicker.
Stover will remain in the role for the Super Bowl.
s played in one of these, been part of another one with the Giants way back in the 1800s or something,” Vinatieri said. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s a great kicker, a super-smart guy. There’s not a whole lot that I can give him as far as advice that he doesn’t already know.”
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HEY, I KNOW YOU!: Like many high-profile athletes, Saints running back Reggie Bush gets recognized all the time.
Sometimes it’s for starring at USC.
Sometimes it’s for playing in New Orleans.
And more often than not, it’s for being Kim Kardashian’s boyfriend.
“In a high profile relationship, it can get a little crazy sometimes,” Bush said.
Naturally, Bush’s relationship with Kardashian, the popular reality-show star, was a hot topic at Tuesday’s media day. He even got popped with this question: If the Saints win the Super Bowl, will you two get married?
Not yet, Bush replied.
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A FAN, JUST NOT THIS WEEK: Reggie Wayne is a star receiver for Indianapolis, and can’t exactly root for New Orleans.
That’s his hometown.
ap, it’s outstanding.”
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THAT’S A MOUTHFUL: New Orleans coach Sean Payton knows one way to keep defensive coordinator Gregg Williams quiet.
Williams created quite a Super Bowl buzz in recent days by talking about how the Saints will try to dole out some “remember me hits” on Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.
So when it was time to eat Tuesday, Payton had a special delivery for Williams’ table.
“The poor waiter came over to the table at brunch this morning and gave me two big jars of peanut butter, saltine crackers and a glass full of sand to wash it down with,” Williams said. “Maybe if I took all that stuff down I might be able to keep my mouth shut.”
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THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: At all of 5-foot-11, the Saints’ Pierre Thomas was asked by teammate Jamar Nesbit on Tuesday how he survives in a “league of giants.”
“You’ve got to stay low to the ground,” Thomas said.
That comes naturally for him, although he isn’t the shortest player on New Orleans’ roster. That’s kicker Garrett Hartley, 5-foot-8.
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MUDD SAYING FAREWELL: Colts offensive line coach Howard Mudd was a spectator at the first Super Bowl.
“It was unbelievable,” Mudd said.
Fittingly, then, the 44th Super Bowl will be his farewell to coaching.
Mudd has been coaching the Indianapolis offensive line for 12 years, and has done that same job somewhere in the NFL for 36 consecutive seasons.
Super Bowl in itself is such a magnificent thing. … To have that be your last game is pretty cool,” Mudd said.
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WEATHER WATCH: Monday was a total washout and there might be more rain coming to South Florida in the coming days, but forecasters at the National Weather Service say chance of any precipitation on Super Bowl Sunday seems slim at this point.
The best chance of rain could be Friday, with the potential for some showers on Saturday.
For now, though, the Sunday forecast: Partly cloudy, with an afternoon high around 73 and a game-time temperature somewhere in the upper 60s.
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LINE OF THE DAY: Saints tackle Jon Stinchcomb, at his first Super Bowl media day, which by the NFL’s estimate 2,000 credentialed journalists attended: “I didn’t know that this many media guys existed.”
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Associated Press Writers Lisa Orkin Emmanuel and Sarah Larimer contributed.
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