PHOENIX (AP) -Talk about confidence!
The Boston Globe has offered preorders of a book entitled “19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England’s Unbeatable Patriots.”
The title seems a bit presumptuous because New England is 18-0 going into Sunday’s Super Bowl showdown with the New York Giants.
For a time this week, the book could be preordered on Amazon.com for $14.95. By late Tuesday afternoon, the book was no longer listed; instead there was a message that read, “This item is currently not available.”
The Globe wasn’t the only publisher taking a big leap of faith. “New York Giants; 2008 Super Bowl Champions” also was available for presale on Amazon.com. The book, published by Sports Publishing Inc., went for $10.17. With the Giants 12-point underdogs, this book required a serious leap of faith. The Giants book, too, was no longer listed late Tuesday.
The Globe issued a statement saying it was “simply preparing for the possibility of a Patriots Super Bowl victory” in advertising the book, much like the city of Boston is planning for a possible victory parade.
“It’s not going to print until after the game,” Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan said. “Part of the planning is done, of course. It’s not going to print until Monday, so it makes sense to have a preselling on Amazon books.”
He said the Globe has done books on previous Patriots Super Bowl champions and the two recent Red Sox World Series champions.
“People are saying we’re giving extra motivation to the Giants,” Sullivan said. “I didn’t know you needed extra motivation to win the Super Bowl.”
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HEY KID: The kid reporter got his story on media day at University of Phoenix Stadium. Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress made sure of that.
Nine-year-old Brock Domann of Colorado Springs, Colo., covering the Super Bowl for Scholastic News, was standing in a mass of reporters on Tuesday when Manning picked him out for a question.
“When you and Peyton Manning were kids and playing football, who was QB?” the surprised youngster asked.
A grown-up reporter tried to butt in with another question, but Manning waved him off and pointed to young Brock. “No, him,” the Giants quarterback said.
Then Manning told the boy that when he played with Peyton and his older friends, he was “permanent center.” Big brother Peyton was the quarterback.
Brock moved on to Burress, asking the Giants receiver what advice he would give to a kid who wanted to play professional football. Burress listened, then brought the youngster onto the podium with him.
“You see all these people here?” Burress said, his arm around the boy’s shoulder. “You see all those seats? They’re all going to be filled Sunday. You see this podium with my name on it? I’m telling you, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. So my advice to you is, a lot of hard work.”
Brock is in Arizona with his 12-year-old sister Rylee and 10-year-old brother JoJo, who also worked media day for Scholastic News.
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EL EQUIPO TELEMUNDO: For the second year in a row, the NFL will join Telemundo Network and Coors Light to present Tazon Latino II, a nationally televised flag football game featuring former NFL players and Latino celebrities.
Marcus Allen, Roland Cantu, Wayne Chrebet, Randall Cunningham, Rocket Ismael and Kordell Stewart are among the ex-NFL players expected to participate. The Latino celebrity lineup includes Baby Bash, Julissa Bermudez, Kat Deluna, Vanessa Hauc, Aylin Mujica, Carlos Ponce, Alex Sirvent and Miguel Varoni.
For each touchdown scored, Coors will donate $1,000 to the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to promote leadership development.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. Wednesday at the NFL Experience Field adjacent to University of Phoenix Stadium, site of the Super Bowl. Telemundo will air the game on a tape-delayed basis at 2 p.m. EST on Saturday.
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RATING BRADY: Where does Tom Brady rate among the great quarterbacks in NFL history?
Troy Aikman, Fox television analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback, thinks Brady will have plenty of support for No. 1 if he leads New England to a fourth Super Bowl title.
“If Tom Brady wins this game, and then was part of a team that was undefeated … then he gives whoever wants to make that argument a lot more ammunition than they currently have,” Aikman said. “It strengthens his argument.”
But who is Aikman’s No. 1 quarterback?
“It’s not me,” he said, picking Joe Montana instead.
Another Fox analyst, Howie Long, said Terry Bradshaw has come up with an idea to honor the greatest NFL quarterbacks.
“Terry said they’re going to start raising funds for a mini-Mount Rushmore,” Long said. “They’re looking for not a cliff, but a hillside that they can carve (Joe) Montana and (Tom) Brady and Bradshaw into. I don’t know if that would be visited as much as Rushmore.”
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